Budget traveler's guide to visiting chicago​

For a splurge, see the city from the water on a CAC River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady. Docents from the Chicago Architecture Center share stories about riverfront landmarks. Tickets

start at about $50 (March through November). VISIT THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO. You can easily spend a day at this landmark (artic.edu, 111 S. Michigan Ave.). Built for the 1893 World’s

Columbian Exposition and filled with treasures largely amassed by early industrialists, it has one of the world’s strongest collections of Impressionist and Postimpressionist paintings ($25

for adults; $19 for those 65 and older). EXPLORE MILLENNIUM PARK. Many of the city’s free attractions hug the lakefront, including the art-filled, 24.5-acre Millennium Park, part of the

larger Grant Park. A pedestrian bridge designed by architect Renzo Piano connects the Art Institute to the park, home to prairie gardens in summer, an ice rink in winter and selfie takers

year-round. Photo seekers gather at Anish Kapoor’s reflective _Cloud Gate _sculpture, popularly known as “The Bean.” Just north of Millennium Park is the 3,040-foot-long Navy Pier, which

juts into Lake Michigan. Originally a commercial shipping center, the pier is now a civic attraction featuring rides (the nearly 200-foot-tall iconic Centennial wheel among them), boat

tours, shops, restaurants and the acclaimed Chicago Shakespeare Theater (chicagoshakes.com). Don’t miss the Miller Lite Beer Garden for brews with views and live music in the summer. STROLL

THE LINCOLN PARK ZOO. This is another freebie, located on the lakefront a little over 3 miles north of Millennium Park, with its expansive great-apes house and an immersive African habitat

(lpzoo.org). CHECK OUT THE GARFIELD PARK CONSERVATORY. It’s free to visit this conservatory (garfieldconservatory.org, 300 N. Central Park Ave.), one of the largest indoor gardens in the

nation. eStock Photo DRINK IN THE VIEW. You can enjoy skyline views at the 360 Chicago Observation Deck (360chicago.com, $30 for adults), which is on the 94th floor of what was formerly

known as the John Hancock Building. Or have a drink at the tower’s Signature Lounge, on floor 96, where there’s no fee for the views. CATCH A SHOW. Spend your evenings sampling the rich —

and democratically priced — performing arts scene. The home of improv comedy, Chicago offers an array of sketch and improvisational-comedy companies, including the legendary Second City

(whose alumni include former _Saturday Night Live_ stars John Belushi and Tina Fey). The Second City (secondcity.com, 1616 N. Wells St.) presents live shows seven days a week (starting at

$18). But there are dozens of theaters to choose from, scattered throughout the city, often lodged in storefronts and offering tickets at $20 or less.