The WNDR Museum's ever-evolving immersive exhibits meld art and technology. Learn about Chicago’s history as a global center for architecture and design at the Chicago Architecture Center - or simply grab a coffee and ride the Brown Line around the heart of the Loop to see many famous skyscrapers. Visit the Museum of Contemporary Art, where you’ll often find works by LGBTQ and BIPOC artists. Absorb classic and modern works at the Art Institute, for current exhibits from Bisa Butler and Monet, but also permanent works like American Gothic and Nighthawks, in the main building and the adjacent Modern Wing. It’s no understatement that Chicago claims some of the world’s greatest museums.
There’s a wide range of culture, from the Art Institute to the Leather Museum Here’s everything you need to do to connect with the city’s LGBTQ community and beyond while you’re here. To think you need to spend all your time in one place is to narrow the possibilities of soaking in all that Chicago offers. The city comprises 77 distinct neighborhoods with sub-neighborhoods within (like Andersonville, which is Edgewater). But depending on how much time you have to spend here, Chicago has so much to offer.
When you visit Chicago, requisite jaunts to the gay nabes of Andersonville and Northalsted (which locals still know as Boystown, officially renamed last year) can’t get overlooked. I get to be my true self every day, because this city really does welcome all the colors of the rainbow. And that’s one reason I love Chicago as much as I do. For me, it’s about being able to be myself, in my city, with so many others who feel the same. I, for one, can’t wait to be back outside, among others, celebrating with my LGBTQ family and our allies as I have for years. The approach of summer means we’re on the verge of gathering once again for Chicago’s famous street festivals, including Market Days and Pride Fest (later in the year). As a lifelong Chicagoan, and someone who loves exploring the city, it has brought me so much joy to feel every neighborhood reenergize and seeing restaurants, which have suffered painfully over the last year, get packed again. Now that the world has started to come back to life, Chicago is throwing open her arms to visitors once again this summer. Chicago, like most major cities, normally attracts millions of tourists throughout the year with its incredible culture, architecture, live entertainment - not to mention a stunningly beautiful lakefront that beckons people to run, bike, and host barbecues.