Chicago Accommodations:

The extensive network of Chicago hotels, meeting space and convention centers facilitate large meetings and trade shows. The McCormick Place, for instance, is one of the largest convention centers in the world, with nearly 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space. Navy Pier is a popular Chicago destination not only for Chicago restaurants, museums and family fun, but for Chicago conventions and conferences due to the vast meeting space throughout this top Chicago attraction. Moreover, at Navy Pier you will find spectacular views of the Chicago skyline. The Donald E Stephens Convention Center, located in Rosemont, the neighborhood conveniently adjacent to O’Hare International Airport, offers 840,000 square feet of exhibition space. Downtown Chicago is a short trip from The Stephens Convention Center.

Chicago Hotels:

The hundreds of hotels in downtown Chicago can absorb overnight stay for an extremely large number of convention attendees. Chicago hotels vary in proximity to the aforementioned Chicago convention centers; meeting space found inside these venues, ideal for small to mid-size meetings, in many cases; capacity, price and overall charm.

Chicago Dining:

Chicago offers an extraordinary and at times an overwhelming selection of Chicago restaurants, which vary by cuisine, guest capacity, and price. Chicago Dine-Around has extensive relationships with many of the great Chicago restaurants. Our service is popular among Chicago meetings, conferences and conventions due to the ease of planning offsite dinners, dine-arounds, and other types of custom events. Chicago Dine-Around is a one stop shop by handling both the dining and transportation aspects of the event. Chicago is a very culturally diverse city, with lots of different types of restaurants and cuisines. Through our packages, we incorporate a great deal of variety in restaurants and cuisine, exhibiting a good representation of our ethnically diverse city and food.

Chicago Tours and Attractions:

World-renowned Chicago tours and attractions contribute to an overall memorable experience in Chicago during convention attendees down time. Chicago Dine-Around often incorporates various Chicago tours and attractions into its itineraries and programs for convention clients, upon request. Whether its a stop at Millennium Park to explore Cloud Gate, or “The Bean”, magnificently lit up at dusk by reflections of the Chicago skyline, or a visit to the Hancock Observatory for some of the best views of Chicago from one of the tallest buildings in Chicago, we have the flexibility with our service to offer guests the unique Chicago experience that they are looking for.

Chicago on the Map:

Chicago is centrally located and convenient in bringing together colleagues or prospective customers from coast to coast, north or south. Our city is internationally recognized for its skyline, unique history, Chicago dining, cultural diversity, and Chicago tours and attractions. Chicago Dine-Around conveniently brings it all together for its customers. Plan your next convention, conference or meeting in Chicago with Chicago Dine-Around!

Chicago dining can be broken down into the following categories:

Diverse Ethnic Cuisine:

Chicago is a culturally diverse city with food represented from all over the world. Greektown, Little Italy and Chinatown are a few neighborhoods near downtown Chicago where you can find food from these regions. River North, located in the heart of downtown Chicago, brings together theme-based restaurants and is home to a plethora of diverse Chicago dining options. Moreover, the neighborhoods throughout Chicago are culturally diverse as is the food you can find in these different communities. Food festivals, such as the Taste of Chicago, celebrate the diversity of food and culture in Chicago and around the world. In fact, the annual Taste of Chicago is considered the world’s largest food festival. Festivals of food can be found throughout the different neighborhoods of Chicago and throughout the year.

Comfort Foods:

Chicago dining is also known for foods such as pizza and hot dogs, which have put Chicago on the map! While Chicago is known for its delicious deep dish pizza, an influx of newer and trendy Italian restaurants specialize in Neopolitan, or Italian-style, pizza, which is ideal for those counting calories due to its thinner crust. There is an ongoing debate as to which establishment makes the best Chicago pizza or hot dog. The truth is…they are all very delicious!

Italian Restaurants:

You can find a neighborhood Italian restaurant in just about every corner of Chicago. While there is a high concentration of Italian restaurants in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood, this popular cuisine can be found on almost every block in the River North, Loop and Gold Coast neighborhoods of downtown Chicago.

New and Old Restaurants:

Many of the restaurants visited on the tour have been serving Chicago for a number of years and enjoy an excellent local reputation. Some, however, are newer additions to the Chicago dining scene. In Chicago, new restaurants are always emerging to support our growing population, number of visitors, and reputation for Chicago food.

All-Around Good Food and Service:

And last, but certainly not least, Chicago dining can be defined by simply good food and company. You will find good hospitality at Chicago restaurants. Chicago Dine-Around focuses on bringing people together with these types of restaurants. Equally as important as the food, the Progressive Dining Tour frequents restaurants that make our guests feel at home.

Below is an overview of the most popular things to do in Chicago.

Chicago Tours and Attractions:

There are some spectacular Chicago tours and attractions, including Millennium Park, Navy Pier, the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Magnificent Mile, which is home to world-class shopping along Michigan Ave. Visit the John Hancock Observatory or the Willis Tower Skydeck for the best views of Chicago. Join a Chicago bike, boat or bus tour to learn more about Chicago history, architecture, and take in the sights of Chicago.

Chicago Theaters:

Chicago is home to world-renowned comedy clubs and theaters. The world’s premier comedy theater, The Second City has produced numerous actors and comedians that have went on to Saturday Night Live. Chicago Dine-Around offers a Chicago dinner and a show package with Chicago’s most well-known theaters.

Chicago Sports:

Chicago is home to world-class sports teams, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, White Sox, Cubs and Blackhawks. Catch a game at Wrigley Field or Soldier Field to experience first hand why Chicagoans are considered among the best sports fans in the world.

Chicago Museums:

Chicago is home to some of the finest museums in the country. You can make an entire day out of visiting Museum Park, which comprises the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, and the Shedd Aquarium. The Museum of Science and Industry and The Art Institute are a must-do. The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago always has interesting exhibits as well as performances. There are also smaller, boutique art museums located throughout Chicago, some of which are operated by local colleges and universities, such as Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago and Loyola University Museum of Art.

Chicago Festivals:

Chicago is home to the world’s largest food festival, the Taste of Chicago. The Chicago Blues Festival is the largest free blues festival in the world. The Chicago Jazz Festival is the longest running music festival along Chicago’s lakefront. The Chicago Air and Water Show is a must-see. There are over 400 neighborhood festivals that take place each year throughout Chicago, celebrating ethnic customs, music and food. Taste of Lincoln Avenue, Ribfest Chicago, 6 Corners BBQ Fest, Retro on Roscoe, Chicago Pride Feast, Wrigleyville SummerFest and Wells Street Art Festival are a few examples of Chicago neighborhood festivals. This list of festivals in Chicago are endless. Some of the neighborhood festivals have admission fees while others are free to participate. The Old Town Art Fair is one of the nation’s oldest art fairs.

The most popular Chicago tours and attractions include Millennium Park, Navy Pier, the Lincoln Park Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Magnificent Mile and various Chicago tours on lake and land.

Millennium Park

Millennium Park, which is considered the city’s most important project since the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, has become a popular Chicago visitor destination since the Park’s inception in 2004. At Millennium Park, visitors can enjoy Cloud Gate, or a three-story reflective steel structure referred to as “The Bean”, along with the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Crown Fountain and Lurie Garden. At Cloud Gate, visitors surround the sculpture taking pictures of their reflection with the city in the background from all sides of the structure. This is among the most popular things to do in Chicago by visitors, along with walking through the different trails and gardens at Millennium Park. At Millennium Park, you will find some of the best views of the Chicago skyline. The Aon Center and Stone Container Building, featured in the firm, “Adventures in Babysitting”, are adjacent to Millennium Park.

Navy Pier

Navy Pier still remains the most popular tourist attraction in Chicago. The Navy Pier Ferris Wheel, which was modeled after the Ferris wheel built for the World’s Columbian Exposition, provides visitors stunning views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. The original use of Navy Pier was for shipping, being located on Lake Michigan. Navy Pier was later utilized by the Department of Navy for two World Wars. At one time, the University of Chicago even had a campus at Navy Pier. Today, like many other parts of Chicago, Navy Pier has a unique collection of restaurants and shops that attract both Chicago visitors and locals. Chicago visitors enjoy the Fireworks displays at Navy Pier which take place consistently from Memorial Day to Labor Day each year.

Other Chicago attractions

Other popular Chicago attractions include the Lincoln Park Zoo, which is one of the oldest zoos in the United States; Museum Park, which comprises the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Field Museum; and the Magnificent Mile, or the world-class shopping along Michigan Ave.

Chicago tours

Chicago is adjacent to Lake Michigan; is home to some of the tallest buildings in the world, including Willis Tower, the Aon Center, and the John Hancock Center; and has rivers that run through it, creating memorable sightseeing opportunities for visitors. Chicago tours, on both land and lake, capture Chicago sites and attractions, along with the unique scenery that Chicago offers. Whether you tour Chicago by day or night, bus or boat, and spring or fall, the sightseeing opportunities for visitors are endless.