Navy Pier

A kilometre-long pier and a Ferris wheel facing the skyline

Hours: Pier open year-round; rides and venues vary by season and day (check the official site)
Tickets: Free entry; the Centennial Wheel costs extra (about $18-25 per adult, sources differ)
Address: 600 E Grand Ave, a pier running almost a kilometre into Lake Michigan

Built as a cargo pier in 1916, it's now an amusement strip of rides and restaurants. The indoor mall by the entrance is mostly chain stores, but walk the south promenade to the far end and things change: on one side Lake Michigan runs to the horizon like a sea, and behind you the city's towers float on the water. The 60-metre Centennial Wheel has enclosed gondolas, so it still works on a windy day, and from the top you see lake and downtown together. On summer Wednesday and Saturday nights, fireworks go off over the water.