Chicago‘s towering and iconic skyscrapers provide a beautiful landscape for memorable photos wherever the shot is taken. Still, there are places throughout the city that will make it more likely to capture the perfect shot or give you a different vantage point.
From high in the sky to low on the ground, for weddings, celebrations or fun selfies, there are plenty of spots throughout Chicago to get that one shot worthy of sharing on your social media platforms or hanging on your walls.
Here are 13 of the best places in Chicago to take pictures.
Getting Chicago’s skyline from high above the ground
Much of Chicago’s iconic skyline can be captured on the ground but it’s not easy to get a panoramic view unless you’re high in the sky. Here are four ways to get a wider shot of the city and all its glory.
1. Chicago Helicopter Experience
Photo credit: Chicago Helicopter Experience
For a truly one-of-a-kind and 360-degree Chicago skyline photo opportunity, book a tour with Chicago Helicopter Experience. Guests can choose from day, evening and fireworks tours. Tours leave from a private helipad in downtown Chicago.
2. Navy Pier Ferris wheel
Photo credit: Ranvestel Photographic / Navy PierNavy Pier’s
Centennial Wheel (also known as the Ferris Wheel) provides an opportunity to get a few different levels of skyline shots.
3. Skydeck at Willis Tower
Photo credit: Ranvestel Photographic / Willis Tower
Depending on the weather, it’s possible to see up to four states from the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower (also known locally as the Sears Tower) located in Chicago’s Loop. The Ledge on the Skydeck always makes for great photos.
4. 360 Chicago (formerly John Hancock Observatory)
Photo Courtesy of John Hancock Observatory
Score 360-degree views from 1,000 feet high in the sky at the 360 Observatory in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. For an even more unique shot, the TILT attraction literally tilts you forward so you can get a downward-facing view of the city.
Best Chicago selfie spots
Whether you’re alone or with friends and family, these four locations make for great selfies.
5. The Bean
Photo: Adam Alexander Photography Photo Courtesy of Choose Chicago
Like many other Chicago attractions, Cloud Gate, affectionally known as “The Bean” in Chicago because of its shape, has become one of the most popular places to take a selfie thanks to its highly-polished and mirror-like exterior which reflects part of the city’s skyline.
6. Chicago Theatre sign
The Chicago vertical sign, as part of the Chicago Theatre, is a landmark on State Street in the Loop and often seen in movies. It doesn’t get more Chicago than a shot with this marquee in the backdrop.
7. Maggie Daley Park
Photo credit: Choose Chicago Poto Courtesy of Abel Arciniega
Maggie Daley Park, just east of the Loop, isn’t just a great playground for kids — it’s also a fantastic place for a selfie, either with friends or your family.
8. Buckingham Fountain
Photo credit: City of Chicago Photo Courtesy of Choose Chicago
Buckingham Fountain is one of the largest fountains in the world and open from May through October. For a fun selfie, a major water display occurs every 20 minutes on the hour when it’s in operation.
Chicago skyline shots from around the city
It’s not necessary to go high into the sky to get a frame-worthy Chicago skyline shot. Here are five more locations where you not only get a unique city view but within a different type of frame or vantage point. Snap away!
9. Skyline from the Shedd Aquarium
Photo: dam Alexander Photography Photo Courtesy of Choose Chicago
Take a trip to the Museum Campus and there are a few spots where you can get a really great skyline shot, including this location near the Shedd Aquarium. No museum entry fee required to walk along the shoreline.
10. Agora sculpture in the South Loop
Photo: Adam Alexander Photography Photo Courtesy of Choose Chicago
For a truly different skyline view, shoot it with the Agora installation in the foreground. The installation at the southwest end of Grant Park features 106 headless and armless iron sculptures designed by Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz.
11. From Upper Wacker Drive along Chicago River
Photo credit: Choose Chicago Photo Courtesy of Choose Chicago
Catch the Michigan Avenue Bridge and several buildings lit up from Upper Wacker Drive along the Chicago River. Or, take a walk along the Chicago River during the day for a daytime shot.
12. Kayaking on the Chicago River
Photo credit: Graham Chapman
Or score a shot from the Chicago River by kayaking it with Urban Kayaks!
13. Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo
The Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo in the Lincoln Park neighborhood gives photographers a different type of frame for their photos of the city’s skyline.
Enjoy the best places in Chicago to take pictures!
There’s no shortage of places to take beautiful and memorable photos of Chicago, and don’t forget to shoot from different angles for some unexpected shots. The city offers a wonderful landscape from which to take photos, but please keep in mind that if you’re photographing for commercial use, you may need to secure a permit.
Many venues, such as the Lincoln Park Zoo, make it clear when you need to secure a permit and how to go about doing it so. In the meantime, happy snapping at these best places in Chicago to take pictures!
If taking pictures isn’t enough and you’re looking to move to Chicago, you can find an apartment to rent or a home to buy to meet your needs.
