You may or may not know this, but Chicago is one of the most Instagrammable cities in the country and it is very easy to see why. Chicago boasts a wealth of attractive tourist sites and attractions that are hard to resist capturing for one’s social media pages. If you are looking for top places to photograph yourself in the Windy City, you will be spoilt for choice.
It can be hard to find inspiring and beautiful spots designed to give one’s Instagram feed a boost. But you’re not going to experience this problem in Chicago. There are so many great locations in Chicago that you can snap for your ‘Gram. So if you are in the market for cool locations, here are breathtaking and unforgettable places in Chicago for your Instagram:
The Bean
The bean also commonly referred to as Cloud Gate is one of Chicago’s most photographed spots. The bean is located in the city’s downtown park, so it is pretty accessible. Because of its shiny exterior, the monument reflects the Windy City’s famous skyline, as well as the surrounding greenery. As a public work, anyone can visit the Bean and photograph it.
Apart from being one of the most popular spots in Chicago, it is also one of the largest outdoor art installations in the world. The monument was erected in 2004 and has since been one of the city’s most iconic sites. The Bean is situated in Millennium Park and sits right above the McCormick Tribune Plaza.
The Bean was designed by world-renowned artist Anish Kapoor, who has several such large outdoor installations in many parts of the world. Cloud Gate was Kapoor’s first installation for the British sculptor to install in the US. As such, it has significant cultural value to the city as well. For a full experience, don’t be afraid to walk up to the bean and touch its reflective surface.
The Greetings from Chicago Mural
There is nothing like a colorful mural to give your Instagram pictures a pop of color. Murals are the perfect background for Instagrammers because they add such a rich look and feel to an otherwise ordinary backdrop. The Greetings from Chicago mural is no doubt one of the more recognized murals in the city.
Located in Logan Square, the Greetings from Chicago mural, the mural was designed to give homage to those popular postcards from the mid-2oth century. If you are keen on snapping a photo before this iconic mural, you simply have to find your way to the intersection of Prindiville Street and Milwaukee Avenue.
Greetings from Chicago was created as a collaborative effort between well-known graffiti artist Victor Ving and photographer Lisa Beggs. The mural was designed to feature all the wonderful things that are characteristic of the Windy City such as Millennium Park, the Gold Coast, deep-dish pizza and hotdogs, as well as the iconic water tower from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
The Chicago Theatre
If you are obsessed with vintage neon signs, then it doesn’t get any better than what’s available at the Chicago Theatre. Also commonly referred to as the Wonder Theater of the World, the Chicago Theatre is one of the most visited and photographed sites in Chicago. Not only are most live performances in Chicago performed here, but several notable award shows have also been hosted here.
With its large yellow and red marquee, the sign at the Chicago Theater is perhaps one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city. Apart from the Instagrammable factor, the Chicago theater also has a long history in the Windy City, having first opened its doors to the public in 1921. According to Cool Things Chicago, since its inception, the theater has hosted numerous A-list names such as Diana Ross, Duke Ellington, and many more.
As such, if you fancy yourself a performer or a creative, you will find lots of things to inspire you at the theater. The theater is located a block south of the Chicago River and just a few blocks from Millenium Park, which makes accessibility a breeze.
The Garfield Park Conservatory
If you are in the market for an Instagrammable spot with lots of greenery, then it doesn’t get any better than the Garfield Park Conservatory. Not only is the park one of the most beautiful locations in the city, but it is also one of the most visited conservatories in the country. Commonly referred to as landscape art under glass, the conservatory is one 2 acres of land that are filled with magnificent plant species of all types.
In the conservatory, you will find all sorts of tropical plants and rocky outcropping that will provide you the perfect background for your snaps. The conservatory has different exhibits distributed all over the park so you will never run out of great spots to capture your images.
The crystal glass roof will also provide you with the ultimate lighting so that you can take the quality of your Instagram pictures to the next level. The conservatory is situated on North Central Park Avenue.
The Sears Tower Ledge
As far as sky decks in Chicago go, it doesn’t get any more elaborate than the Sears Tower ledge. The Sears Tower ledge will allow you to capture excellent shots of the city’s magnificent skyline that consists of some of the country’s tallest buildings the likes of the Willis Tower, Aon Center, the John Hancock Center, as well as the Trump International Tower.
From the sky deck, not only will you capture the city’s sprawling skyline but you will also get a glimpse of other surrounding states including Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. At the ledge at the sky deck, you will also find a glass viewing platform that’s situated 4 feet outside the tower’s dimensions and almost 1500 feet above the ground so that you can capture something truly outstanding for your Instagram feed.
Final Thoughts
If you want your Instagram aesthetic to pop, then you will find plenty of great locations in Windy City. Chicago is full of wonderful things to see and do. As such, if you are in the market for wonderful photography spots for our feed, it doesn’t get any better than Chicago.
Photo by Bhargava Marripati
