The Balloon Museum exhibit debuts, airports are ranked and accessibility resources unveiled, a satellite location of the Illinois Holocaust Museum opens in River North, historic Wrigley Field scores the 2027 MLB All-Star Game, the Chicago River Swim is set to return in 2026, Chicago welcomed more than 55 million visitors in 2024, and O’Hare Airport increases international flights to Chicago.
- Chicago continues to attract global visitors
- Discover inflatable art at new Balloon Museum exhibit
- O’Hare named most-connected U.S. airport for domestic travelers
- Chicago airports unveil new accessibility resources
- Explore Holocaust history at Experience360
- Chicago Cubs to host the 2027 MLB All-Star Game
- Chicago River Swim to make a splashy return
- Chicago snags Best Stateside Vacation award
- International flights increased at O'Hare Airport
Chicago continues to attract global visitors
Chicago has proudly maintained its reputation as a global destination. The city welcomed an estimated 55.3 million visitors in 2024, a 6.5% increase from 2023. And international visitation topped 2 million for the first time since 2019, representing a year-over-year increase of more than 10%.
Learn more about Chicago’s tourism impact.
Discover inflatable art at new Balloon Museum exhibit
This fall, the acclaimed Balloon Museum brings its innovative exhibition, EmotionAir: Art You Can Feel, to The Fields Studios in Chicago. These large-scale inflatables — coupled with bold artwork, light, and synchronized sounds — spark emotions ranging from joy to surprise and quiet reflection. The immersive experience opens Oct. 30 and runs through April 6, 2026.
Learn more about the Balloon Museum.
O’Hare named most-connected U.S. airport for domestic travelers
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is ranked the most-connected airport in the United States in the 2025 Official Aviation Guide (OAG) Megahubs Index, which measures the number of potential flights available to travelers. To land on top of that list, O’Hare offers connections to 214 domestic destinations — more than any other U.S. airport. Midway International Airport is also in the top tier of that domestic list at #22. For international rankings, O’Hare climbed up two spots to #7.
Read more about Chicago airport rankings.
Chicago airports unveil new accessibility resources
Travelers who have sensory sensitivities may feel more comfortable traveling through Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway International Airports. Both have posted new maps highlighting high- and low-sensory areas based on lighting, crowds, noise levels, and smells. New instructional videos show travelers what to expect in those areas, plus special sensory bags with helpful tools are available at airport information desks.
Learn more about Chicago’s sensory-friendly airports.
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center’s Experience360
Explore Holocaust history at Experience360
While it’s temporarily closed for renovation, the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in suburban Skokie has opened a satellite museum in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Open daily, Experience360 features five exhibit spaces and theatres presenting films, virtual reality experiences, and powerful survivors’ stories. Experience360 is open until June 2026.
Learn more about the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center’s Experience360.
Chicago Cubs to host the 2027 MLB All-Star Game
The Chicago Cubs baseball team will host the 2027 MLB All-Star Game at historic Wrigley Field on July 13, 2027. Beyond hosting the game — the first time since 1990 and the fourth time in the ballpark’s history — a week of celebrations and festivities will include the MLB Draft, Home Run Derby, and All-Star Village events in Wrigleyville.
Learn more about the 2027 MLB All-Star Game.
Chicago River Swim to make a splashy return
Fresh off the success of this year’s Chicago River Swim, the city’s first organized river swim since 1927, the event is set to return in September 2026. Spectators will again line the riverfront to watch 500 qualified open-water athletes swim from Marina Towers to Wolf Point, passing by towering skyscrapers and under Chicago’s iconic bridges.
Learn more about the Chicago River Swim.
Chicago snags Best Stateside Vacation award
Chicago earned the 2025 Travel Noire Award for Best Stateside Vacation. The Black-owned travel site praised the city as one of the country’s great urban destinations, citing its architecture, cultural history, and a food scene that spotlights Black creativity. Efficient public transportation, iconic attractions, and year-round appeal also helped put Chicago on top.
Learn more about the Travel Noire Awards.
O’Hare International Airport
International flights increased at O’Hare Airport
Flying into and out of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport has gotten even easier for international travelers.
- Cathay Pacific offers daily service to Hong Kong.
- Finnair offers daily service to Helsinki, Finland.
- American Airlines offers daily service to Madrid, Spain, and Naples, Italy, through Oct. 24.
- United Airlines flights to Edmonton, Canada, are offered three times a week through Oct. 25.
- Japan Airlines has resumed service between Chicago and Tokyo Narita.
- WestJet offers service to Edmonton, Canada, three times a week through Oct. 22.
- Turkish Airlines increased flights to Istanbul, Turkey, to 17 a week.
