A Short Guide for Go-ing and Do-ing in Chicago – ProMat 2019 Edition

By Alex Batty, MHI Marketing Communications Coordinator |@mhi_alex

ProMat is located in Chicago, and while we’re all going for ProMat, we do have time at night to eat and relax and explore. So if you’re a Chicago novice like me, we’ve put together a short list of things that you can go and do and see. (Food is its own separate beast and will get its own post later.)

Sports fan?

You’ve got baseball (Chicago Cubs at Wrigley and the White Sox), football (Bears), basketball (Bulls), hockey (Blackhawks), and soccer (Fire SC).

Feeling like a tourist?

Millennium Park, the Magnificent Mile (i.e. upscale shopping), Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), and Navy Pier are all big ticket items, or just wander along the Chicago Riverwalk. If you’re looking for something a little closer to home, just up the road from McCormick Place is Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, and Soldier Field, all conveniently located in the beautiful lakefront Museum Campus.

Just a little farther up the road is the famous Art Institute of Chicago. I’m not even an art person, but even I’d make a stop here. They have some pretty cool installations. They’ve even got archival materials about McCormick Place housed there.

Want a guide?

You can get special offer tours like a Chicago River Architecture Cruise, a Mob and Crime Bus Tour, or food tours. Check out https://activities.timeout.com/en-us/s/?q=Chicago&et=205009&p=1

Looking to get your dance and drink on?

Here’s a list of the best dance clubs in Chicago: https://www.timeout.com/chicago/clubs/the-best-dance-clubs-in-chicago

Interested in a local’s take?

Find the favorite bars, clubs, and blues places of the locals at https://www.likealocalguide.com/chicago/nightlife

 

A couple of shout outs to give as I started reading through this list. One is the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge. Not only is it an amazing jazz club, but it’s also famous for being the club that Al Capone favored. You can even see bullet holes in the walls.

If you’re into comedy, there’s the legendary Second City improv troupe, where you can try and catch an improv group. This is where people like Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Stephen Colbert got started.

The Chicago Skyline is pretty amazing and there is too much to talk about here, but there is a handy dandy skyline guide at http://wikitravel.org/en/Chicago_skyline_guide.


Visit promatshow.com today to register to attend.

ProMat 2019 will be held April 8-11 in Chicago’s McCormick Place. Over 950 exhibitors will showcase their solutions on ProMat’s two show floors. ProMat exhibits will represent all segments of the material handling and logistics industry, from traditional, manual equipment to computerized, automated systems. ProMat 2019 will also feature a comprehensive educational conference including keynotes and show floor educational seminars led by industry experts and leading authorities.

.