Chicago offers some summer activities you’ve wanted to try

Summer is about getting away. It’s a chance to escape the piles of school work, to have fun with friends and to truly dig into Chicago for all that it offers. America’s third largest city provides endless choices, but here are some of the best options.

Kayak on the Chicago River

What better way to take in some of Chicago’s historical and most significant architecture than from a kayak on the Chicago River? An array of tours, available during the day and even in evenings during the city’s firework displays, provide lessons on the city’s history while simultaneously offering a workout and just plain fun on the water. The tours, which range from about $40 to $70, also give kayakers a chance to get a look at the city’s booming Riverwalk, remade only a few years ago.

The Escape Game Chicago

There are a million escape room businesses to try out there, but The Escape Game Chicago in River North is a true gem. The array of choices for your escape adventure are vast here and they can feel relevant to Chicago without giving any answers away. A favorite is “The Heist,” an escape room challenge that includes classic images from the nearby Art Institute. The price tag: $39.99 plus tax.

Taste of Chicago

Experience Chicago’s largest festival, the Taste of Chicago, for a chance to eat some of the city’s most famous delicacies without going all over town. With music, activities and good food (think deep dish and ribs and classic Chicago-style dogs), Taste of Chicago is good for families, too. A tradition for more than 40 years, the festival is popular and usually draws tens of thousands to Grant Park downtown. The admissions price is free, and strips of tickets will be exchanged for food. This summer, the festival will do three “pop-ups” in different neighborhoods during June, as well as a somewhat scaled-back version of the traditional “Taste” downtown from July 8-10.

WNDR Museum

The popular WNDR Museum combines an experiential art gallery and a place to take Instagram-able photos. The museum includes a wide and regularly-changing array of exhibits, from older ones like the Yayoi Kusama exhibit, where spheres, above and below, create a sense of infinity, to newer ones like the Boxed In, where dancers on screens rotate around visitors. Be warned: The lines can be long, but it’s worth the wait. General admission tickets start at $36.

Tilt 360

View Chicago from more than 1,000 feet above the Magnificent Mile with Tilt 360 in the 875 N. Michigan Ave. building. The movable platforms will thrill visitors and give an opportunity to see the city from above