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If you're searching for an exciting day trip near Chicago, look no further than Raging Waves Waterpark. With nine waterslides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and a giant sandbox, kids and adults alike will have a great time. Since opening to the public in 2008, Raging Waves has expanded to cover 58 acres, adding 15 more waterslides, 43 private cabanas, and 11 dining options. It's hard to believe that it all began with only 17 waterslides, a ¼ mile-long lazy river, a 350,000-gallon wave pool, a sand area, a leisure pool, and two restaurants.

Hawthorne Race Course is a venue that offers both live racing and simulcasting. It is a thoroughbred horse racetrack with a one-mile dirt oval and a seven-furlong turf oval. The homestretch on the main track is 1,320 feet long, making it one of the longest in the country. Founded in 1891, Hawthorne Race Course is the oldest sporting venue in Illinois for horse racing, considered America's original sport. The business is family-owned and operated, now in its 4th generation, and has been hosting racing events on the City's border for over a century. The track is famously known as "Chicago's hometown track." Hawthorne is also the only race course in the nation that hosts both Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing. Additionally, they have the largest network of off-track betting bars in Illinois and offer two PointsBet Sportsbooks and a sportsbook at the track.

Chicago is renowned worldwide for its architecture, and the Chicago Architecture Foundation offers a variety of tours to showcase some of the city's most exceptional buildings. With walking, bus, and boat tours available, visitors can explore the downtown area or one of the city's many charming neighborhoods. Expert docents will guide you and share the stories behind the buildings, whether you visit iconic skyscrapers, elegant hotels, or legendary houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. With dozens of tours, you may need help selecting just one.