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Chicago

No reviews yetCity Illinois, United States
Chicago, Illinois, United StatesAnish Kapoor's Cloud Gate, nicknamed the Bean, reflects the Michigan Avenue skyline in Millennium Park, Chicago, IllinoisA pair of bronze lions has guarded the Art Institute of Chicago's Michigan Avenue entrance since 1894, IllinoisSUE, one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons ever found, is displayed at the Field Museum, Chicago, IllinoisThe glass boxes of the Ledge extend from the Skydeck on the 103rd floor of Willis Tower, Chicago, Illinois

About Chicago

Chicago spreads along the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, where the Chicago River meets the lake. It grew explosively in the nineteenth century as a rail and shipping hub, and after the Great Fire of 1871 it became a proving ground for modern architecture, producing some of the world's first skyscrapers. Distinct neighborhoods, a long public lakefront and a strong cultural life define the city.

Millennium Park, with the mirrored curves of Cloud Gate, sits beside the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the country's leading art museums. Architecture boat tours on the Chicago River explain the skyline, and the Chicago Cultural Center, a former library, shows off a Tiffany glass dome. On the lakefront Museum Campus, the Field Museum displays natural history collections. For height, the Willis Tower Skydeck has glass ledges far above the street, and Navy Pier stretches into the lake with rides and boat tours. On the North Side, Wrigley Field anchors the lively Wrigleyville neighborhood, and Lincoln Park includes a free zoo. On the South Side, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry occupies a grand building left from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.

Chicago suits architecture fans, art lovers, food enthusiasts and sports fans. Summer brings beaches and festivals, while winter is cold and windy. The L trains reach most areas, and neighborhoods such as Pilsen and Logan Square reward exploring.

Best seasonLate May through September brings warm weather, lakefront activity and a busy festival calendar.
Ideal stayFour days covers downtown, the major museums, a river cruise and a neighborhood or two.
ArrivingO'Hare and Midway airports both link to downtown by L train, and Amtrak arrives at Union Station.
Chicago Illinois Architecture Cruises and Deep-Dish PizzaWiserMap travel guideChicago Illinois Architecture Cruises and Deep-Dish PizzaPlan a Chicago trip with this guide to Millennium Park, the Art Institute, river architecture cruises, Museum Campus, Wrigley Field and deep-dish pizza.Read the guide

Why People Love Chicago: 12 Things to Discover

Landmarks 4

Millennium Park and Cloud Gate, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Millennium Park and Cloud Gate

Built over old rail yards and opened in 2004, Millennium Park became Chicago's front yard almost overnight. Anish Kapoor's Cloud G...
Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Chicago Cultural Center

This Beaux-Arts landmark on Michigan Avenue opened in 1897 as the city's first central public library, and its interiors are among...
Willis Tower Skydeck, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Willis Tower Skydeck

Completed in 1973 as the Sears Tower, this was the tallest building in the world for about 25 years. The Skydeck on the 103rd floo...
Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Navy Pier

Stretching more than half a mile into Lake Michigan, Navy Pier opened in 1916 and served as a Navy training center during World Wa...

Museums 4

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Art Institute of Chicago

Guarded by two bronze lions on Michigan Avenue, the Art Institute holds one of the world's great encyclopedic collections. Look fo...
Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Field Museum

One of the largest natural history museums in the world, the Field moved into its white marble building on the Museum Campus in 19...
Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Shedd Aquarium

Opened in 1930 in a Beaux-Arts building on the lakefront, the Shedd was once the largest indoor aquarium in the world. In the cent...
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

Housed in the Palace of Fine Arts, the only major building surviving from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, this is one of th...

Tours 1

Chicago River and the architecture cruise, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Chicago River and the architecture cruise

Chicago essentially invented the skyscraper, and the best place to understand that story is a boat on the river. Narrated cruises...

Sports 1

Wrigley Field and Wrigleyville, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Wrigley Field and Wrigleyville

Opened in 1914 and home of the Chicago Cubs since 1916, Wrigley Field is the second-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. Its...

Parks 1

Lincoln Park and the zoo, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Lincoln Park and the zoo

Running for miles along the North Side lakefront, Lincoln Park is Chicago's largest public park, with beaches, harbors, lagoons an...

Neighborhoods 1

Pilsen and the 606, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Pilsen and the 606

Two sides of everyday Chicago share this stop. Pilsen, on the Lower West Side, was settled by Czech immigrants and is now a center...

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