Exploring Chicago
One of the largest cities in the US, Chicago is famed for its bold architecture, including skyscrapers such as the iconic John Hancock Center, 1,451 ft Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) and neo-Gothic Tribune Tower, museums, music and nightlife, sports, and food.
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Sources: TimeOut, LonelyPlanet
One of the most popular places to spend time outdoors in the city, Millennium Park is vast, covering a massive 24.5 acres. It hosts well-known pieces of public art (notably Cloud Gate a.k.a. "The Bean") and a long list of special events, including free concerts and movie screenings in the summer—plus it’s also very good for a nice sit-down.
Located in downtown Chicago, the Art Institute is a great art museum that is home to more than 300,000 artworks that span centuries. Here, you can find some of the world’s most iconic paintings like Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte (which you may have seen in the cinematic classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Edward Hopper's Nighthawks and Grant Wood's American Gothic.
Chicago’s tallest building pokes 1450ft into the heavens and its 103rd-floor Skydeck provides a panorama over four states. Brave souls can step onto the glass-floored Ledges to be suspended (almost) in stomach-lurching mid-air. A visit to the Skydeck also includes an interactive museum showcasing the history and vibes of Chi-town.
In 1893, this huge natural history museum was created to become the home to biological and anthropological collections. Here, you'll find a recreation of an ancient Egyptian tomb, stand beneath a towering skeleton of Máximo the titanosaur, or encounter Chicago's most famous prehistoric resident, SUE the T. Rex, the largest and most complete T. Rex fossil skeleton ever found. Fuel your passion for discovery with dinosaurs, ancient artifacts, cultural insights and groundbreaking science.
This enormous greenhouse in Garfield Park is among the largest conservatories in the United States. It provides a home for some 600 species of plants (most of which aren’t indigenous to the region).
The first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, the Adler Planetarium has been a sight to see since it opened in 1930. Situated at the edge of the museum campus, it's also a great spot to get unbeatable views of the city. Equipped with a Sky Theater, 70-foot-diameter dome and telescope that lets you see celestial objects trillions of miles away, there few attractions quite like this one.
The Riverwalk provides a pedestrian path along the city’s most popular waterway as it hugs the banks of the main branch of the Chicago River. It’s lined with restaurants, bars and gathering spaces. The waterside walkway allows you to observe some of the city’s most gorgeous architecture from a new perspective.
Navy Pier is a popular spot for tourists to flock to, and it stretches out into the waters of Lake Michigan. It's also home to a 200-foot Ferris wheel, Chicago Children's Museum, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and plentiful dining options.
The fountain, one of the largest in the world, boasts four Art Deco–style seahorses, Georgia pink marble and 133 jets shooting water to a max height of 150 feet in the air. Daily water displays run for 20 minutes every hour from 9 am to 10 pm beginning in early May.
This is Chicago’s version of NYC's High Line, a 2.7-mile stretch of an abandoned elevated rail line. It has now been revamped into a pedestrian path that connects Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Bucktown and Wicker Park.
Known for its unique traditions and charm, Wrigley Field, which was built in 1914, has been the beloved home of the Chicago Cubs for more than a century.
Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza
Deep-dish pizza, invented in Chicago, is remarkably distinct from pizza as it’s known elsewhere. Baked in a tall, circular pan, it features a thick crust filled with cheese on the bottom, toppings (optional) in the middle, and sauce ladled on top. Some argue it's not truly pizza, more of a lasagne or casserole, but if you've never had it, you have to try it because a visit to Chicago isn't complete without a slice. A few of the most famous pizzerias are: Lou Malnati's, Giordano's, and Pequod's.
Originating as a grand wedding gift from Potter Palmer to Bertha Honore Palmer, Palmer House eventually became known as North America’s longest-operating hotel with a notable history of innovation. It was the first hotel to incorporate the light bulb, the telephone, and the vertical steam lift (elevator) as well as being the creator of one of the world’s most adored confection, the brownie. It remains in operation as a hotel today, and worth a visit to witness the gilded lobby with art deco ceiling murals and Tiffany lighting fixtures and snag one of those famous brownies they still make.