Chicago Sightseeing Favorites
Chicago Sightseeing Favorites: The Details
1. Some kind of architectural tour.
After most of downtown was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the rebuilding Chicago was fertile ground for original American architecture. An architectural tour is highly recommended for the Chicago visitor with a few hours to spare. River tours allow a fantastic perspective; a wide variety of fascinating walking tours are also available.
Chicago Architecture Foundation
224 S. Michigan Ave.
El: Brown Line: Green Orange, Purple to Adams/Wabash station
Red Line: Jackson/State
Blue Line: Jackson/Dearborn
Offers a wide variety of walking tours all over the city, as well as 90-minute River Tours which depart from the dock at the southeast corner of the Michigan Avenue Bridge and Wacker.Chicagoline
312-527-1977
Another popular source for 90-minute river tours (with complimentary Starbucks coffee, muffins, and cookies) departing from the North Pier Docks at 465 N. McClurg Court. See Chicagoline website for directions.Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
951 Chicago Ave.
Oak Park, Ill. (about 10 miles west of downtown.)
El: Green Line to Oak Park
Metra (commuter rail) to Oak Park.
Visit the website to find out about guided tours of the home, studio, and historic neighborhood; self-guided audio tours; and detailed directions.
2. A breathtaking city view.
John Hancock Center (Magnificent Mile)
875 N. Michigan Ave 888-875-VIEW
El: Red to Chicago
You could pay the $10 or so to visit the 94th-floor observatory; or have an overpriced meal at The Signature Room on the 95th floor. OR, you can do it the Lipstick Getaways way, and opt for a drink-with-a-view from the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor. It’s also a great vantage point for the Navy Pier Fireworks.Sears Tower Skydeck (Loop)
233 S. Wacker Dr. 312-875-9696
El: Orange or Brown Line to Quincy
Another option for a view. The Skydeck has the advantages of a Millenium Park view and a slightly higher elevation; and more informative, historic exhibits. But it also tends to be more crowded, touristy, and less relaxing.
You will enjoy either the Hancock, Sears Tower, or both. I give a slight nod to the Hancock as a more relaxing experience.
3. Millennium Park (Loop)
103 N. Michigan Ave.
312-742-1168
El: Red Line to Washington and State (temporarily closed; instead use Monroe or Lake
Brown/Green/Orange and Purple to Madison/Wabash.
This grand and whimsical 24.5 acre urban park, located at the north end of Grant Park*, opened in 2004 as a setting for art, architecture, music, landscape design. Worth a visit, especially if the weather is fine. Highlights include the Cloud Sculpture (immediately and affectionately dubbed The Bean), an ingenious 110-ton elliptical sculpture public which reflects the park itself and the Chicago skyline; Jay Pritzger Pavillion, the Frank Gehry-designed, technologically-advanced outdoor concert venue; the BP Bridge (the only Gehry-designed bridge in the world); and the delightful Crown Fountain, which projects digital images of regular Chicagoans (the fountain area becomes a skating rink in the winter).
*Grant Park, Chicago’s most beloved public space, is located along the lakeshore, south of the Chicago River. Home to Museum Campus (Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, and Chicago Museum of Art), Buckingham Fountain, and dozens of events, including the annual Taste of Chicago, Chicago Blues Festival, and the free Grant Park Music Festival.
4. Stroll down Astor Street (Gold Coast)
El: Red Line to Clark/Division
Beautiful, quiet, historic, tree-lined residential street of landmark mansions and townhomes in a variety of architectural styles. A nice one-hour break from the hustle and bustle of the Mag Mile. And if the weather is fine, don’t miss nearby Oak Street Beach, where you can walk, jog, or bike along the winding pathway (or even hang out at the beach) and enjoy the gorgeous view of the lake, with Chicago’s skyscrapers behind you.
6. Chicago Cultural Center (Loop)
78 E. Washington St. 312-744-6630
El: Red Line to Lake; Green, Orange, or Brown to Randolph/Wabash
If you are in the neighborhood (and you probably will be) at least stop in this opulent 1897 landmark, originally the site of the Chicago Public library. Lavish interior includes marble, hardwoods, gleaming brass, glass and pearl mosaics, and the magnificent stained-glass domes, including the largest Tiffany stained-glass dome.* The Cultural Center is now the setting for exhibitions and mostly free programming covering a wide range of visual, performing, and literary arts, as well as the home of the city’s official Visitor Center, where you can pick up all sorts of free maps, brochures, and other info.
*You can see another spectacular Tiffany dome at the grand, legendary department store, the former Marshall Field’s (now Macy’s, to the dismay of most locals), 111 N. State St, btw Randoph and Washington. Take the elevator to the 5th floor.
Pages: 1 2
