Even a master mathematician would be stumped
by the word problem of summing up all of what makes Chicago great in one visit. Follow along
and count some of the seemingly infinite ways of shooting the breeze in the Windy City. No matter how they’re ordered, these Chicago attractions add up to unforgettable fun in one of the world’s finest cities.
pound of shredded gooey cheese melts and mixes with toppings on the average Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.
Sample the city’s scrumptious signature splurge at local
legendary Gino’s East just off Michigan Avenue and Superior Street, or bring an appetite to the original incarnation
of Uno Chicago Grill franchise at the corner of Ohio Street and Wabash Avenue.
hours
of informative hilarity await fans who join the studio audience of NPR’s popular “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” news quiz show
starring a plethora of journalists, comedians, regular guests and listeners. Chicago visitors can provide the laugh track by attending the show’s weekly Thursday evening taping held in the Chase Auditorium on South Dearborn Street.
holidays mark the only times a Chicago visitor wouldn’t be able to explore an exhibit or attend a workshop at the Art Institute of Chicago, at left. On every day but Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day, more than 5,000 years of creative expression in the form of paintings, sculptures, multimedia installations, photographs and more wait to pique curiosity in this world-renowned sentinel of visual arts.
shopping centers bolster the Magnificent Mile, Chicago’s shopping destination that draws those in need of retail therapy to North Michigan Avenue. Its eight blocks send credit cards into overdrive with a mix of one-of-a-kind and famous boutiques, restaurants, hotels and theaters.
musical bars of blues music
howl and groove from Rosa’s Lounge on West Armitage Avenue, where powerful performers of all shades of blues take the stage. It is known as the city’s friendliest spot to hear a style the city was instrumental in popularizing. Other notable blues havens are Kingston Mines on North Halstead Street and Blue Chicago with two clubs
on North Clark Street.
at The Green Mill club and still rings out today. Sunday’s Uptown Poetry Slam pits performance poets against each other in the open-mic format for an unexpected, lively and wild showdown of words. On other nights The Green Mill, located on North Broadway Avenue, pays homage to the old-school Chicago jazz clubs that helped popularize the style in the 1930s and 1940s.
miles take tour-goers back to Chicago’s building beginnings on the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s three-hour Highlights By Bus tour. The journey includes the Loop; Hyde Park, pictured below; the Gold Coast; historic districts; new neighborhoods and other landmarks that make Chicago a mecca for architecture enthusiasts. Walking, boat and neighborhood tours are also offered.
miles show more than 33,000 elite and recreational runners what they’re made of on the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon course. One of the world’s largest and fastest marathons, the event draws more than one million spectators each October. Want to run? Sign up soon after registration opens in January—the race fills quickly each year.
spokes bisect the Pier Park Ferris wheel, one attraction revolving at Navy Pier. Originally a shipping and then Navy training facility, the waterfront space has been decommissioned into an entertainment plaza. Chicago locals and tourists alike enjoy the pier’s amusement park, musical and theater entertainment, family activities, shopping and dining.
species
of catfish lurk in “Amazon Rising,” a recreated flooded forest Shedd Aquarium visitors can walk through if they dare—the ecosystem also houses giant snakes and poisonous ants. In a city far from either coast, the aquarium introduces visitors to inhabitants of distant waters as well as the issues concerning their livelihood.
different specialty-food suppliers provide the organic and meticulously raised
ingredients that delight diners at Charlie Trotter’s, considered one of the finest restaurants in the world. The namesake chef’s philosophy combines French culinary methods and Asian influences to yield flavorful creations that satisfy, but don’t overfill guests. Jackets are required at Trotter’s, and reservations should be made several months in advance.
years
is a long career in professional baseball. In that near-century, ivy-draped Wrigley Field has served as the setting of many historic moments in the national pastime, using its original hand-changed scoreboard all the while. If the Cubs are on the road or to steal a behind-the-scenes peek, sign on for a 90-minute guided tour of the ballpark.
of the world’s finest musicians collaborate as the innovative Chicago Symphony Orchestra, whether they take center stage or accompany a famous guest artist. CSO treats ears with classical, jazz, choral and family programming. Each year, more than 200 concerts fill the Symphony Center with sound on South Michigan Avenue.
specialty retailers help Chicago sparkle even brighter from Jewelers Center in the Mallers Building on South Wabash Avenue. The center is a 13-
floor
treasure chest of diamonds, gems, pearls, gold, silver and watches sold and serviced by some of the industry’s most knowledgeable professionals. Best of all, coming to the source means more bling for the buck.
seats in The Second City’s main stage house must have special built-in funny-bone ticklers. The comedy theater’s nightly shows spread laughter around the world as performers, such as Bill Murray, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers and many others sprang from Chicago to national fame. Catch the current original comedy revue playing in the North Wells Street stage house, pictured at left, for a preview of the next laugh masters.
feet below Lake Michigan’s surface surely harbors secrets,
but Chicago visitors can get acquainted with the great lake minus the water pressure. Catch a break from land on one of the cruise lines departing from Navy Pier for floating entertainment, dining and views of the skyline. Or stay onshore and play in Lincoln Park, above, along the city’s
lakefront. Park facilities include beaches, tennis courts, outdoor performing venues, a zoo and a golf course.
gallons of water per
minute shoot through the jets of Buckingham Fountain, below, in Grant Park. Dedicated in 1927 in the Beaux- Art tradition, the historic fountain is a landmark to the city and the
centerpiece to 29 miles of shoreline and
expansive lake
front parks.
feet per minute is a brisk climbing pace, but that’s exactly what is required to ascend the third tallest building in the world, above. This quick takeoff delivers riders to the Sears Tower’s observation deck, where a clear day delivers a view of up to 50 miles. If it’s overcast, the
trip is still worthwhile to learn about Chicago through a series of exhibits—and to feel the building sway in the wind.
a postmillennial annum, marked the opening
of the city’s unique, urban Millennium Park, above,
located downtown. The setting combines architecture, sculpture, landscape design and green areas into an innovative and highly usable space. Offering performances from all arts and media, free family workouts, education in gardening and landscape architecture and much more, Millennium Park has rapidly become one of the most popular destinations for Chicago-land visitors and natives alike.
No matter how many days
you have to spend in the city,
a trip to Chicago will add up
to plenty of fun.
pound of shredded gooey cheese melts and mixes with toppings on the average Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.
Sample the city’s scrumptious signature splurge at local
legendary Gino’s East just off Michigan Avenue and Superior Street, or bring an appetite to the original incarnation
of Uno Chicago Grill franchise at the corner of Ohio Street and Wabash Avenue.
hours
of informative hilarity await fans who join the studio audience of NPR’s popular “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” news quiz show
holidays mark the only times a Chicago visitor wouldn’t be able to explore an exhibit or attend a workshop at the Art Institute of Chicago, at left. On every day but Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day, more than 5,000 years of creative expression in the form of paintings, sculptures, multimedia installations, photographs and more wait to pique curiosity in this world-renowned sentinel of visual arts.
shopping centers bolster the Magnificent Mile, Chicago’s shopping destination that draws those in need of retail therapy to North Michigan Avenue. Its eight blocks send credit cards into overdrive with a mix of one-of-a-kind and famous boutiques, restaurants, hotels and theaters.
musical bars of blues music
howl and groove from Rosa’s Lounge on West Armitage Avenue, where powerful performers of all shades of blues take the stage. It is known as the city’s friendliest spot to hear a style the city was instrumental in popularizing. Other notable blues havens are Kingston Mines on North Halstead Street and Blue Chicago with two clubs
on North Clark Street.
at The Green Mill club and still rings out today. Sunday’s Uptown Poetry Slam pits performance poets against each other in the open-mic format for an unexpected, lively and wild showdown of words. On other nights The Green Mill, located on North Broadway Avenue, pays homage to the old-school Chicago jazz clubs that helped popularize the style in the 1930s and 1940s.
miles take tour-goers back to Chicago’s building beginnings on the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s three-hour Highlights By Bus tour. The journey includes the Loop; Hyde Park, pictured below; the Gold Coast; historic districts; new neighborhoods and other landmarks that make Chicago a mecca for architecture enthusiasts. Walking, boat and neighborhood tours are also offered.
miles show more than 33,000 elite and recreational runners what they’re made of on the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon course. One of the world’s largest and fastest marathons, the event draws more than one million spectators each October. Want to run? Sign up soon after registration opens in January—the race fills quickly each year.
spokes bisect the Pier Park Ferris wheel, one attraction revolving at Navy Pier. Originally a shipping and then Navy training facility, the waterfront space has been decommissioned into an entertainment plaza. Chicago locals and tourists alike enjoy the pier’s amusement park, musical and theater entertainment, family activities, shopping and dining.
species
of catfish lurk in “Amazon Rising,” a recreated flooded forest Shedd Aquarium visitors can walk through if they dare—the ecosystem also houses giant snakes and poisonous ants. In a city far from either coast, the aquarium introduces visitors to inhabitants of distant waters as well as the issues concerning their livelihood.
different specialty-food suppliers provide the organic and meticulously raised
ingredients that delight diners at Charlie Trotter’s, considered one of the finest restaurants in the world. The namesake chef’s philosophy combines French culinary methods and Asian influences to yield flavorful creations that satisfy, but don’t overfill guests. Jackets are required at Trotter’s, and reservations should be made several months in advance.
years
is a long career in professional baseball. In that near-century, ivy-draped Wrigley Field has served as the setting of many historic moments in the national pastime, using its original hand-changed scoreboard all the while. If the Cubs are on the road or to steal a behind-the-scenes peek, sign on for a 90-minute guided tour of the ballpark.
of the world’s finest musicians collaborate as the innovative Chicago Symphony Orchestra, whether they take center stage or accompany a famous guest artist. CSO treats ears with classical, jazz, choral and family programming. Each year, more than 200 concerts fill the Symphony Center with sound on South Michigan Avenue.
specialty retailers help Chicago sparkle even brighter from Jewelers Center in the Mallers Building on South Wabash Avenue. The center is a 13-
seats in The Second City’s main stage house must have special built-in funny-bone ticklers. The comedy theater’s nightly shows spread laughter around the world as performers, such as Bill Murray, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers and many others sprang from Chicago to national fame. Catch the current original comedy revue playing in the North Wells Street stage house, pictured at left, for a preview of the next laugh masters.
feet below Lake Michigan’s surface surely harbors secrets,
but Chicago visitors can get acquainted with the great lake minus the water pressure. Catch a break from land on one of the cruise lines departing from Navy Pier for floating entertainment, dining and views of the skyline. Or stay onshore and play in Lincoln Park, above, along the city’s
lakefront. Park facilities include beaches, tennis courts, outdoor performing venues, a zoo and a golf course.
gallons of water per
minute shoot through the jets of Buckingham Fountain, below, in Grant Park. Dedicated in 1927 in the Beaux- Art tradition, the historic fountain is a landmark to the city and the
centerpiece to 29 miles of shoreline and
expansive lake
front parks.
feet per minute is a brisk climbing pace, but that’s exactly what is required to ascend the third tallest building in the world, above. This quick takeoff delivers riders to the Sears Tower’s observation deck, where a clear day delivers a view of up to 50 miles. If it’s overcast, the
trip is still worthwhile to learn about Chicago through a series of exhibits—and to feel the building sway in the wind.
a postmillennial annum, marked the opening
of the city’s unique, urban Millennium Park, above, 