Chicago features world-class shopping, parks and gardens, galleries, museums, theatres, nightlife, and even casinos. These numerous options often leave tourists with the question of where to begin in the Windy City.
A good starting point is a scenic tour on Lake Michigan from family-friendly Navy Pier. The Sears Tower Skydeck and the Hancock Observatory offer a spectacular panoramic view of the city skyline.
For an educational sojourn, the city’s Museum Campus is where the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium are found. Centuries-old art from all over the world is displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago, known worldwide for its extensive art collection. The Museum of Science and Industry is the perfect place to learn through interaction. Two sure hits with kids are the ToyMaker 3000, which is a working factory for toys manned by robots, and the Omnimax Theater, a huge movie theatre that provides a sense of virtual reality to its viewers.
Two free attractions that are also top tourist destinations are the Lincoln Park Zoo and Millennium Park. The Lincoln Park Zoo, along Fullerton Parkway, is one of the country’s oldest zoos and offers a more intimate setting for observation than most other zoos. The Millennium Park is an architectural landmark that regularly hosts a variety of activities including free musical events.
Special events are held practically all year round in the Windy City. The Taste of Chicago showcases the city as a culinary hotspot and features over 60 restaurant booths all over Grant Park. The Chicago Blues Festival, every mid-June, is a showcase of local and national talents performing blues, swing, and boogie tunes. Still another show that regularly attracts tourists is the Chicago Air and Water Show every August. It has become the country’s largest free air and water exhibition.
For souvenirs and mementos, there is the Magnificent Mile, a real shopper’s haven that features popular brand names in major department stores and boutiques as well as numerous novelty shops.
