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Attractions
CHICAGO CHIC From its world-class attractions and museums, to cutting edge theatre and music venues, Chicago, ‘the City of Big Shoulders,’ more than supports its reputation as a well-cultured city. Whether it’s indulging in retail therapy, visiting one of Chicago’s renowned museums, or taking a trip to the newest lakefront addition, Millennium Park, there’s something for everyone in Chicago. UK holidaymakers can take advantage of the personal touch through Chicago’s unique on-the-spot InstaGreeter service which pairs up visitors with knowledgeable locals for free tours of the town, giving a real sense of what the city has to offer.
The Sears Tower, the tallest building in the U.S., follows in the footsteps of Chicago’s architectural legacy as home to the world’s first skyscraper. Its visitor centre, the Skydeck, provides an unbelievable bird’s eye view of the city stretching out below. The John Hancock Center’s observatory, on Michigan Avenue, features an open-air skywalk on the 94th floor for visitors, and the Signature Room restaurant and bar on the 95th and 96th floors for drinks and dinner with views from the top. Navy Pier, located on Lake Michigan was originally designed as both a shipping and recreational facility, today showcases over 50 acres of parks, gardens, attractions, outdoor restaurants and shops. Attractions on the Pier range from the famous 150-foot Ferris Wheel, with spokes that light up spectacularly at night, to the Family Pavilion, home of the Children’s Museum and IMAX theatre. For a different vantage point of the city’s spectacular shoreline, a speedboat or water taxi trip can be taken from Navy Pier. Lincoln Park Zoo, a fun day out for the kids, is one of the only free-entry zoos in the United States. It has recently opened the groundbreaking Regenstein African Journey exhibit housing elephants, giraffes and other African wildlife. The zoo also features a variety of other exhibitions, including an area for children to pet animals, a working Midwest farm, and an interactive environmental learning centre known as the ‘Conservation Station’. The Chicago Stock Exchange offers a fast paced view of city life. On the fifth floor-viewing gallery, visitors can behold the buzz of a busy 13,000 square foot trading floor and a 10-minute video offering an introduction to the trading throughout the day.
Parks, gardens and green spaces are a part of the cityscape throughout Chicago. With 552 parks, 33 public beaches, nine museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons, 10 bird and wildlife gardens and thousands of special events and festivals throughout the year, it’s little wonder ‘Urbs in Horto’ or ‘City In A Garden’ is Chicago’s official motto. Millennium Park is the 24.5 acre gem nestled amongst the skyscrapers of Chicago. At the heart of this lakefront park lies the Pritzker Music Pavilion, designed by legendary architect Frank Gehry. The pavilion hosts the annual Grant Park Music Festival, an outdoor classical music series, throughout the summer. Adjacent to the pavilion is Cloud Gate, a 110-ton, 66-feet long, 33-feet high and 48-feet wide mirror-finished stainless steel elliptical installation by the British artist Anish Kapoor. Other attractions include an ice-skating rink, a contemporary garden, public art exhibitions, and views of Chicago’s remarkable skyline. Grant Park, situated on the Lake Michigan waterfront, is home to the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. Buckingham Fountain, the central aspect of Grant Park, is an extremely popular landmark often seen in TV shows and movies such as Married with Children and While You Were Sleeping and is beautifully lit by night. The park is also used as the stunning backdrop for many free public cultural events including the Chicago Blues Festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival, the Gospel Festival and the Taste of Chicago food festival.
Museum Campus which lies within Grant Park is an amazing collection of museums located within easy reach of one another. The area links the Adler Planetarium, the John G. Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum. The John G. Shedd Aquarium is home to more than 650 species of aquatic animals. Move over Jaws - Wild Reef – Sharks at Shedd gives visitors access to one of the largest and most diverse shark exhibits in North America. The Field Museum houses 16 million anthropological, botanical, geological and zoological specimens. One of the museum’s key exhibits is Sue, the world’s largest known Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil. Only seven T. Rex skeletons that are more than half complete have ever been found, and Sue is the most complete, the largest and the best preserved of these. Her bones are in such good condition that muscle and tendon attachments are visible. There are also cultural exhibits from Africa, Asia and the Americas. The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum is where sci-fi becomes reality. Opened in 1930 as the first sightseeing planetarium in the western hemisphere, the planetarium now holds a 60,000-square foot virtual reality domed theatre known as StarRider in which the audience actively explores the universe and its elements.
The Art Institute of Chicago has the largest collection of impressionist paintings outside of the Louvre, in Paris. It houses more than 300,000 works of art, including Monet, Renoir, Degas and Van Gogh, spanning 40 different centuries. It’s most acclaimed pieces include A Sunday Afternoon on La Grand Jatte --1884 by Georges Seurat, 33 paintings by Claude Monet and Nighthawks by Edward Hopper. The Museum of Contemporary Art, located just off Michigan Avenue, houses a permanent collection of modern art dating back to 1945, including films, paintings, sculptures, videos and audio. The museum houses pieces by Franz Kline, Rene Magritte, Andy Warhol and more. The Museum of Science and Industry is a great day out for kids and adults alike with thousands of hands-on displays, many of which are interactive as well as educational. Visitors can blast off in a simulated space shuttle ride, see the actual Apollo 8 spacecraft, tour a captured World War II German U-505 submarine or watch a breathtaking movie in the Omnimax Theatre. The museum also offers the opportunity to walk through a pulsating 16 foot model of the human heart. The Chicago Historical Society is devoted to Chicago and American history. Through artefacts and footage from key U.S. historical moments, the museum tells the fascinating story of Chicago from past to present including exhibits surrounding Abraham Lincoln: ‘A House Divided: America in the Age of Lincoln’ as well as newsreel footage of Martin Luther King Jr. It also traces the redevelopment of Chicago from its Great Fire to its rebuilding as the birthplace of modern architecture. The DuSable Museum of African American History, the first and oldest African-American museum in the country, is located in Chicago. Containing more than 17,000 objects key to preserving and interpreting the historical experiences and achievements of African Americans, it reflects the greatest internal migration in American history which reshaped the nation and transformed country blues into urban blues. The museum holds many events throughout the year, ranging from lectures, literary events, arts education workshops and dance, music, film and visual arts presentations. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum blossomed in 1999 from the Chicago Academy of Sciences, founded in 1857, where urbanites could learn more about the natural world. The museum still does the same, giving adults and children the opportunity to explore the world of science by focusing on their everyday natural environment.
Chicago’s ‘Theatre District’ is on a par with the West End, packed with nearly 200 theatre groups. The Steppenwolf Theater founded by John Malkovich has produced some of the finest stars of film and TV including, Frasier’s John Mahoney and Roseanne’s Laurie Metcalf. This non-profit theatre encourages artistic development for both actors and audiences. The Lookingglass Theater Company, co-founded by Friends star David Schwimmer, is another one of the city’s most acclaimed groups. Broadway in Chicago is a collaboration between commercial theatre producers and owners who present a variety of entertainment from plays to musicals at a group of theatres in the Chicago Loop area. The partnership is comprised of the Cadillac Palace Theater, the Oriental Theater / Ford Center for the Performing Arts and the Shubert Theater. The Goodman Theater, also located in the loop, is Chicago’s oldest and largest theatre. Established in 1925, it is widely acclaimed for its productions such as Arthur Miller’s new play Finishing the Picture.
Founded in 1890, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) enjoys an enviable position in the music world. Its performances are greeted with enthusiasm both at home and abroad. Best-selling recordings continue to win prestigious international awards and its syndicated radio broadcasts are heard by millions nationwide. The CSO is considered a jewel in the city’s cultural crown and presents 200 shows and events annually. The Lyric Opera is recognized internationally as one of the truly great opera companies of our time. It performs in the beautiful Civic Opera House building, seating an audience of over 3,500 in its recently renovated Art Nouveau / Art Deco auditorium. Approximately eight different performances occur throughout the year. The Joffrey Ballet, a uniquely American vision of dance, combines traditional ballet with contemporary moves. The Hubbard Street Dance company brings together theatrical jazz, contemporary dance and classical ballet techniques led by world-class choreographers.
For more information or to obtain a brochure, call the Chicago & Illinois Tourist Office’s Freephone Brochure Line on 08700 503410 or visit online www.gochicago.com For further information or photography, (media only) please contact Jackie Cooper PR:
John Hancock Observatory Sears Tower Skydeck The Chicago Stock Exchange Navy Pier
Millenium Chicago Park District Garfield Park Conservatory Lincoln Park Conservatory
Shedd Aquarium The Field Museum Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum DuSable Museum of African-American History Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
The Art Institute of Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art
Auditorium Theatre Cadillac Palace Theatre Oriental Theatre/Ford Centre for the Performing Arts The Shubert Theatre The Goodman Theatre Steppenwolf Theatre Company Museum of Science and Industry Chicago Historical Society
The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago Hubbard Street Dance Lookingglass Theatre Company
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Lyric Opera of Chicago
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