GoChicago.com - The Official Chicago & Illinois Tourist Office Website

From Lloyd-Wright to Gehry:
Chicago is the home of modern American architecture

Visit Chicago in 2006 as the city hosts its first annual architecture week, 7-14 October 2006.

Referred to as the birth place of America's architectural legacy, Chicago is where some of the first authentically American ideas relating to modern building design were developed, and is where the world's first skyscrapers were built. The city offers visitors a chance to explore some of the tallest and most spectacular buildings on earth.

Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the internationally acclaimed Chicago Architecture Foundation, Chicago's inaugural architecture week allows visitors to take part in events, workshops, tours and much more. This autumn sees Chicago further establish its place at the forefront of world architectural design.

A perfect place to start any visit to Chicago is at America's tallest building, The Sears Tower. This monumental tower stands 1,450 feet (443 metres) high. Its observatory - The Sears Tower Skydeck - is 1,353 feet (412 meters) above ground, providing an ideal place to marvel at the dramatic skyline and stunning urban landscapes that the city has to offer. Equally, the open-air Hancock Observatory on the 94th floor offers spectacular views spanning four states (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan).

Millennium Park extends 24.5 sprawling acres and is home to The Jay Pritzker pavilion; one of Chicago's newest landmarks designed by the legendary architect, Frank Gehry. This dazzling pavilion features Gehry's signature curved metal forms, an intricate and expansive lattice of steel tubing. Close by Cloud Gate, a towering stainless steel sculpture by internationally renowned British artist, Anish Kapoor, is equally spectacular.

The works of Frank Lloyd Wright clearly demonstrate why the founder of the Prairie Style of architecture is a true legend. The world's largest collection of Wright-designed homes is clustered in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park and nearby River Forest, including his Home & Studio complex and the Unity Temple. The Robie House in Chicago's Hyde Park is also a design gem, and has been called ‘the cornerstone of modern architecture'.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation's (CAF) Architectural Riverboat Cruise provides a perfect way to marvel at Chicago's spectacular lakeside sites from a unique perspective.

Why not take a free informal greeter tour through Millennium Park courtesy of the Chicago Greeter program. Or for something a little bit different why not try the popular Segway tour, and view the sites from your very own Segway human transporter!

Finally, the exquisite gothic style Tribune Tower is certainly worth visiting. Home to the Chicago Tribune newspaper, this tower reveals superb flying buttresses, spires, grotesques and more. Amazingly, the tower's base contains 120 stones from important locations around the world, including the Parthenon in Greece, the pyramids in Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India and the Great Wall of China.

Whether you decide to see the sites by boat, foot, bus or Segway, why not book with www.Dreamticket.com to travel on American Airlines between 05 Jan- 29 March, 2006, staying in the 3-star Holiday Inn city centre. This includes three nights accommodation from only £499 per person.

Alternatively www.chicago.letsgo2.com is offering three nights at the 4* Palmer House Hilton, from £589 per person, for those travelling between 02 - 14 May, 2006. Three nights at the 3-star Essex Inn, valid for departures between 01 - 31 May, 2006, are also available from £559. These prices include non-stop flights from London Heathrow, airport tax and three nights stay.

Other hotels and departure dates are also available, subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.