Chicago

Big-city sophistication combined with small-town hospitality create the perfect blend in this, the Mid west’s largest city. Chicago’s influential architecture, cuisine for every budget and taste, great shopping, diverse ethnic neighborhoods, and outstanding museums are reason enough for a visit.

And the icing on the cake? The city boasts a lakefront and park system that are as beautiful as they are recreational.

Top 10 Must-See Sights

1. The Art Institute of Chicago
This grande dame of Chicago’s art scene features world-renowned collections. The ever-popular Impressionist section includes outstanding exhibits such as Renoir’s Acrobats at the Circus Fernando .

2. Sears Tower & its Views
The city’s skyscraping superlative is actually made up of nine tube-like sections. The views are absolutely awesome: on a clear day, you can see up to 40 miles (64 km) from the 103rd-floor Skydeck.

3. Field Museum
Delve into cultures and environments from ancient Egypt to modern Africa, via Midwestern wildlife, and the underground life of bugs. The Field also offers a closeup of the world’s largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, as well as many other fossils.

4. Museum of Science & Industry
An enduring family favorite, this museum is the only building left from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Exhibits emphasizing interactivity cover everything from space exploration to coal-mining, including the Walk-Through Heart and Silver Streak train, which visitors can climb aboard.

5. Navy Pier
Once dilapidated, this Lake Michigan pier is now a bustling year-round playground for kids and adults alike, complete with a Ferris Wheel and carousel. In warm weather, take a boat tour or join the throngs that stroll along the pier and get some amazing city views.

6. John G. Shedd Aquarium
Chicago’s amazing aquarium is located on the lakefront and is home to thousands of marine animals from big beluga whales to tiny seahorses. Get a fun, fish-eye view at the Oceanarium’s underwater viewing galleries.

7. Lincoln Park Zoo
It might not be the biggest, but it’s one of the oldest zoos in the country and, after more than 100 years, still free. Kids love the hands-on Children’s Zoo and Endangered Species Carousel.

8. Magnificent Mile
Chicago’s premier shopping destination is a four-lane stretch of North Michigan Avenue. It also has historic significance, claiming two of only a few structures to survive the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.

9. University of Chicago
Opened in 1892, this private university is an important part of the southside Hyde Park neighborhood. Its public attractions include museums and galleries, and a Frank Lloyd Wright home.

10. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Oak Park
Frank Lloyd Wright, creator of Prairie Style architecture, was based in this Chicago suburb for 20 years. His legacy is an “outdoor museum” of 25 buildings. Take a self-guided or guided tour of his creations and those of other Prairie Style architects.

Discover more to see and do in Chicago at www.traveldk.com/chicago.

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