THINGS TO DO IN CHICAGO ON YOUR OWN

Architecture of Culture & Commerce

Come see some of the great architectural landmarks of State Street and Michigan Avenue from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  This was a time when Chicago was determined to be a great cultural—as well as commercial—city as evidenced and encouraged by the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.  

You’ll see buildings by Burnham, Sullivan, Holabird and Roche and other noted architects—including the Reliance Building, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. (Sullivan Center), the Chicago Cultural Center, the Palmer House and the famous Michigan Avenue streetwall.  You will visit beautiful interior treasures that even many Chicagoans don’t know exist!  You will hear the stories behind these architectural gems and the men and women who have added so much to the commercial and cultural life of this city.  As icing on the cake, this tour also touches on Millennium Park, Chicago’s exciting new 21st century park, outdoor gallery, garden and music venue.

Tours begin at 2 p.m. daily and take about two hours.  Meet at the ArchiCenter Shop in the Santa Fe Building, which is located at 224 S. Michigan Avenue.  Tour costs $15.

Sears Tower

Voted one of the “7 Wonders of Chicago” by “Chicago Tribune” readers, the view from the Skydeck on the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower is amazing!  On a clear day, you can see 40-50 miles—the city of Chicago and its beautiful architecture, and also views to Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin.

For your enjoyment on the way up, the elevators are equipped with 50-inch flat screen monitors that make you feel like you're blasting off through the top of the Sears Tower and into space with views of the earth, compliments of NASA and the Space Shuttle Endeavor.

The Skydeck features interactive, museum-quality exhibits highlighting Chicago's history.  Interactive kiosks provide a tour of Chicago's landmarks.  Knee-High Chicago is a kid-level display that extends all the way around the Skydeck.  Cool cut-out windows put kids eye-to-eye with scenes from Chicago's most fascinating moments in history.  The Skydeck also has high-tech, high-powered telescopes for a closer look at the city.

The Sears Tower is located at 233 S. Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago.  Hours are 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Tickets for adults are $12.95 and can be purchased on site or online at www.theskydeck.com.

Adler Planetarium

Opened in 1930 as the first planetarium in the western hemisphere, the Adler fuels the imagination of its visitors with all new exhibits, state-of-the-art computer technology and the world's first “StarRider Theater,” while showcasing a renowned collection of historical astronomy artifacts.

The Adler is home to more than 35,000 square feet of exhibits.  From scale models of the Solar System, to ancient astronomical instruments, to interactive adventures, Adler's exhibit galleries provide a passageway for you to explore the universe.  The Adler's historical collections of astronomical instruments and rare books are among the finest in the world.

The Adler is the only museum in the world with two full-size planetarium theaters.  Powered by brand new Digistar 3™ simulator technology, the “StarRider Theater” is a completely digital, virtual outer space environment.  The famous Zeiss Planetarium projector is capable of accurately reproducing the movement of every aspect of the night sky.

The Adler Planetarium is located at 1300 S. Lakeshore Drive in Chicago.  Hours are 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. General admission (exhibits only) for adults is $10.  Show tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis at the Adler box office.

Millennium Park

“Millennium Park honors and builds on several proud Chicago traditions at once—beautiful architecture, landscaped and protected parklands and the ongoing celebration of the arts,” Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley says.

Millennium Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago, near the Hyatt Regency Hotel.  It is bordered by Michigan Avenue to the west, Columbus Drive to the east, Randolph Street to the North and Monroe Street to the South.

Visitors to the Millennium Park are encouraged to make the Millennium Park Welcome Center their first stop.  The Welcome Center is located at 201 E. Randolph Street in the Northwest Exelon Pavilion.

The park is open daily from 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.  Admission is always free.

Buckingham Fountain

The Buckingham Fountain is one of Chicago's most popular attractions and one of the largest fountains in the world.  It opened in May 1927.  The four sea horses you see on its sides represent the four states that touch Lake Michigan: Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.  Every hour on the hour for 20 minutes, the fountain produces a major water display and the center jet shoots 150 feet into the air.  At dusk, the fountain's hourly major water display is accompanied by lights and music.

It is located in at Columbus Drive (301 East) and Congress Parkway (500 South) in Grant Park.  The fountain runs from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily.  Admission is free.

Chicago Cultural Center

The Chicago Cultural Center was completed in 1897 and dedicated as the city's original Chicago Public Library.  Completed at a cost of nearly $2 million, this remarkable monument was inspired by the neo-classical style of the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893.  The building's structure consists of three-foot thick masonry walls faced with Bedford limestone that are set 104-feet above a granite base. Sumptuous materials used in the interior design include rare imported marble, fine hardwood, stained-glass, and polished brass, as well as mosaics of Favrile glass, colored stone and mother-of-pearl.  The center’s most notable features are its spectacular stained-glass domes.  The 38-foot dome in the Preston Bradley Hall at the south end of the building is the world's largest Tiffany stained-glass dome, valued at an estimated $35 million.

It is located at 78 E. Washington Street.  Hours are 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.  Admission is free.

“Magnificent Mile”

The “Magnificent Mile” is the name given to the stretch along Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Oak Street.  Just steps from the Hyatt Regency Hotel, it offers more than three million square feet of retail space, 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 51 hotels, two unique museums and a variety of sightseeing and entertainment attractions to more than 22 million visitors each year.  Recent enhancements to the mile include additional trees and flower-filled medians that reflect the changing seasons.  These aesthetic enhancements complement the unique architectural beauty famous to Chicago.

Navy Pier

Navy Pier has been a Chicago landmark since it first opened in 1916.  Originally designed as both a shipping and recreational facility, the Pier also served as a military training site during two world wars, a venue for concerts and exhibitions, and the temporary home for a once-fledgling University of Illinois’ Chicago campus.

Today, Navy Pier showcases a unique collection of restaurants and shops in addition to unequaled recreational and exhibition facilities.  Navy Pier Park is an outdoor landscaped area which features attractions such as a permanent 150-foot-high Ferris wheel, a musical carousel, an old-fashioned swing ride and an 18-hole miniature golf course. Navy Pier Park also includes the 1,500-seat Skyline Stage, which features musical performances ranging from classical to pop, blues and jazz to eclectic, rock and reggae, as well as dance, theater, comedy and film.  Dock Street runs the length of the Pier’s South Dock and is reserved for pedestrians, bicyclists and joggers.

The pier is located on at 600 E. Grand Avenue, just east of Chicago’s downtown and near the Hyatt Regency Hotel.  Hours are 10:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Admission to Navy Pier is free.  Parking and many of the attractions, however, require separate fees.

Shedd Aquarium

The Shedd Aquarium is the world's largest indoor aquarium with more than 8,000 aquatic animals representing more than 700 species from all parts of the world.  The Caribbean Reef, teaming with bright, colorful new corals and more than 60 species of animal, includes bonnet head sharks, southern stingrays, angelfish and a hawksbill sea turtle.  Divers hand-feed sharks, sea turtles and eels at scheduled times during the day. The marine mammal presentation, held several times each day, features animal-care staff interacting with the dolphins and whales as they dive, spyhop and walk on their tails.

The aquarium is located at 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive.  Hours are 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.  Premium day pass tickets for adults cost $27.95.  Tickets can be purchased in person or online at www.sheddaquarium.org/buyingtickets.html.

Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago holds one of the world's great art collections.  The African & Amerindian collection includes an African exhibit of wood sculpture, masks, ceramics, furniture, textiles, and beadwork from West, Central, and Southern Africa and an Amerindian collection of Mesoamerican and Andean ceramics, sculpture, textiles, and metalwork as well as South American Indian ceramics and figurative art.

The Institute is located at 111 S. Michigan Avenue.  Hours are 10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Admission for adults is $12.

Hancock Observatory

The Hancock Observatory is located on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Building 1,000 feet above the “Magnificent Mile.”  It is the city's only open-air skywalk.  You will see a 360-degree incredible view of Chicago, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and other parts of Illinois.  The “Soundscope” talking telescopes give you realistic sound effects with narration in English, French, Japanese or Spanish.  Skytours provides an overview of the city with 16 stops of one to three minutes each, available in English, Spanish and German.  The Observatory is also home to the History Wall, with more than 100 photos on display featuring Chicago's history.  Windows on Chicago is user-friendly technology that lets you "tour" more than 80 favorite Chicago attractions.

The Observatory, located at 875 N. Michigan Avenue, is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.  Admission for adults is $15.  Tickets can be purchased on site or online at www.hancock-observatory.com.

Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo is among the oldest zoological gardens in the country—established in 1868—and is also among the most modern.  It hosts 1,200 animals representing 230 species.  A premier Chicago attraction, Lincoln Park Zoo each year welcomes more than three million visitors, providing them with remarkable educational experiences as well as fun and enjoyment.  Its intimate setting enables guests, young and old alike, to experience the thrill of gazing directly into the eyes of a lowland gorilla and standing toe to toe with grazing giraffes. Famous also for its historical structures, the zoo has succeeded at combining state-of-the-art animal and visitor facilities with beautiful architectural reflections of past times and sensibilities.

The zoo is located just minutes north of Chicago at 2001 N. Clark Street.  Hours are 9 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co.

The “HOP ON-HOP OFF” Tour has been the gold standard for an entertaining & informative tour as well as low-cost transportation to shopping, dining & attractions.  And now, the tour is even better because with every ticket, you will receive a coupon for a FREE Hershey's chocolate bar and Garrett Popcorn sample.

Tours last approximately two hours.  Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.  The last loops begin at 5:00 p.m.  Vehicles depart the designated stops listed below every 20-25 minutes.  The nearest stop to the Hyatt Regency Hotel is Wacker South: Riverwalk, Tribune Tower, Boat Tours, Wrigley Building, on the N.W. corner of Wacker and Michigan Avenues.  Admission is $26.00.