Top Attractions In Chicago
Chicago is a well-stocked city in terms of art and architecture, and offers a variety of places for the visitors to choose from
Cloud Gate
Fondly called The Bean for its shape, this sculpture is the centerpiece of the AT&T Plaza at the Millenium Park. The sculpture was built by the British artist Anish Kapoor and is made of stainless steel. It measures 33 ft × 42 ft × 66 ft and weighs 110 tons. It was formally inaugurated in 2006 after three years of work and is highly popular both domestically and internationally. The design of the artwork was inspired by liquid mercury and was chosen in a design competition. The sculpture was originally built in California and shipped to Chicago in parts and assembled at the Millenium Park. It is considered to be a magnet for tourists and an unmissable photo opportunity.
Navy Pier
This grand pier in Chicago is on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. This is the top tourist destination in Chicago and attracts millions of visitors every year. This huge 300-foot long area of over 50 acres has parks, restaurants, shops, exhibitions and so much more. There is a 150-feet ferris wheel that gives an absolute remarkable view of the pier and the city. The pier opened up in 1916 and was named the Navy Pier to honour the veterans in the World War 1. There are sightseeing tours and cruises available here as well. The pier has parks, theatres, museums, public art, and the famous ferris wheel.
John Hancock Center
The John Hancock Center is an extremely tall skyscraper on the Michigan Avenue in Chicago - 1128 foot tall with 100 storeys. The building has offices, restaurants and residential condos. An observatory is located on the 94th floor called the 360° Chicago and offers a full view of the city with a multimedia tour in six languages. Built by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in 1969, this building is an architectural marvel and one of the tallest buildings in the world.
Art Institute of Chicago
One of the oldest and largest art museums in America, the Art Institute of Chicago was founded in 1879. The museum has over 30 special exhibitions and almost 300,000 artworks that have been specially curated from all over the world. This museum also contributes in the research and conservation in different aspects of the art world and houses an art history and architecture library which is one of the biggest in the world. Visitors come in millions from all around the globe to witness the grand art collections. The recent addition of the Modern Wing in the museum building made the Art Institute of Chicago the second largest museum in America.
Wrigley Field
The Wrigley Field is a baseball park which is home to the Chicago Cubs, a Major League Baseball club from the city. The main attractions of the park are - the outfield walls covered with ivy, the rooftop seats with an incredible view, a total seating capacity for more than 40,000 people, the wind patterns in the field that determine the day games, and being one of the last few stadiums to have a hand-turned scoreboard. Even though this is a baseball stadium, the place is also used for other purposes like football and hockey matches, and even musical concerts.
Chicago Riverwalk
The Chicago Riverwalk is one of the best pedestrian waterfronts you will ever visit. It is situated on the south bank of the Chicago River and stretches from the Lake Shore Drive to Franklin Street. It is the perfect place to spend a relaxing day in Chicago. The riverwalk houses restaurants, seating areas, offers boating and boat tours, and many other activities. The place offers diverse recreational activities which is a big tourist attraction, and the clean and soothing water offers calmness as well.
Museum of Science and Industry
Established in 1933, the Museum of Science and Industry in Jackson Park, Chicago is one of the biggest science museums in the world. The museum was built with an inspiration of educating more people about science and offer learning experiences through their numerous exhibits. The museum has over 35,000 artefacts, 2,000 exhibits, numerous halls and theatres, travelling exhibitions and offers interactive labs and courses for both teachers and students. The MSI welcomes millions of visitors every year and is almost a century old. There are guided tours available in the museum for individuals as well as groups.
Lincoln Park Zoo
This zoo in Lincoln Park in Chicago was built in 1868 and is one of the oldest zoos. The zoo aims to provide a home to the wildlife in an urban city. The zoo is built on a land area of 35 acres and the admission here is absolutely free. There are numerous exhibits and a wide variety of animals here including penguins, gorillas and even polar bears. There are more than 1100 animals from over 200 species. The zoo also has programs and research centers that work on animal behaviour, their health and protecting the endangered species.
Shedd Aquarium
This public aquarium was opened in 1930 and has almost 32,000 animals. The place draws millions of visitors in a year and is one of the most visited aquariums in the country. The Shedd Aquarium has contains 5,000,000 gallons of water and over 1500 species of fishes, snakes, birds, marine mammals and insects. This place is also a recognised National Historic Landmark. There are many exhibits and shows at the aquarium, both permanent and temporary, that are big attractions for the visitors, especially children. The aquarium also helps as a center for research and conservation of animals.
Millennium Park
This public park is a part of the Grant Park in the Loop community area in Chicago. Planned in 1997 and inaugurated in 2014, this park is located in downtown Chicago by the Michigan Avenue and has a lot of significant public art. It was built to celebrate the third millennium. This place is one of the top visited places in Chicago as well as USA and draws millions of visitors every year. The park is 24.5 acres in size and has over 2200 parking spaces. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion, an outdoor concert venue, is the centerpiece of the Millenium Park, and can seat upto 11,000 people.