10 Best Places To Visit In Chicago
In This article you can know the Top 10 Best places to visit in Chicago. The Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, Navy Pier, Adler Planetarium, Museum of Science And Industry, Willis Tower SkyDeck, Buckingham Fountain, 360 Chicago, Field Museum of Natural History, and Magnificent Mile are the Best of Chicago Sights!
Chicago is one of the largest cities of the US. This city is located at the bank of Lake Michigan in Illinois. Every year about 57 million tourists visit this city. Are you a tourist to the US? Are you in Chicago now? Or are you planning a trip to Chicago? This article is for you! Get a glimpse of the top 10 attractions of Chicago and plan your trip, scheduling your time aptly to visit all these destinations!
1. Art Institute of Chicago
This institute is located in Chicago’s Grant Park, founded in 1879. It is an ancient world-class museum which is one of the largest in the world. It is the second-largest art museum in the United States, the Metropolitan Museum of Art being the first. There are thousands of artworks including painting, prints, photography, sculpture, decorative arts, textiles, architectural drawings. About 1.5 million people visit this museum annually. Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist, Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, and Grant Wood’s American Gothic are the famous masterpieces exhibited in this museum.
2. Millennium Park
This public park is located in the Loop community area of Chicago near the city’s Lake Michigan shoreline. It is managed by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. There is a centerpiece with a 110-ton sculpture named Cloud Gate. This has a polished, mirror-like stainless steel surface resembling liquid mercury. The reflection of the surroundings like the buildings, the sky, and the tourists can be clearly seen in this mirror! Crown Fountain is a structure inspired by the ancient gargoyle with the appearance of water flowing from the mouths of the residents of Chicago. You can also visit the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Lurie Garden which are the other attractions in this place.
3. Navy Pier
This is a pire located on the shoreline of Lake Michigan near the North Side community area in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Navy Pier is a 3,300-foot-long pier that covers over 50 acres of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants, family attractions and exhibition facilities. It is Chicago’s second-most visited tourist spots! A 3D Imax Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Crystal Gardens indoor botanical garden, and Chicago Children’s Museum are the other attractions. The famous Chicago Festival is held in August of every year. You can enjoy sightseeing on Cruise ships available in this area.
4. Adler Planetarium
This is a public museum specializing in research of astronomy and astrophysics. Max Adler founded this in 1930. It is located on Northerly Island on Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois. It is located in Chicago’s Museum Campus. The planetarium has two dome theaters which show Chicago’s night sky, the solar system, and the moon. Exhibits relating to other worlds, meteors, meteorites, space exploration and astrology are also displayed here. You will also be able to see ancient sundials and telescopes!
5. Museum of Science and Industry
This is a science museum located in Jackson Park, Chicago, Illinois, between Lake Michigan and The University of Chicago. This beautiful museum in Chicago was founded in 1933. The visitors can interact with the “hands-on” exhibits or innovative science and industrial inventions and marvels! Numbers in nature -a mirror maze, a 13-foot giant heart which can be operated by your own heart beats, U-505 submarine, the great train story, coal mine, extreme ice, Colleen Moore’s fairy castle, science storms, a rotating gallery, Toy maker 3000 are some of the permanent attractions displayed in this museum.
6. Willis Tower SkyDeck
The Willis Tower is taller than the World Trade Center in New York City and hence is one of the tallest buildings in the world with a height of 1.453 feet. About one million people visit its observation deck every year and hence it is Chicago’s most popular tourist destination. The observation deck known as the SkyDeck is on the 103rd floor. The visitors can stand on a glass box with a glass floor which is known as a Ledge to enjoy the spectacular view of the architecture of Chicago.
7. Buckingham Fountain
This fountain is located in the center of Grant Park in between Queen’s Landing and Ida B. Wells Drive. This was donated by Kate S. Buckingham in 1927. It is designed in a rococo wedding cake style and is one of the largest fountains in the world. The fountain functions from May to mid-October with lovely water shows and colored-light shows. It is decorated with festival lights in winter. Museum Campus, Art Institute of Chicago, Adler Planetarium, and Shedd Aquarium are other attractions on this campus.
8. 360 Chicago
At 360 CHICAGO, you can delight by having a look at the museum-style exhibition of Chicago’s history. You can hike up via the elevators to the 94th floor and have a 360-degree view of Chicago’s sky and lake from the observation deck. You can get more information with the help of interactive touch screens available in 6 languages, namely English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, and Chinese. The “Tilt” feature gives a breath-taking view of the 4 states. There are a number of shops, offices, and apartments in this premises.
9. Field Museum of Natural History
This museum was formerly called the Columbian Museum of Chicago but later named in honor of Marshall Field, the major benefactor of the museum. There are approximately 20 million artifacts and specimens of a variety of botany, zoology and anthropology specimens. The displays on Ancient Egypt and North, Central and South America are marvelous. The world famous Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton is the main attraction in this museum!
10. Magnificent Mile
The Mag Mile is located on Chicago Michigan Avenue. It is the most famous shopping area in Chicago. There are many galleries, boutiques, and luxury shops in this area. John Hancock Center, the Wrigley Building, and the Tribune Tower are some of the nearby attractions. At Madison street, Michigan Avenue separates between North and South designations. There are many theaters in which you can enjoy touring plays, musicals, and comedy acts.
We are glad that we have given you an insight into all the beautiful places in Chicago! Wishing you a happy trip to this great city!