Travel Guides > Chicago, IL

Chicago Travel

Chicago has everything, world-class theater, great music, awesome sports, fantastic museums, beautiful Lake Michigan and much much more.

More relaxed than New York and far less crowded than Los Angeles, Chicago is your typical friendly Midwestern town but with all the amenities you'd expect to find in a huge metropolis.

You'll be hard-pressed to decide what to do first when you arrive so, if you're visiting for the first time, be sure to schedule several days in the city so you won't miss a thing. Many travelers start with Chicago's most famous landmark, the Sears Tower. Built in 1973, this soaring tower stole the title of World's Tallest Building from NY's Empire State Building, until it was replaced by Malaysia's Petronas Towers in 1996. Visitors can purchase tickets to the skydeck, for the most amazing view of Chicago and the surrounding area.

Museums are plentiful here and, incidentally, a number of them are located in the same region, making it easy to visit several in the same day. In all, more than two dozen fascinating museums are scattered throughout the entire city. Among the most-visited are the Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Kids will be thrilled with the Chicago Children's Museum, featuring dozens of hands-on activities, and Adler Planetarium, where they can view the stars and planets from a new perspective inside this state-of-the-art theater.

When you tire of being indoors, there's a big body of water just waiting for you to come and explore. Grab one of the many boat tours that travel along Lake Michigan and visit the Navy Pier, view the magnificent homes along the shore, or even dive, for a chance to visit the remains of the many boats that saw their demise in this lake.

Chicago boasts a number of diverse "neighborhoods" and all are fascinating in their own right. You can take a guided neighborhood tour or do a little exploring on your own. Little Italy is home to generations of Italian businesses, Ukranian Village features an interesting cultural museum, and Pilsen is full of great Mexican shops and restaurants and home to the nation's largest Latino museum.

Don't forget to do a little shopping (or maybe just window shopping) along the Magnificent Mile and enjoy some of the hundreds of restaurants that are strewn throughout this eclectic city.

If you're into the arts, there's lots of music, theater, and dance productions in Chicago, presented by some of the nation's best performing ensembles. Sports enthusiasts will want to visit famous Wrigley Field and take in a White Sox game or two. The Bears, Bulls, and the Blackhawks are fun to watch as well!