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Most
guests will likely start their exploration in
downtown Chicago and along the lake shore.
Our conference hotel, Holiday
Inn City Centre, is located right in the
downtown core, only a couple of blocks from Lake
Michigan.
Sears
Tower (233 S. Wacker Dr.; 312.875.9696)
may be the easiest attraction to find, as it is
the tallest building in the world (1,450
feet). On a clear day, the 103rd-floor Skydeck
offers a truly amazing view of Chicago and up
to 50 miles beyond. In addition to the city and
its architecture, your view will include parts
of four states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and
Wisconsin. Admission: $9.50. Open daily from 10
a.m. to 8 p.m.
If
you are planning to visit several Chicago's
major attractions, you might decide to purchase
a City
Pass. The $39 pass includes admission
to the following six attractions at a discount
(individual admission shown next to each attraction):
- The
Art Institute of Chicago (S. Michigan
Ave. at Adams St.; 312.443.3600) Exceptional
collection of French Impressionist paintings.
Individual admission: $10. Tuesdays free. Hours.
- Shedd
Aquarium
(1200 S. Lake Shore Dr.; 312.939.2438) Features
OCEANARIUM, the largest indoor marine mammal
pavilion in the world. Individual admission:
$15. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (9 a.m.
to 6 p.m. on weekends).
- The
Field Museum
(1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.; 312.922.9410) Features
Sue, the world's largest Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Individual admission: $8; students $4; teachers
with ID free. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends).
- Adler
Planetarium & Astronomy Museum
(1300 S. Lake Shore Dr.; 312.922.STAR) The world's
first interactive StarRider Theater. Individual
admission: $13; Monday and Tuesday $6. Open
daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m.
to 10 p.m. on first Friday of every month).
- Museum
of Science and Industry (57th
St. and S. Lake Shore Dr.; 773.684.1414) Features
OMNIMAX
Theater. Individual admission: $9. Mondays
and Tuesdays free. Open daily. Hours.
- The
Hancock Observatory
(875 N. Michigan Ave.; 888.875.VIEW) Great views
of Chicago. Individual admission: $9.50. Open
daily from 9 a.m. to 11 pm.
CityPass is available at each of these attractions,
or you can buy one online.
Art
lovers may wish to visit some of the following:
- Chicago
Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.;
312.FINE.ART). Architectural tours and daily
shows of performing and visual arts. Free admission.
- Museum
of Contemporary Art (220 E. Chicago
Ave.; 312.280.2660) Admission: $10; students
$6. Tuesdays free. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays). Closed Mondays.
- City
Gallery at the Historic Water Tower (806
N. Michigan Ave.; 312.742.0808). Free admission.
- The
Small Museum of Art (5550 S. Greenwood Ave.;
773.702.0200). Free admission. Closed Mondays.
Chicago
is home to some of the world's finest architecture.
View the Chicago
Landmarks website of the City of Chicago for
proof. Then call the Chicago
Architecture Foundation (224 S. Michigan
Ave.; 312.922.3432) for architectural tours of
Chicago on foot, by bus, or by boat. Alternatively,
Chicago
Neighborhood Tours (78 E. Washington St.;
312.742.1190) offers half-day tours highlighting
Chicago's diverse neighborhoods.
Walk
along the
shore of Lake Michigan, and you will find
two parks. Grant Park is home to museums,
outdoor concerts, and the majestic Buckingham
Fountain. Lincoln Park offers popular sandy
beaches, Lincoln
Park Zoo (312.742.2000; open daily) --
one of America's last free zoological gardens,
Lincoln Park Conservatory (2391 N. Stockton
Dr.; 312.742.7737; free admission), and the Peggy
Notebaert Nature Museum featuring interactive
exhibitions.
If
you were born to shop (and that includes
window shoppers), Magnificent Mile promises
to be your paradise. Other shopping options include
Navy
Pier (312.595.PIER) with over 50 acres
of parks, gardens, shops, museums, IMAX
theater, amusements, and restaurants), Lakeview,
small shops around the Lincoln Park, and ethnic
neighborhoods.
If
you prefer to take it easy, you may wish
to take a sightseeing tour, a cruise
along the scenic Chicago River (start by viewing
the virtual Chicago
River Tour), or a dinner cruise
on Lake Michigan. Ask your hotel concierge for
seasonal recommendations of tours and cruises,
or try one of the following companies:
Sightseeing
by bus:
Sightseeing
by boat:
For
additional information on Chicago's history,
attractions, events, accommodation, and virtually
anything else about this city, visit the comprehensive
City
of Chicago website.
A number of other online resources, both public
and private, complement the City's efforts. The
following are just a few:
- "Choose
Chicago" (Chicago Convention and
Tourism Bureau): History, facts, events, things
to do, restaurants, getting around, ...
- "Enjoy
Illinois" (Illinois Department
of Commerce and Community Affairs, Bureau of
Tourism)
- Citysearch
Chicago: Arts, attractions, hotels,
nightlife, restaurants, shopping, sports, ...
Chicago
Convention and Tourism Bureau maintains a comprehensive
online dining
guide with listings searchable by location
or by cuisine). Click
here.
One
of quite a few handy things that are FREE in Chicago
are the Free
Trolleys which are a great way to get
around downtown. For information on routes,
maps and times, click
here.
Beyond
downtown, transit options are provided by:
- Chicago
Transit Authority (CTA): Direct train
service from both airports to downtown, convenient
bus and train lines to major attractions, maps
and brochures, custom trip planning for groups.
- PACE:
Suburban public bus system.
- METRA:
Suburban public rail system.
Not
sure which option to use? Try the online
trip planner, compliments of Chicago's
Regional Transportation Authority (RTA).
A
number of taxi companies serve downtown
Chicago, including Checker Taxi (312.243.2537),
Wolley Cab (312.225.5411) and Yellow Cab (312.839.4222).
The fare from the conference hotel to O'Hare International
Airport is about $35, and the fare to Midway Airport
is about $20.
Note:
New content may be added to this page from time
to time. If you would like to suggest a link or
information to be included here, please email
the web manager by clicking
here. Thank you.
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More
information and publications:
Chicagoland
Travel
Kit is your FREE source of information on
attractions, events,
hotels, etc. Click
here to order.
A
number of FREE Illinois brochures can be
ordered here:
AAA
and CAA
members may pick up their complimentary copies
of the Chicago and Illinois maps and
Illinois Tour Book from their local automobile
association office prior to arrival, or at one
of the AAA
Chicago Motor Club locations.
To
view an interactive map of Chicago, click
here.
Visit
six of Chicago's major attractions for $39. To
purchase CityPass, click
here.
Chicago
Books (click book cover for details):
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One
of the liveliest cities in the U.S., Chicago will
please most every urban explorer. The following
is just a small selection from Chicago's inexhaustible
menu of fascinating places to visit and interesting
things to do. The list includes events, attractions,
some world-class shopping and dining locations, and
more.