Attractions in Chicago
Citicorp Center
500 W. Madison St., Chicago
Across the Chicago River from the Civic Opera House, the functions of commuter train station and office building unite. The center combines a boxlike office tower with glass half-cylinders rising from the lower levels. Horizontal and vertical bands of mirrored and smoked glass alternate up the building for a ribbon effect. It looks very much like the grand old European railroad stations. The gates to the tracks are elevated above street level to allow traffic to proceed east and west via underpasses.
Daley Center
Bounded by Washington, Randolph, Dearborn, and Clark Sts., Chicago
Named for the late mayor Richard J. Daley, the father of the current holder of the office, this boldly plain high-rise is the headquarters of the Cook County court system, but it also draws visitors' attention because of what stands outside: a sculpture by Picasso. Known simply as "The
Picasso."
DuSable Museum of African-American History
740 East 56th Place
947-0600
The DuSable Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and interpretation of the history and culture of Africans and Americans of African descent. The museum sponsors a film series, jazz and blues concerts, and film and theater events geared to children.
The Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
312-922-9410
The Field is Chicago's crowning museum of natural history, with exhibits on everything from dinosaurs to African culture to gems and minerals. Visitors can observe as geologists work on a million-year-old fossilized dinosaur, painstakingly removing its bones from the rock and assembling them for display. The "Life Over Time" display documents the changing weather patterns that contributed to the formation of the earth's environment, and other exhibits explore the various cultures of the world's population.
Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Foundation
Address: 951 Chicago Avenue, Oak Park
Phone: 708-848-1976
Admission charged.
This building served as both the Wright family residence and Wright's studio around the turn of the century.
Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust
931 Chicago Avenue, Oak Park 60302
708-848-1976
The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust operates two historic house museums: The Robie House in Hyde Park and the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park. The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio was the architectural laboratory for the architect. The Preservation Trust offers guided architectural tours of these buildings daily, along with special educational programs for youth and adults.
Robie House
5757 S. Woodlawn St., Chicago 60637
773-834-1847
Robie House represents the culmination of Wright's renowned work in the revolutionary architectural genre known as the Prairie Style. This spectacular structure features 174 exquisite art glass windows and doors. Tours offered daily, as well as public programs and special events-all of which focus on Wright's legendary creativity.
Glessner House Museum
1800 S. Prairie Avenue, Chicago 60616
312-326-1480
Glessner House Museum is a National Historic Landmark, designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and built in 1887. Guided tours of Glessner House and the neighboring Clarke House Museum are available; Wednesday-Sunday at noon, 1 and 2pm. Museum programming examines the architecture, art, history and culture of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries through lectures, discussions, performance events and exhibits.
Grant Park, Chicago
Dedicated in 1844, this park covers 319 acres along Lake Michigan and is home to the Shedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum and the Art Institute.
Attraction type: Park
The Hancock Observatory
875 N. Michigan Avenue
John Hancock Center, Chicago
888-875-8439
Admission charged.
It's not the tallest building in Chicago, but the 100-story Hancock Tower is worth a visit for its magnificent cityscapes and the interesting interactive exhibits on its 94th floor. Visitors take a speedy elevator ride to the observation level, where "Soundscope" viewers give a narrated account (in one of four languages) of what you're seeing through the telescope. Adults will enjoy the Signature Lounge, a 96th-floor watering hole with a lakeside view.
Harold Washington Library Center
400 S. State St., Chicago
Phone: 312/747-4300
The Loop
The center's holdings include the Chicago Blues Archives, the Jazz/Blues/Gospel Hall of Fame, and the Balaban and Katz Theater.
Hull House Museum
800 S. Halsted Street, Chicago
312-413-5353
Cost: Free
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday; 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931, Jane Addams did what no one before her had thought to do. She moved into one of Chicago's tenement neighborhoods and opened a "settlement house" to help meet the economic and social needs of her neighbors and to encourage their involvement in improving their own community. During the height of its activity, Hull House included a library, gymnasium, theater and an art gallery. The museum, snuggled in the heart of the University of Illinois-Chicago, consists of two of the original 13 buildings, one an Arts and Crafts-style dining hall built in 1905.