TravelMuse - Chicago Travel Guide & Vacation Information

The Chicago Theatre, built in 1921, was the first large movie palace built in the United States.
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Chicago is a major metropolis located on the shore of Lake Michigan in Illinois. It's the third-largest city and metropolitan area in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles.

Progress and modernization rule in Chicago. The old Chicago with its smoke-spewing factories and quarreling politicians—not to mention machine gun-wielding gangsters—is mostly gone, having given way to a new Chicago. From the sternly classical to the space age, from the Gothic to the coolly modern, Chicago is a place with an embarrassment of architectural riches. Modern architecture was born here. Frank Lloyd Wright fans will swoon to see his earliest buildings in here, where he began his professional career.

Chicago's museums and cultural institutions are among the best in the world. Three of them are located within a short walk of each other in the Near South, on what is known as the museum campus, in a beautiful spot along the lake: the Adler Planetarium, with cool hands-on space exhibits and astronomy shows; the Field Museum; and the Shedd Aquarium, with the best collection of marine life east of California. A short distance away, on the South Chicago Shore, is the most fun of them all, the Museum of Science and Industry—or, as generations of Chicago-area grade school students know it, the best field trip ever.

In the Loop, the Art Institute of Chicago has a handful of iconic household names among an unrivaled collection of Impressionism, modern and classical art, and tons of historical artifacts. And in Lincoln Park, a short trip from the Loop, the cheerful (and free) Lincoln Park Zoo welcomes visitors every day of the week.

Destination Facts

Population: 2,841,952
Time Zone: America/Chicago
Languages: English
Currency: USD

Airports
Chicago Ohare International (ORD) [Main]
Chicago Midway International (MDW) [Secondary]

City Guide Get the low-down.

Feature Article

Feature

Chicago: Have a Hot Time in Chi-town

Chicago April 18, 2008

Sightseeing, Museums, Arts and Entertainment, Family Travel, Urban Endeavors

by Cindy Richards

The Second City serves up first-class sights, entertainment, shopping and, of course, hearty food.

Sweet Home Chicago and TravelMuse.com: TravelMuse completes its alpha phase and migrates to its new address. Oh, and we have a new issue too—my hometown, Chicago. »

Chicago: Eating Out in the Windy City: From gourmet to grub, there are lots of choices for families. »

Chicago: The Wright Choice: The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust has developed new tours of the architect’s works led by those who know them best: other kids. »

Family Friendly Chicago Hotel Packages: Chicago’s top hotels want your family vacation business, and they’ve created the savings packages to prove it. »

O’Hare for Kids: Amy Hatch gets the scoop from Chicago’s Department of Aviation on how parents can occupy the kids during delays at Chicago’s O’Hare. »

Chicago Dining, Then and Now: TravelMuse’s editorial director shares her favorite family restaurant memories from when she lived in Chicago along with some recommended new venues. »

Family Deals: Chicago, Ireland and Iceland: Check out these great deals for family travel in the Windy City, Emerald Isles and the Land of Fire and Ice—plus a new family-friendly program from Starwood Hotels & Resorts. »