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Chicago City Guide – Things to do in the Windy City

Aside from Blues clubs and deep dish pizza, the city of Chicago offers an enormous selection of cultural, educational and recreational opportunities including an array of family-friendly activities. Here are some of Chicago’s high points.

Sears Tower

The first thing to do in any city is get your bearings; to do that in Chicago, just head towards the Sears Tower. Thanks to state-of-the-art elevators, it’s just a short ride from the ground to the Skydeck located on the 103rd floor, 1,353 feet up in the air. On a clear day, visibility is projected to extend up to 50 miles, an area that encompasses all of downtown Chicago and the greater Chicago area including views into three surrounding states, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. Besides the stunning views, the Skydeck also offers high powered telescopes and interactive exhibits on the architecture of the building and the history of Chicago.

Built in 1973, the tower took only three years to complete with construction costs totaling over $150 million dollars. The high riser, which hosts about 1.5 million visitors per year, has 110 stories and is the tallest building in North America and the second tallest building in the world. On the way down, stop for a bite to eat at one of several restaurants located within Sears Tower, including eateries serving traditional American fares, Italian, Mexican, and an ice cream parlor. For information on hours and prices, visit their website at www.the-skydeck.c

Navy Pier

From Downtown Chicago, head East to the edge of Lake Michigan. There, you will find Navy Pier, a Chicago landmark, built in 1916. Over the years, the pier has served a number of functional and recreational purposes including serving as a training facility for the military in WWI and WWII. Today, Navy Pier is Chicago’s number one destination for family fun. Home to the renowned Chicago Children’s Museum, it also offers entertainment and attractions including a giant Ferris wheel, a carousel, rock climbing walls, miniature golf and an IMAX theater. The pier is also home to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater as well as several other stage areas for performances and concerts. There are boat cruises and an assortment for restaurants and eateries. Down by the water’s edge is Gateway Park, an area for running, biking, rollerblading and picnicking. For a list of all the attractions, visit www.navypier.com.

The Chicago Children’s Museum

Located on the Navy Pier, the Chicago Children’s Museum any kid’s, or adult’s, fantasy learning center. The 57,000 square foot warehouse-like museum offers a wide variety of different educational activities including maze, art projects, science laboratories, flight simulators and even a dinosaur expedition exhibition that lets kids pretend that they are part of a 1997 dig in the Sahara that resulted in the discover of Suchomimus, an important paleontological find, who’s skeleton is on display in the museum.

The museum was founded in 1982 as a small exhibit in the hallways of the Chicago Public Library. Over the years it has grown and expanded in popularity, forcing the museum to continually find bigger and better locations to host their growing number of exhibits. After public funding for the Museum increased, the CCM finally settled into its lake-side home in October of 1995. With more than 500,000 visitors each year, the CCM is not to be missed. Check their website before going as open hours tend to vary. Admission is $7 for children and adults with discounted rates for senior citizens and free family nights on Thursdays from 5-8 in the evening.

Grant Park

Commonly referred to as Chicago’s “front yard,” Grant Park is just a few blocks south of Navy Pier. Chicago’s own little Central Park, Grant Park is a green and calm area amid a big, bustling city. The land was originally set aside in 1835 by a few Chicago citizens who wanted to preserve an open space amid a growing line of skyscrapers. There are plenty of walking and running trails, tennis courts and baseball diamonds. The park is also the home of three Chicago museums, the Art Institute, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium.

By Stacy Hinojosa
www.grabrealestate.com