Chicago: Birthplace of the Skyscraper

Explore the city known as the birthplace of the skyscraper. Walk along the shores of the great Lake Michigan and down Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile, known for its nightlife, upscale shopping, restaurants and residences. Then stop by Millennium Park, Chicago’s center for art, music, architecture and landscape design. Check out your reflection in the Cloud Gate sculpture and try your luck standing in front of the interactive Crown Fountain – but be careful, you might get wet!

Get a bird's-eye view of Chicago from the sky deck of the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower). Currently the tallest building in the United States, the Willis Tower was originally commissioned to house all Sears & Roebuck employees (hence the name). Its distance to the roof is 1,451 feet, and there are 108 stories of office buildings and more.

The Lincoln Park zoo began in 1874 with a gift of a pair of swans--and has now grown to include more than 1250 species of animals. Currently, the zoo includes polar bears, penguins, monkeys, gorillas, and many varieties of reptiles. The Lincoln Park Zoo is also famous for its John Deere-sponsored Farm-in-the-Zoo exhibit. Located on a small working farm, the Farm-in-the-Zoo houses horses, pigs, cows, chickens and more.

Any trip to Chicago wouldn’t be complete without a visit to “The Friendly Confines”. Built in 1914, Wrigley stands today as the oldest National League ballpark and the second oldest active major league park. Home to the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley is known for its ivy covered outfield walls and its hand operated scoreboard. While you’re there, be sure to take note of the surrounding buildings, many of which offer an unobstructed view of the field itself.

Make a splash at the Shedd Aquarium with its mischievous otters, whistling beluga whales and performing dolphins, shoot for the stars at Adler Planetarium, or travel back in time and learn about the history and cultures of ancient societies at the Field Museum of Natural History.

Housed in one of the 'White City' buildings created for the 1893 World's Fair, the Museum of Science and Industry holds a diverse collection of exhibits, from a working coal mine, a rambling, 3,500 square foot model railroad featuring the first diesel-powered stainless-steel passenger train, to a real NASA space capsule. Visit Yesterday's Main Street, a replica of a Chicago street from the early 1900's, and walk through a blown-up model of the human heart in some of the museum's most popular exhibits.