Sightseeing in Chicago - what to see. Complete travel guide

Perhaps, when someone mentions Chicago, we immediately think of the mafia. None of us will probably call Chicago one of cultural capitals of the States. However, the city has everything that a great cultural center should have. At least, its museums are surely worth attention of people who wish to relax. The museum campus, which includes Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, and Field Museum (museum of natural history), is extremely popular among children and the majority of adults. In museums of the city cover various themes. Here you can discover the history of surgery, architecture, art and culture. There is also a children's museum and Museum of Natural History.

The cultural life of the city is truly rich in various events. Millions of people dream to attend Chicago festivals. Two grand jazz festivals and a blues one are among them. In addition to this, no other city of the US will even try to challenge the title of Chicago as the theatrical capital of the country. Pickwick Theatre located in Chicago’s suburban town Park Ridge is internationally famous.

Among the three largest parks of the city we should definitely call a great botanical garden that occupies the area of 120 hectares. Here you will find a unique island Japanese garden and a fragrant rose garden. The city’s marina and the local yacht club, a water tower built in the previous century and the highest building of the country named Willis Tower could have become the symbols of the city, but there are hundreds of other attractions here. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Chicago is famous for its magnificent parks. There is the fascinating Millennium Park. It was founded several years ago. Today, this park is one of the largest in the city. It is a true masterpiece of landscape art. In the park, you can see incredible objets d'art and sculptures at each step. The park changes several times a year. On its territory, modern art exhibitions and other entertaining events are held.

When walking through the city, you can see a lot of interesting sculptures. The world-famous attraction is Cloud Gate. It resembles a big bean. The sculpture’s surface is made of polished metal. In the middle of the day, it reflects the buildings surrounding it. This original sculpture is one of the most photographed sites in the city.

All fans of painting will be definitely impressed by the Art Institute of Chicago. It was founded in 1879 and occupies the most beautiful historic building. The museum collection includes invaluable paintings of Renoir, Monet and Cezanne. You can also find here the famous works of Matisse and Picasso. Besides pieces of art, the museum also houses collections of unique old pictures and weapons. One of the most interesting collections includes pieces of African art.

The unchangeable symbol of the city is the famous Chicago Theatre opened at the beginning of the 20th century. Since its foundation, it has offered its guests a wide choice of interesting cultural events. Besides theatrical performances, different concerts, comedians and even magicians’ shows are held in the theatre. Now, its old building is considered as one of the most beautiful in the city. From the inside, the theatre has almost completely preserved its original interior.

Chicago is famous for its legendary skyscrapers, the most interesting of which is the Willis Tower. Since its construction and by 2009, it had been the highest building in the city. The skyscraper is 442 m high. It has 110 stories. The height of the skyscraper with antennas really surprises - it is 527 m high. To build such a high building, a special pillar system was created. The pillars are very high and reach the 90th floor, which makes the building so secure.