Chicago Attractions
Chicago is the third largest city in the US. Most of the city's sights and main cultural centres are located around the downtown area and many are within easy walking distance of the Conrad Chicago.
Magnificent Mile
This is the city's most fashionable street, and the Conrad Chicago has one of the most prestigious addresses within it on Michigan Avenue. The Magnificent Mile has grown to become Chicago's premier shopping district, with exclusive retail outlets and restaurants. It includes a number of the city's most historic buildings.
Water Tower
An historic Gothic-style, castellated structure north of the Conrad Chicago, the Water Tower is one of the few buildings that survived Chicago's great fire of 1871. Nearby Water Tower Place is another major draw for those seeking retail therapy, with eight floors of upmarket eateries and shops - the world's second largest department store.
Navy Pier
At 3000 feet in length and 400 feet wide, Navy Pier was the world's largest pier when it opened in 1916. Today, Navy Pier is a busy recreational and cultural centre, located on Lake Michigan, just east of the Conrad Chicago. It features the Chicago Children's Museum, an IMAX theatre, the indoor botanical park Crystal Gardens, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows. Visitors can ride the 150-foot Ferris wheel, carousel and old-fashioned swing ride, or enjoy ice skating, miniature golf, or a performance in the outdoor pavilion.
McCormick Center
Located along the shore of Lake Michigan, McCormick Place features three state-of-the-art buildings: McCormick Place North, McCormick Place South and Lakeside Center. The three buildings allow for optimal configurations for small corporate meetings, mid-sized conventions and mega trade shows, while maintaining the identity of the different events. Currently an expansion is underway and will open in 2007.
Millennium Park
Located in downtown Chicago on Michigan Avenue, Millennium Park is an extraordinary showplace for world-class art, music, architecture and landscape design. This 24.5-acre park showcases Chicago as one of the most culturally sophisticated and diverse cities in the world. The centrepiece of the park is the 120-foot-high, steel Jay Pritzker Pavilion designed by Frank Gehry, one of the world's greatest living architects. The park is also home to several astonishing works of art, among them Cloud Gate, the mammoth-sized stainless steel sculpture by British artist Anish Kapoor, the Crown Fountain and the unique Lurie Garden, combining spatial structure, plantings and lighting design. Millennium Park also offers ice skating in the winter and al fresco dining throughout the autumn.
Museum Campus
The downtown Museum Campus is a vast lakefront park and is home to three of Chicago's favourite museums. The Field Museum houses over 20 million zoological, geological and anthropological objects, including the world's most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. The Shedd Aquarium is home to 8000 saltwater and freshwater animals, including beluga whales and dolphins. The state-of-the-art Adler Planetarium features one of the world's finest astronomical collections together with the world's first virtual-reality theatre. Soldier Field, home to the Chicago Bears, is located next to Museum Campus.
Wrigley Field
Home to the Chicago Cubs baseball team, Wrigley Field is just a short train ride away from the Conrad Chicago. Season games begin in April and run through to September.
The Loop
The Loop is the pulse of the city and is easily accessible from the Conrad Chicago. The Loop gets its name from the elevated track system, opened in 1892, that circles a seven-block by five-block loop of downtown. It encompasses historic buildings and massive skyscrapers. The area is also culturally rich, with the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Harold Washington Library Center and multiple theatres.
Sears Tower
Standing 1450 feet and 110 stories high, Sears Tower is the tallest building in North America. It contains 3.5 million square feet of office space, including the world's highest occupied floor. On a clear day, visitors can see up to 50 miles, a view encompassing four states.
John Hancock Center
The Hancock Tower, located on the Magnificent Mile, is an instantly recognisable feature of the Chicago skyline. Visitors can not only experience spectacular views spanning up to 80 miles from the observatory on the 94th floor, but also one of the fastest elevator rides in the US. The Hancock Tower is also home to the Signature Room Restaurant.
