Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum
Opened in 1930, the Adler Planetarium was the Western Hemisphere's first public museum devoted to the stars. It still maintains the traditional in-the-round Zeiss planetarium (Sky Theater) as well as the state-of-the-art interactive Sky Rider where, with the help of armrest controls, visitors can choose how they would like to journey into space. Other interactive exhibits include 3-D computer animations of the birth of the solar system and of the Milky Way.


1300 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago
United States
Tel: (312) 922 7827.
Web: www.adlerplanetarium.org
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1800 (late May-early Sep); daily 1000-1600 (early Sep-late May); first Friday of every month 0930-2200 (all year).
Admission Fee: Yes


Art Institute of Chicago
The bronze lions guarding the main entrance of the Art Institute of Chicago have become true symbols of the city. The Institute is packed with examples of over 5,000 years of human artistry from all over the world. Of particular interest are the collections of African, Ancient American and 'modern' American art from the 17th century to the present, including two icons of 20th century American art: American Nighthawks (1942). The Institute can also claim to be the French Impressionist capital of the American Midwest. Its collection includes one of the four surviving Water Lilies paintings by Monet, as well as work by Mary Cassatt, the only American to be included in the French Impressionist Movement. The Renzo Piano-designed Modern Wing , which opened in May 2009, has increased gallery space by 33% and displays 20- and 21st- century art. A bridge links the museum to Millennium Park.


111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago
United States
Tel: (312) 443 3600.
Web: www.artic.edu
Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Wed and Fri 1030-1700, Thurs 1030-2000, Sat and Sun 1000-1700.
Admission Fee: Yes (except on Thurs 1700-2000)


Field Museum
Home to 65-million year-old 'Sue', the nearest to a complete Tyrannosaurus Rex that has ever been discovered, the Field Museum explores the world's diverse environments and cultures. The entrance leads into the Dinosaur Hall, which is filled with real and replica skeletons. The Africa exhibit experience takes visitors from the city streets into the harsh but magnificently beautiful Sahara and into the galley of a slave ship. Inside Ancient Egypt is just that, with 23 real mummies in a recreated burial chamber. Shrink to the size of a bug and burrow into the surface of the soil at the Underground Adventure . Weekends are most crowded. The Ancient Americas , the museum's newest permanent exhibit, scans 13,000 years of pre-European, western hemisphere culture.

1400 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago
United States
Tel: (312) 922 9410.
Web: www.fieldmuseum.org
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1100-1700.
Admission Fee: Yes


Grant Park
In the 1890s, Grant Park was a marshy wasteland earmarked for development, until it was saved by the wealthy Montgomery Ward and transformed by the landscaping plans of the Olmstead Brothers. Its popular landmark, the Buckingham Fountain (on Congress Parkway and Columbus Drive), is modelled after a fountain at Versailles and is a fine example of Beaux Arts landscape design. Between 1 May and 1 October, a brightly-coloured, illuminated water performance takes place from dusk until 2300. The fountain itself flows from 1000 onwards.


Michigan Avenue (west) and the lakefront (east).
From East Randolph Street (north) to Roosevelt Road (south)
Chicago
United States
Tel: (312) 742 7529.
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Admission Fee: No


John Hancock Center
Not quite as tall as the Willis Tower, the John Hancock Center is still very high, 344m (1,127ft). It is usually less crowded and gives a more scenic view of the city's shoreline. There is an excellent, newly renovated observation gallery on the 94th floor, which also has the outside Skywalk. One floor up is the Signature Room , a good spot to sip a cocktail while enjoying the sunset views to the west and the panorama of Lake Michigan to the east. Architecturally, the building is striking because of its massive X-shaped cross-braces. It is also possible for visitors to 'tour' Chicago without leaving the building, by following the 'Windows on Chicago' virtual reality tour of 80 city sights and viewing the Chicago history wall.


875 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago
United States
Tel: (312) 751 3681 or 1 888 875 8439.
Web: www.hancock-observatory.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-2300.
Admission Fee: Yes


Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo, which sits alongside Lake Michigan, has been a favourite to both locals and visitors since 1868. Though it is noted for its Great Ape, Elephant and Lion Houses, other buildings in the nation's first urban zoo tend to simulate natural habitats. The Regenstein Small Mammal and Reptile House has a glass dome roof that serves to replicate a jungle, river and forest environment. You will find cuddly koalas here too. While away your time amid orchids and lush greenery at the nearby Lincoln Park Conservatory (2200 North Stockton Drive).


2200 North Cannon Drive
Chicago
United States
Tel: 312) 742 2000.
Web: www.lpzoo.org
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700, buildings close 1630 (Nov-Mar); 0700-1830 (Apr-late May and early Sep-Oct); 0900-1900 (late May-early Sep).
Admission Fee: No


Millennium Park
Millennium Park, one of the city's most popular attractions, is a collage of exceptional art and architecture. The 10-hectare (25-acre) recreational area features Frank Gehry's BP Bridge and the towering stainless steel ribbons of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion - an outdoor concert venue. A video of faces are displayed on the Crown Fountain , two 15m-tall (50ft) towering glass fountains by Jaume Plensa. The stainless steel, elliptical Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor (Chicagoans affectionately refer to it as 'the Bean') reflects fish-eye panoramas of the skyline. Grassy and lush, the Lurie Garden pays tribute to the city's transformation from marshy flat to a beautiful metropolis. An MP3 audio tour of the park can be downloaded from the park's website, or an MP3 Player with the audio tour can be rented at the Chicago Shop in the Northeast Exelon Pavilion, 201 East Randolph Street.
Millennium Park Greeter Service will escort groups of 10 or fewer on a free 45-minute tour to learn about the architecture, development and environment of Millennium Park. Tours are on the hour and the half hour, Wed-Sun 1000-1600 on a first-come, first-served basis from the end of May to the end of October.

Between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive and Randolph and Monroe Streets
Chicago
United States
Tel: (312) 742 1168.
Web: www.millenniumpark.org
Opening hours: Daily 0600-2300.
Admission Fee: No


Museum of Science and Industry
Designed by Daniel Burnham for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1892, this museum continues to charm both kids and science buffs. Ride through the coal mine, explore the WW2 German submarine, the U-505, walk through the 6m (20ft) human heart or try to catch some fairy dust at Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle. Families especially enjoy the hands-on Imagination Station and the acoustically perfect Whispering Gallery. The huge screen of the Omnimax Theater features science and space-related films.


5700 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago
United States
Tel: (773) 684 1414.
Web: www.msichicago.org
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1730, Sun 1100-1750 (late May-early Sep); Mon-Sat 0930-1600, Sun 1100-1600 (early Sep-late May).
Admission Fee: Yes


National Vietnam Veterans' Art Museum
Enter to the sound of tinkling bells, then look toward the ceiling and see Above and Beyond: 58,000 imprinted dog tags of the men and women who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. This museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving and displaying artwork done by Vietnam veterans, which includes the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese as well as the allies. Artefacts and artwork give one a more intimate look and a better understanding of a most unpopular war.

1801 South Indiana Avenue
Chicago
United States
Tel: (312) 326 0270.
Web: www.nvvam.org
Opening hours: Tues-Fri: 1100-1800, Sat: 1000-1700.
Admission Fee: Yes