Close to the famed Chicago ‘L’, the elevated train and Chicago Transit Authority buses, it would have been taller but the Federal Aviation Authority was concerned about plane safety on routes to and from O’Hare.

The buildings are comprised of a set of ‘bundled tubes’ in which each tower supports others. Owing to the strong winds in Chicago, produced by its proximity to Lake Michigan, any tall building has to take careful account of stresses produced by wind shear. With its special design, the perimeter can shed winds and reduce sway, while the interior provides structural support.

A series of setbacks above the 50th floor give the structure its unique look, along with the black glass that provides both light and temperature control and an impressive facade. As a result, it forms a significant addition to an already magnificent skyline in one of America’s premier cities.

Visitors can take the elevator to the Skydeck to see the view at the 103rd floor. The entrance is on Jackson Boulevard and 1.5 million visitors pass through it every year.

First step on the tour after you get your tickets is a video that explains the history and unique construction of the building, very interesting all on its own. Then it’s on to the SkyDeck elevators where you are whisked to the top. Elevators are equipped with 50-inch flat screen monitors with views of the Earth from the Space Shuttle, compliments of NASA.

On a clear day visitors can see for dozens of miles and, thanks to the high winds, the sky is often clear. The view is entangled by other structures nearby, but you’ll see not only the other buildings but parts of Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin stretching into the distance.

There are interactive computer displays that give you tons of information about the history of Chicago and its world famous buildings. Cut-out windows allow the kids to see as well as the adults. High-powered telescopes provide for a closer look at some of the other sights of the city.

The Tower also offers several restaurants to choose from including Mrs. Levy’s Delicatessen, a New York style deli, Mia Torre for Italian cuisine and Dos Hermanos offering a Mexican menu.

The surrounding space at the base of the tower is somewhat plain, but the view looking up is spectacular. In order to relieve the blandness of the plaza, a 4-story atrium was erected on Wacker Drive that is worth a look.

Lines can be very long and there are often long waits not only for tickets but elevators in both directions. Be sure to allow plenty of time to get to the top or bottom. Aim for a Sunday morning or other low-traffic time.

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Wright borrowed $5,000 from his employer and mentor, Louis Sullivan, another great Chicago architect, in order to build the home. In short order, he had installed himself and his wife, and before long there were six children to raise. His career blossomed as he developed his distinctive style and by 1898 he was ready to add a studio.

At the studio, as with the house itself, Wright experimented with every aspect of architecture here. The result: his world renowned Prairie Style. That style – low roofs, cantilevers and the numerous other unique Wright design ideas (now commonplace, with their origins unknown to many) – developed into 125 buildings.

Many of those structures are in Chicago itself. The Robie House, now used (in part) as offices by the University of Chicago, is one of the outstanding examples.

Tours are available that allow visitors to experience the beginnings of the revolution that Wright wrought. The house and studio have undergone extensive renovation, ending with the site as it existed in 1909 (the last year Wright lived there). The restoration took 13 years and over $3 million to complete, but the results are open to the public to enjoy.

Here is the drafting room, near the front of the house on the second floor, where Wright first conceived many of his groundbreaking ideas. In 1895 the architect added a two-story polygonal bay on the south side. Here you’ll see the dining room, containing dining table and chairs that are early examples of a style any Wright fan will recognize.

In the same year another extension was added to the east side of the house, this containing the children’s playroom. The windows and skylight are excellent examples of Wright’s use of outdoor light to complement and complete the interior design.

On the north face of the home, Wright added the studio annex, completed in 1898. A rare example of the use of octagonal light frames is one of the highlights of a visit. Under these lights the master and his apprentices labored to produce some of the 20th century’s most outstanding works of art in wood, glass and stone.

Though unpopular, both personally and professionally, for much of the middle portion of his life, Wright’s early commitment to excellence never faded through storybook adversity. His life and work were both the stuff of legend. Come see where it all began.

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Those with an interest in Ancient Egypt won’t be disappointed. There are catacombs on display whose hallways were once trod by Pharaohs and many of their mummies are on display. There are displays explaining how they lived and what happened to the servants after they died.

Kids will enjoy the dinosaur exhibit, with 40-foot monsters ready to pounce. Centerpiece of the collection is one named ‘Sue’, a 67 million year old sample whose discovery was an adventure all its own. The world’s largest T-Rex, she’ll fascinate kids of all ages.

In the Nature Walk visitors will find over 500 samples of birds, mammals and denizens of the sea. The amazing variety of species has been preserved in very lifelike poses.

Every kind of creepy bug you can imagine is on display, with a 20-foot giant replica that will delight kids, too. In the Underground Adventure you’ll enter an area where you are the tiny creature and the bugs are elephant-sized. Kids can navigate their way through an ant colony and experience what it’s like to maintain the hive.

The mineral exhibit in the Earth Sciences section is the equal of that in the famed Natural History museums in New York or Washington. Ranging from meteorite samples to $1,000,000 gems, there are more crystals on display than you knew existed.

The Hall of Gems is particularly spectacular, with over 50 kinds of precious jewels on display. Nearby is the Hall of Jades with dozens of samples from China of this green stone that has delighted queens and started wars.

Next door is the Plants of the World area where you can see what jungles were like a million years ago up to today. The displays are incredibly lifelike, even though they are all artificial.

In the Evolving Planet exhibit you can find out how all those rocks, plants and animals were formed as you learn about the way the Earth came to exist over 4 billion years ago. As part of the experience, you can discover how all those dinosaurs and other creatures evolved into the mammals we see today. You’ll also see how little the ants have changed over millions of years, only shrinking to the size where you are the larger of the two.

The museum is located at 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive on the 57 acres of Museum Campus near the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium.

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Since 1930, the collection has grown to include a 90,000 coral reef exhibit, whale and dolphin habitats, an Amazon display, penguins and much more.

In the Marine Mammal show Pacific White-Sided dolphins put on a show that will entertain kids and adults. Be sure to show up at least half an hour before show time to get a good seat, though. The aquarium can be crowded and gates sometimes close 15-20 minutes before it begins.

In the Oceanarium exhibit you’ll have a chance to see all the creatures that inhabit this 3,000,000 gallon tank of seawater, the largest indoor marine mammal habitat in the world. The tank is separated into different sections and each one has something interesting to offer.

In Secluded Bay you can check out the 3,000 pound Beluga Whales. There’s an underground viewing area where you can see these large, but graceful animals show their stuff.

Walk along a little farther and you can visit Penguin Shore, where there are two different species of these delightful flightless birds. Sometimes the staff members will share a feel of real penguin feathers with visitors.

In the Wild Reef section you can find an awesome variety of colorful coral reefs, featuring over 20 different habitats and hundreds of species. Over 500,000 gallons of water hold a stunning array of polyps, anemones and other small creatures. But it also holds more than two dozen sharks that commonly occupy such reefs in the wild.

The Amazon Rising exhibit shows you what life is like in the rainforests of South America, with hundreds of different jungle creatures. The rainforests in the wild get over a hundred inches of rain per year, so you can tell the area is aptly named. Within the exhibit there are dozens of snakes, poisonous frogs and spiders. There are even venomous ants, along with 73 different kinds of catfish.

The area has two separate galleries in an 8,600 square foot walk-through area, simulating a flooded forest. The flood waters can be as high as six feet! Be sure your camera can handle the low light conditions, since no flash photography is allowed.

Covering almost half the upper level is the Waters of the World exhibit. It displays everything from the frozen seas of northern Alaska to the tropical waters of northern Australia and contains over 75 distinct habitats. You’ll find four sections: Rivers, Islands and Lakes, Oceans and Local waters.

In the exhibit are over 300 different species, including everything from iguanas to River Otters, turtles to an Australian Lungfish. There are touch screens that display tons of information about the animals, too.

Come see the circular tank in the Caribbean Reef, built in 1971, and watch the divers feed the animals while they tell you all about them.

No matter what kind of sea creature is of interest you’ll find many examples at the Shedd Aquarium, located at 1200 South Lake Shore Drive. See the website at http://www.sheddnet.org for details.

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Grant Park stretches from the Museum Campus at Lake Shore Drive and Roosevelt Road to north of the world famous Prudential Building. The park is largely the result of efforts by the late Montgomery Ward, founder of the huge department store chain. Wanting to retain the view, he lobbied the city to construct Grant Park.

Here you’ll find the famed Buckingham Fountain, spouting happily all summer long. Located at 301 East Columbus drive it was constructed in 1927 and underwent a nearly $3 million renovation in 1994. With its four sea horses, it shoots water 150 feet into the air every hour on the hour.

Millenium Park, a section of Grant Park, is one of the newest additions, starting life just around the turn of the 21st century. Under discussion for 20 years prior, the park now offers 25 acres in the heart of the city bordered by Michigan Avenue to the west, Columbus Drive to the east and Randolf and Monroe streets on the north and south.

In the park there is ample grassland, modern art and a spectacular view of the Chicago skyline. Sculpture and walkways have replaced railroad tracks and parking lots.

Among the other foremost park offerings is Lincoln Park, beginning life as a small public cemetery in the 1850s. In 1860 a 60-acre section was created by the city and named after the President following his assassination in 1865. By 1950 the park had grown to its current 1,208 acres.

Situated in the park is a large statue of the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. Author Frank Baum lived in Chicago around the turn of the 20th century. There is the Lincoln Park Boat Club along with all kinds of sports activities. Also located here is the renowned Lincoln Park Zoo with hundreds of animals to see.

There’s one area whose name could be misleading, but that visitors will undoubtedly want to see: Hyde Park. Not actually a park, but a neighborhood, it is chock full of architectural marvels. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House is here, considered among the finest housing structures ever built. It sits on what is now part of the University of Chicago Campus that Hyde Park abuts.

Beginning life in the 1850s near the Illinois Central Railroad, Hyde Park grew rapidly to become one of the premier residential areas. Extending from 39th to 138th streets, the core is around 53rd and the lakefront. With dozens of shops and restaurants along tree-line avenues it makes for a visitors paradise within the bustling city. Nearby is the Museum of Science and Industry.

You won’t have time to visit all of Chicago’s many parks. But you can see the great parks and enjoy a relaxing and fun-filled day in any of them.

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Don’t worry about crowds, though. There’s so much to do and see that lines are rarely a problem. There is a dock with ships to see and restaurants to sample, just like Pier 39 in San Francisco. Or you can just sit and enjoy the fountain at Gateway Park, with 240 jets, all computer synchronized.

The Ferris Wheel is modeled after the world’s first, constructed for the 1893 World Columbian Exposition. Forty-four feet high, with 36 hand-painted animals, it’s a delight for kids and adults alike. You’ll get a great view of the Skyline Stage, a 100-foot high roof structure used as an ice skating rink in winter and a 1,500-seat outdoor theatre during the summer.

If it’s theater you’re after, though, don’t miss the seven-story Shakespeare Theater. With 525 seats that rarely go empty, you’ll find a show of the type that has pleased audiences for over 400 years.

Navy Pier has an IMAX theater too, of course, for those who like their entertainment fully modern. With the giant 6-story screen, featuring scenes of enormous volcanoes, waterfalls and dozens of special films, you’ll sometimes wish it weren’t so lifelike!

Come visit the Smith Stained Glass museum and get a look at these multi-colored wonders. You’ll see designs like no others anywhere. Gothic cathedral through modern portrait, there are 150 different styles. Then head to TransPIERency to purchase a small replica as a memento of your experience.

For the kids, there’s the Children’s Museum where everything is oriented toward the curiosity of the younger crowd. Treehouse trails and canoes rafting down a pretend river will keep them delightfully occupied.

Shopping at Navy Pier is in never-ending supply. You can attend a Build-A-Bear workshop and design your own stuffed animal. Or head to Sitara to pick out some Indian clothing or handmade crafts from Bali. Visit Go! The Game Shop and find more board games than you knew existed.

You’ll be hungry by now, so stop in at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., named after the fictional character’s business. Offering more than just crustaceans, the menu includes baby back ribs and lots more. If you like your southern food with a little jazz, try Joe’s Be-Bop Cafe and get some jambalaya and ribs.

If you’re just thirsty, check out Charlie’s Ale House with over 70 different beers to choose from. During the spring and summer it seats over 150 guests, inside and out. Try the Billy Goat Tavern for one of the best cheeseburgers in the city. Or, go to RIVA for a more chic atmosphere with great steak, pasta and seafood.

Not far away is the famed Hancock Tower and many other attractions, so be prepared for a long day of great entertainment.

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The building it occupies was built in 1893 for the World Columbian Exposition as a Palace of Fine Arts, the only building that remains from that amazing event. The Beaux Arts style became the standard for classical-style museums everywhere. Initially housing the Field museum collection, that collection moved to Grant Park in 1921. After a 1926 donation of $3 million by the head of Sears, Roebuck, the Industrial museum was born and opened officially in 1933.

Like most of them, it covers a diverse area, including exhibits about energy, electricity and the like with hundreds of hands-on displays. The idea may sound new, becoming popular among science museums in the 1970s, but it began at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany in the late 19th century where displays were interactive rather than just for viewing.

Among the energy displays is a reconstruction of a 1933 Illinois coal mine that visitors can descend down 50 feet into. Though one of the earliest exhibits, it remains among the most popular. There’s also a captured WWII German submarine that visitors can walk around and a 3,000 square foot model railroad to play with. If that isn’t interactive enough, try the 20-foot walk-through human heart that allows you to see this vital organ’s working parts.

The Fairy Castle sounds like something that would be out of place in a museum of science. But this nine square foot dollhouse has functional electrical devices and working plumbing. There’s also a working baby chick hatchery that will delight the kids. For older kids, the Apollo 8 Spacecraft is housed there along with a Mercury Space Capsule.

Exhibits change all the time, so any time you visit you’ll see something new. At one time you might see a display of dozens of Da Vinci’s designs. You might be lucky enough to catch the Human Body exhibit showing 20 whole-body plastic, skinless humans with musculature in full view. Or you can catch the CSI Experience and find out all about how the modern scientist-detectives employ forensics to catch criminals.

Upcoming is a Star Wars exhibit that will show visitors props and models from the movies while explaining how some of it might someday become real. You can ride in a hovercraft and try to build your own ‘droid’.

But even the very old displays are still fascinating. There’s a group of Caryatids (Greek statuary) from the original 1893 exposition. These fascinating sculptures formed parts of columns in Greek buildings. Don’t miss the Foucault pendulum from the mid-19th century, a device that demonstrates the rotation of the Earth.

With plenty of choices for food and fun you can visit many times and still find more to see. Located at 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive in famed Hyde Park, details are available at http://www.msichicago.org.

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If you want to be a junior architect start at the LEGO store at 520 N. Michigan Ave and build a skyscraper with your son or daughter. You can buy a table or T-shirt, or get a kit to duplicate the Sears Tower.

If your daughter is more interested in dolls, there’s the American Girl Place at 111 East Chicago. See a live theater performance or have a cup of tea while she shops in the boutique.

Visit Hershey’s Chicago and see where Milton Hershey first saw the machinery that was the beginning of his candy empire. Ghiradelli’s is here, too, in case you didn’t overload at Hershey’s. If you haven’t dropped dead from dessert yet, try some drop-dead delicious cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory at 875 N. Michigan Ave.

Now that you have plenty of sugar, tap dance into the Fred Astaire Dance Studio at 200 N. Michigan and pick up some tips. Ballroom dancing, tap and every other social style is taught at the world famous studio.

Now that you’re ready for the big time, waltz on down to the Drury Lane Theater at 175 E. Chestnut. They may not let you try out, but at least you can see how the professionals do things. Newly remodeled, the theater also offers dinner theater seating.

Not ready to sit down? Walk over to Chicago Ave and Michigan Ave and see the Old Water Tower & Pumping Station, the only historic landmark that survived the Great Chicago Fire near the turn of the 20th century. But sometimes you get more than you pay for. Tons of interesting photos of old time Chicago.

Prefer something a little more modern? Try the Museum of Contemporary Art at 220 E. Chicago Ave. Photography, sculpture and painting galore with a dose of video and film is kept here. Check the schedule to see if you can catch one of the live performances.

Tired from all that walking now? Have a seat at the Grand Lux Cafe at 600 N. Michigan Ave. Styled after the bistros of Europe, there’s something on the menu that will delight even the pickiest eater. The bakery will make a dessert to order if you want to wait.

Maybe you prefer food that’s a little spicier. Step into Heaven on Seven at 600 N. Michigan Ave instead. The menu is Cajun and Creole. If you’ve ever been to that city of the south, you’ll know this is the real deal.

Italian might be more your style, as it is for thousands of Chicago natives. Step into Cafe Spiaggia at 980 N. Michigan Ave for a glass of wine and some of the finest Italian dishes anywhere in the city.

Oh, and about that shopping… Try Bloomingdale’s, Saks, Nordstrom’s, Marshall Field, Lord & Taylor or Tiffany’s for the upscale experience. Still have some money left? How about Cartier, Burberry, Hermes or Armani? Not satisfied? Fine, head off to Nieman Marcus for the hometown advantage.

With over 460 stores if you can’t find something to buy here, you just want to look. But, that’s ok, too!

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Architecturally unique, it’s a sight to behold even from the ground. But the Hancock offers visitors one of the best observatories anywhere in the country. Providing one of the finest views of one of the finest skylines anywhere, on a clear day you’ll see all of Chicago and a whole lot more.

There are plenty of clear days in Chicago, too. It isn’t called the Windy City for nothing. Those clear skies make possible great views of the award winning buildings in one of America’s premier cities. You can also see for dozens of miles and get a sense of the prairie from which it sprang by looking out over Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

The Signature Room and Lounge on the 95th and 96th floors are aptly named, as well. Patrons can dine on some of the best food in Chicago while they watch the view. Hit the lounge to enjoy some great jazz, then head down to the observatory one floor below.

The observation deck offers displays that explain the building’s unusual construction and much about Chicago itself. Be sure to spend some time at the wall – 80-feet high – displaying over 100 photos of the history of Chicago. You can take advantage, too, of the Windows on Chicago display that shows you dozens of the most popular tourist spots in the city.

From a meshed area visitors can feel the famous wind at 1,030 feet that gives the city its nickname. Be prepared. The winds are sometimes so strong that 60 mph (98 km/h) gusts in March of 2002 tore loose a scaffold, which fell and crushed several cars.

There’s a skylobby at the 44th floor that has America’s highest indoor swimming pool. Take a dip and enjoy the view out the window at the same time. Other parts of the interior have been remodeled and the lobby is also a sight to see with its textured limestone surfaces.

The elliptical plaza at the base completes the tour where you can enjoy the plants that reflect the changing seasons of this mid-west city. Be sure to look up at night to see the band of white lights around the top, illuminating one of Chicago’s architectural icons.

Located at 875 N. Michigan Ave in downtown’s Magnificent Mile, you’ll find plenty of other attractions nearby. The high speed elevator can carry you to the top in 40 seconds (they travel at 1,800 feet per minute). But be prepared for a wait for tickets and to take the trip up. ‘Big John’ is very popular.

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For those who enjoy fine arts, The Art Institute offers one of the best collections to be found anywhere in the world. Though much smaller than the Metropolitan in New York or the Louvre in Paris, the paintings and other objects on display are second to none.

For those who like their art more lively, the seven-story Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier offers works by the Bard and other world renowned artists.

Beyond this, Chicago has a theater district that has rightly earned the town the title Second City. Second in name, but not in quality. Shows here are as good as anything you’ll find in New York, as the list of famous actors who have called it a professional home can show.

If shopping is more your style of entertainment, you don’t have to go to New York, London or Paris to find anything you would look for there. With over 460 shops in the Magnificent Mile area alone, you’ll run out of money and time long before you run out of stores.

Whether it’s Nieman Marcus or Marshall Field’s (the home grown department stores), or Cartier, Hermes, or Tiffany’s imported from New York, there’s something here to please even the most finicky.

Restaurants in Chicago are also first rate. Maybe you just want a great burger at Billy Goat Tavern in Navy Pier. Or, you might want the best pizza in the world. Gino’s East at 8725 W. Higgins, or Pete’s at 3737 N Western, or Home Run Inn at 4254 W 31st St, who can decide? You might prefer Brazilian at Sal & Carvao (739 N Clark St) or jambalaya at Joe’s Be-Bop at Navy Pier.

If you want to just drink, there’s no better place than Chicago. At Charlie’s Ale House at Navy Pier you can find over 70 beers to choose from. Or, you can sidle into the Volo Restaurant Wine Bar (2008 W Roscoe St) for one of the finest selections served. After that you might need a cup of coffee. Try the Julius Meinl Cafe (3601 N. Southport) where the Viennese is authentic and you can hear a string quartet play while you sip.

For animal enjoyment there are the dead ones at The Field Museum where the largest T-Rex ever found is housed, or the live ones at Brookfield Zoo. Or, you can head over to the Shedd Aquarium and catch the Beluga whales or dozens of sharks looking for a meal.

Head out to one of the 500 parks around the city, but don’t forget about the place with the name that is not a park – Hyde Park. Home to the Frank Lloyd Wright Studio and Home, as well as the Robie House and many other architectural icons, you’ll find plenty to write home about.

Don’t miss out on the view from up high. Be sure to visit the Sears Tower and the Hancock Center, two great (almost) 100-story high observatories that will show you how the Windy City got its nickname.

If you think New York, London or Paris are among the world’s great cities… you’re right. Come find out why Chicago is easily in the same class.

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