Chicago offers DDW® attendees unparalleled sophistication and style, not to mention breathtaking views from Navy Pier and two of the tallest buildings in North America. The city boasts world-renowned museums, historic architecture, nightlife and music in every style and world-class theaters. The Windy City has something for everyone.
Architecture
Crown Hall
3410 S. State St.
Crown Hall is widely considered to be the finest work of Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, one of the pioneers of modernist architecture. Built to house the Illinois Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture, Crown Hall is considered a jewel of mid-century modernism.
Admission: Free.
SkyDeck at Willis Tower
233 S. Wacker Dr. • 312-875-9447
The Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, is one of the tallest buildings in North America. Standing 110 stories tall, its black aluminum and bronze-tinted glass exterior has become emblematic of Chicago, a city crazy about its architecture. Visit Skydeck Chicago atop the tower and step onto The Ledge if you dare. The Ledge is a transparent box with endless views over the city and Lake Michigan.
Admission: $23 for adults.
Performing Arts
Broadway in Chicago
312-977-1700
Step into the bright lights of Broadway In Chicago’s bustling downtown Theater District, which features world premieres and unforgettable, award-winning musicals. Broadway In Chicago operates five venues in the district, including the Bank of America Theatre, Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, the Auditorium Theatre and the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place. These large theaters often host pre-Broadway productions and the industry’s most anticipated stage shows.
Ticket prices vary.
Kingston Mines
2548 N. Halsted St. • 773-477-4647
Founded in 1968, Kingston Mines is the largest and oldest continuously operating blues club in Chicago. Its two stages have been graced by the likes of Magic Slim, Koko Taylor, Sugar Blue, Billy Branch, and scores of other musical greats, and are packed with the finest nonstop blues seven nights a week.
Admission prices vary.
Museums and Aquariums
Adler Planetarium
1300 S. Lake Shore Dr. • 312-922-7827
Adler Planetarium is America’s first museum of its kind. The museum campus is home to some of the most detailed space exhibits in the world.
Admission: $10.50 to $20.50.
The Art Institute of Chicago
111 S. Michigan Ave. • 312-443-3600
The Art Institute of Chicago’s permanent collection of paintings, drawings, photography and textiles includes the largest compilation of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works outside the Louvre in Paris.
Admission prices vary.
The Museum of Science and Industry
5700 S. Lake Shore Dr. • 773-684-1414
The largest science museum in the western hemisphere offers more than 800 captivating interactive exhibits, including the U-505 submarine, a working coalmine, a Boeing 727 airplane, and much more.
Admission: $18 for adults.
Shedd Aquarium
1200 S. Lake Shore Dr. • 312- 939-2438
From whales to snails, tarantulas to turtles, you’ll meet 32,500 creatures from aquatic habitats around the world at Shedd Aquarium. See the aquatic show starring the dolphins, belugas and more, and don’t miss the “Jellies” special exhibit.
Admission: $30.95.
Parks and Zoos
Lincoln Park Zoo
2001 N. Clark St. • 312-742-2000
See roaring lions, playful meerkats and majestic gorillas just minutes from downtown Chicago. Lincoln Park Zoo is free, open and amazing every day of the year. Visitors can go nose-to-nose with gorillas and chimpanzees, howl with red wolves, peer into a black bear den and immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of Africa with wild dogs, pygmy hippos and black rhinos. Lincoln Park Zoo operates one of the largest zoo-based conservation and science programs in the country.
Admission: Free.
Millennium Park
201 E. Randolph St. • 312-742-2963
Located in the northwest corner of Grant Park, the 24.5 acres of Millennium Park have been described as an “urban icon of beauty and culture.” The park’s unique attractions include the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Crown Fountain, Lurie Garden and Cloud Gate, the iconic sculpture nicknamed “The Bean” because of its bean-like shape. Take a guided or self-guided tour of the park’s stunning architecture, sculptures and landscape design.
Admission: Free.
For more to see and do during your stay in Chicago, visit the DDW Choose Chicago website at www.choosechicago.com/ddw17.