Chicago Architecture
Chicago is a wonderful place to visit for anyone with even a passing interest in architecture. The built environment downtown is wonderful. It is a great city just to wander round and enjoy the buildings and crane your neck looking at skyscrapers. If you want more information there are a myriad of tours to join, walking tours, bike tours, boat tours, segway tours….
http://www.architecture.org/ has a great overview of all the options available. My personal favourite is the boat tour. It is nice to take the weight off and be able to just sit and watch the scenery slide by whilst listening to the commentary.
The Willis Tower, Chicago
There are also several high points to get a great view of the city on a clear day. The Willis Tower (used to be the Sears Tower) is America’s tallest building has a viewing platform open to the public, the Skydeck. This has a glass ledge so you can walk out and see the city beneath your feet provided you don’t suffer with vertigo! The queues at the Hancock Tower are sometimes shorter and that is another good option. If you don’t feel like queuing for a viewing platform another good spot is the bar on the top floor of the W Hotel. This has an outdoor terrace in the summer and is a great place for a drink and small eats.
There is also plenty of opportunity to go and look at some of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. (By the way, even if you are not all that interested in architecture, Wright is a fascinating man, T C Boyle’s The Women
You can visit Wright’s Chicago home and studio and either include a self-guided or a guided walking tour of the historic Oak Park district where there are a large number of buildings designed by the architect during different phases in his career. It is a good idea to book tours in advance as they do get booked up. Go to for bookings and more information. http://www.gowright.org/
You can get to Oak Park on the train. Take the Green Line from downtown and it is the penultimate stop.
The Robie House, Chicago
The other Wright highlight is the Robie House which is on the campus of the University of Chicago. The campus is an interesting place to wander round and the Robie House is fabulous. I prefer it to the Oak Park house and studio. If you know you will not wander round Oak Park and look at some of the other buildings then the Robie House is probably a better option. You can get to the Campus on public transport. The number 6 Jackson Park Express bus runs from downtown. You can catch it along State Street south from the intersection with Lake Street. You can also travel on the Metra train from Millennium Station, you need the red line to University Park. Please note your Transit Card or Day Pass will not be accepted on the Metra and you will (somewhat annoyingly) need to buy a separate ticket.