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Chicago Visitor Guide

The heartbeat of Chicago pulses with a passionate mix of sophisticated style, business acumen, sports, culture, art, collegiate spirit and history.  Whether you love to dine, shop, take in a game, or just spend time on the waterfront, Chicago is a great place to plan a vacation.  The Windy City boasts an array of shopping along Michigan Avenue, aptly dubbed the Magnificent Mile. 

When it comes to culture, Chicago offers Broadway-style shows, symphonies, ballets, operas, art and museums.  And bring the kids – this exciting city has plenty to entertain adults and children alike.  

Arts & Culture
Museum of Contemporary Art – 4 blocks
Art Institute of Chicago – 1 mile
Theatre District – 1.5 miles
Field Museum of Natural History – 2 miles
Museum of Science & Industry – 8 miles

Attractions
ESPN Zone (restaurant, bar and interactive games) – 3 blocks
John Hancock Building, featuring 95th floor observatory – 4 blocks
Business District – 7 blocks
Lincoln Park & Zoo – 12 blocks
River North gallery district– 1 mile
Navy Pier – 1 mile
Tribune Tower – 1 mile
Wrigley Building – 1 mile
Sears Tower and Observatory, the tallest building in North America–1.5 miles
HARPO Studios, home of the Oprah Winfrey Show–1.5 miles
Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium – 2 miles

Shopping
The Magnificent Mile, shopping, restaurants and cultural attractions – on your doorstep
American Girl Place – 3 blocks
Water Tower Place (premier shopping center) – 5 blocks
Oak Street— ½ mile
Merchandise Mart – 1 mile

Outdoor Recreation
The Lakefront, an 18.5 mile linear park with beaches along Lake Michigan – 3 blocks
Lincoln Park – 12 blocks
Oak Street Beach – ½ mile
Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course – 5 miles

Sports
Soldier Field, home to the NFL’s Chicago Bears – 2 miles
United Center, home to the NBA Bulls and NHL Blackhawks – 3 miles
Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team – 4 miles
U.S. Cellular Park (formerly Comisky Park), home of MLB’s Chicago White Sox – 9 miles

Universities
University of Illinois Chicago – 4 miles
University of Chicago – 7 miles
Northwestern University – 13 miles

Dining & Entertainment
676 Restaurant & Bar – onsite
Lawry’s (Casual prime rib) – 2 blocks
Rosebud (upscale Italian) – 2 blocks
Rush Street – 6 blocks
Gino’s East (Chicago stuffed pizza) – 0.5 mile
Spiaggia (fine dining/Northern Italian) – 0.5 mile
Vong’s Thai Kitchen (French Fusion, Thai) – 0.5 mile
Cheesecake Factory (American) – 0.5 mile
Chicago Chop House (steakhouse) – 0.5 mile
Gibson’s (steakhouse) – 0.5 mile
Geja’s (romantic fondue dining) – 2 miles
Ambria (fine dining/French) – 2.5 miles
Charlie Trotters (fine dining/New American) – 3 miles

Transportation
Red Line Subway System – 5 blocks
Union Station – 4 miles

Nearby Corporations & Businesses
Chicago Focus – 1 block W
Interpublic Group – 2 blocks E
Northwestern Hospital – 2 blocks E
American Bar Association – 4 blocks S
Spencer Foundation – 4 blocks N
AOL Time Warner – 5 blocks S
Prudential – 8 blocks S
Borg Warner – 0.5 mile
Nordstrom – 0.5 mile N
Tiffany & Co. – 0.5 mile N
Nike – 0.5 mile E
Neiman Marcus – 0.5 mile N
Kirkland and Ellis – 0.5 mile S
Fox News Corporation– 0.5 mile S
CNA Insurance – 1 mile S
Federal Reserve Bank – 1 mile S
McKinsey – 1 mile S
ABN AMRO – 1.5 miles S
CIGNA – 3 miles SW
McCormick Place Convention Center – 3 miles
Great Lakes Naval Base – 18 miles W

For more information, visit the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, Illinois Bureau of Tourism or McCormick Place Complex.