Whether it's ""The Bean"" in Millennium Park, or the view from the Hancock Building Observatory, Chicago boasts plenty of attractions to please even the most discerning tourist.
One of the best way to take in the city is on one of the Chicago Trolley Tours. These hop-on, hop-off red and green trolleys will take you to all the city's landmarks -- Wrigley Field, Chinatown and Hyde Park among them. The Wendella Boats tours are another great way to take in the sights from the city's waterways, while the Chicago Architecture Foundation's tours are a must for any architecture buff.
Retail mavens will feel right at home in the Windy City, home to the famous Magnificent Mile. Stretching from the Chicago River to Oak Street, the Mile is laden with upscale department and chain stores, perfect for an afternoon bargain hunt. Those looking for smaller boutique fare should check out Oak Street Beach, on North Lake Shore Drive.
Chicago is home to some of the best museums in the country. The Museum of Science and Industry is one of them, housing priceless artifacts like the Apollo 8 spacecraft. The collections at the Art Institute of Chicago are rivaled world-reknown, as is Sue, the largest and most complete t-rex skeleton in the world, in permanent residence at the Field Museum.
Families in search of fun need look no further than Chicago's Navy Pier, which draws almost 9 million visitors a year with its ferris wheel, floating hotel, water park and IMAX theater among a host of other attractions. Also popular with the kids is the Lincoln Park Zoo, a free, family-oriented bastion of creatures from around the globe.
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