Weird to have a huge bean sculpture here when Boston is beantown…read more It's bulls city here in Chicago but hey I had to visit this big bean and it's beautiful! Lots of people or course It's located next to millennium park by the water It's a cool selfie spot

Cloud Gate, or "The Bean," is iconic for good reason…read more It's uncomplicated and a delight to interact with. It's such a great spot for photos, and it amplifies the skyline. Plus it's free to visit. We brought our kids to it for the first time, and it was a joy to see them interact with it. I had never thought about lying on the ground, under it as far as you can fit, to pretend it's squishing you. Ah, the joys of childhood imagination. :-P It doesn't take long to visit, maybe 15 minutes if you're trying to get a particular photo, and it seems to bring joy.

When we were in Chicago in June, we made sure we walked along the Magnificent Mile, which has the…read morefamous commercial and residential district running along Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River north to Oak Street. It is an amazing area that has designer stores like Dior, Tiffany, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Cartier, and the multi-story 900 North Michigan Shops! There are also more affordable stores like LEGO, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. You will also walk past famous buildings like the Chicago Tribune, the Wrigley building, 360 Building with Skydeck, and the Chicago Water Place. There are a total of 470 shops and 275 restaurants. Take some time and enjoy this fabulous 13 blocks of shopping and eating. We loved it!

If you're visiting Chicago and don't know where to start re: exploring, the magnificent mile is…read morewhat you're looking for. It's a long street that runs straight through the heart of downtown Chicago and is near to most of the cool visitor spots and shopping areas. The starbucks roastery is here, and the navy pier and park with the cloud gate statue are very nearby. The free Chicago zoo is on the north end of the mile as well; you could walk if you're in really good shape/like a long walk from the south part of downtown by the river, or you can take the bus etc. The river walk intersection with the MM is very busy, there are restaurants, bars, and lots of foot traffic in this area. Overall it's really nice! Overall, if you're new to Chicago, you definitely have to come to the MM at least once, even if just to go to a couple specific spots.

Created by Jaume Pensa. It's a water feature with two glass towers that projects faces of folks…read more Very cool thing to see. Interactive art installations are some of my favorite pieces to see. In addition, if you're feeling like you need a cool down from that hot Chicago summer weather...you can take off your shoes and soak your tootsies. To me, the splash pad has no age limits. It's worth the quick walk from The Bean to see it.

Gorgeous! Refreshing to spend time here on a hot day. Relaxing and peaceful atmosphere, while also…read morevibrant people watching as kids and adults run through the water. Beautiful interactive fountain and I love seeing the changing and details of the faces. A lovely part of Millennium Park.

The Loop, when I visited Chicago was, the elevated train that "looped" around the heart of the…read morecity. The Loop, or "the L" enclosed Chicago's downtown. My middle eldest sister and I enjoyed our brief visit to Chicago and enjoyed riding "the L!" The Loop was the first elevated public transit I had experienced! It was magical, reasonably priced, and not at all scary! I did not realize the Loop is as old as it is. From the Chicago Loop Alliance, "The first "L" train was built in 1892, and its inaugural journey took place on June 6, spanning 3.6 miles in 14 minutes." This unique transportation really stands out vividly in memory as one of the coolest things we experienced during our Spring Break trip to Chicago and Evanston, Illinois.

The Loop is the place that tourists are referring to when they talk about all of the great things…read moreto see and do in the city of Chicago. Cloudgate (The Bean) at Millenium Park is a great place to visit. From there you can go to the beach, find a great place to shop, visit a museum (Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry), or get a bite to eat and drink. Trying a slice of deep dish pizza is a must! There are always new things to try. The Loop is a fun day trip or a great place to get lost in for a week!

Wings of Mexico…read more Beautiful wings. Gold. Always a line for taking picture. Nice. Clean place. Lots of people. They placed the wings in the perfect place. Highly recommended

You will find this pair of gold wings in the front of The Plaza of America. They tempt you to hop…read moreup there and take a photo with them. The wings are made of bronze with cement and iron bases and were installed in the Plaza in May 2022. They are the work of renowned Mexican artist Jorge Marín, who intended the piece to proudly symbolize the immigrant journey. Marin partnered with the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago and Visit Mexico for the piece. The wings are well traveled. They were actually made in 2010 and before reaching its current home in Chi-town, it began it journey in Mexico City, with stops at 25 other locations, from California to Dubai. It was scheduled to be moved to Brookhaven, Georgia in October 2022, but for some reason still remains in Chicago as of April 2023. I like the concept of the wings and its backstory. It takes all of those wing murals popping up across the county to the next level. It is rare to see them in sculpture form. I really like these wings, even though they are pretty basic. They are still very detailed, eye catching and they are definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. Parking to get a closer look at this sculpture is difficult to do, as is most parking in the Windy City. This sculpture is not a destination piece and most of its viewers will be passerbys such as myself. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. Also, be very careful if you are going to get a closer look, as i previously mentioned, this is located at a busy roundabout. With that being said, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Great place to see Lake Michigan and Navy Pier. I read it has been one of most visited place in…read moreChicago City. We strolled along Lake Michigan and ended in Navy Pier. Beautiful architecture design upon entrance . It has the waterfront backdrop that made it so inviting. Lots of shops, restaurants, gift shops, rides and theaters. We didn't see any live entertainment in the area but great way to spend your day.

It is easy to find the Navy Pier from most of the Chicago Riverfront because of the giant Ferris…read moreWheel, which stands out noticeably. We were told by several Chicagoans to go to the Navy Pier because there were also many restaurants and shops to enjoy. We actually went to the Navy Pier twice. Our main reason to go there was because that is where Shoreline Sightseeing boat cruises is located. We had booked a Chicago Architecture Boat Cruise thru them which was an exciting Chicago tour thing to do. We got there early and did some sightseeing and went on the ferris wheel. The Chicago Children's Museum was great for families and the shopping mall was really cool because it also has a Giordano's Deep Dish Pizza parlor! How lucky can you get! A really fun place to go. At the end of the pier is the Beer Garden, where you can sit and enjoy the spectacular view of the Chicago Skyline and a beautiful sunset. You can take the Big Bus Tour and get off at stop #8 at the Navy Pier, which is what we did. Have fun!

State Street is arguably less popular than Michigan Avenue, which has greater name recognition at…read morethe very least. But State does play an important function in that the intersection of State and Madison is the zero point for the Chicago Grid--that wonderful innovation that makes it so easy to fin you away around the city. The density and character of this street changes drastically as you drive it. In the Loop, it's full of lots of trendy restaurants and shops, hotels, and so on. The Chicago Theatre is right here amongst a bunch of other theaters on surrounding streets. I love wandering along State during the holiday season to see the holiday windows at Macy's. I haven't ever taken in the Thanksgiving parade, but I may just have to do that whilst I still live in Chicago.

North South through the loop! State Street is like the…read moresecond street in the Second City. It's kinda outdone by Michigan Ave, but State Street is a pretty impressive address too. It goes all the way through downtown, and there's plenty of history and shopping along this street. All addresses in the City of Chicago are measured from the intersection of State Street and Madison. That intersection is like the 0 mile marker for the city. It started off as a trail for cowboys and horses back in the day. Y'ah! Mayor Daley did a famous revitalization project back in the day which made this place a lot easier to navigate and really opened the street up. Walgreens has a flagship store on this street. Michael Jordan opened up his restaurant on this street! Sinatra sang about it- this street is legendary. There's lots of shopping, restaurants, and things to see and do along here. Every detail has been fretted over around here, as real estate is at a real premium along this famous street. Good luck finding any parking through here. Yea right.

Currently off view whilst renovations are being done on the Chase Tower. Possibly for lat next year…read moreviewing.

I really enjoy Chagall. The America Windows are my favorite exhibit in the Art Institute; my…read moreworkplace has reproductions of some of his works, and then there's The Four Seasons. It certainly helps too that I love murals and mosaics. It depicts the seasons in Chicago, which truly is a city that can experience them all (although I feel like spring and sometimes fall get the short shrift). This work was made in Europe and shipped here for installation, which I was surprised to learn. It also continued to be modified by Chagall after the installation, with bits of brick from Chicago also added at times to make it even more native to this space. It's one of a kind, and we're fortunate to have so much public art by world-reknown artists littered about our downtown.

The Tribune Tower is a 463 ft tall,, 36 floor neo-Gothic skyscraper. The early 1920s international…read moredesign competition for the tower became a historic event in 20th-century architecture. It was built & named for the f Chicago Tribune owner, The Tribune Tower Is a residential & office building. Almost 150 fragments from famous structures & historic sites around the world are embedded in Tribune Tower's first story walls. Chunks of the Great Wall of China, the Great Pyramid of Cheops and the Berlin Wall are visible here.

Chicago Tribune Building---Slices of History, Both Inside and Out…read more Spend some time exploring this neo-Gothic landmark on Michigan Avenue. It was built based on a contest that awarded architects prize money totaling $100,000, including a $50,000 first place award which was substantial considering some workers at the time made $1 per day. On the outer walls of the building, there are slices of places from around the world-such as the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the Parthenon, Hagia Sophia, the Palace of Westminster, petrified wood from the Redwood National and State Parks, the Great Pyramid, The Alamo, Notre Dame de Paris, Abraham Lincoln's Tomb, Independence Hall, and the Berlin Wall. More recently a piece of steel recovered from the World Trade Center was added to the wall. So much fun exploring and discovering new landmarks on each visit. On the inside in entrance lobby, the walls have famous quotes related to freedom of speech and the press. More restricted access due to the Tribune Tower being converted into multimillion-dollar luxury apartments. Still a great place to see slices of history.

Almost walked past this. Opposite side of The Riverwalk. Great detail. Great background view of…read moreChicago skyline! Worth the stop!

This is an amazing piece of work by Taiwanese Artist and Sculptor Ju Ming. It is located in the…read moreAMA Plaza and outdoor seating is offered for individuals to sit and admire and discuss the sculpture of the eleven men cast in Bronze who are dressed in business suits, trench coats and some with umbrellas...obviously as if they were on their way to work in a modern city environment. Upon a close-up inspection recently, I noticed that the eyes were not pronounced and that they seem to be expressionless as the grayness of their cast figures suggest. Almost as if it was just another day going through the same routine- wake up, go to work, eat, sleep---REPEAT. It reminds me in a way of Andy Warhol's Campbells Soup Can-we live from one meal to the next. About the Artist: Ju Ming (1938-) was originally trained as a woodcarver; however, his work evolved into sculpting in bronze in addition to other materials such as styrofoam, stainless steel as well as other mediums. He became well known in Taiwan during the 1970s and later in 1983 in New York City when he had individual exhibition of Living World Series: A Pair of Classical People at the Max Hutchinson Gallery. This piece in particular, is regarded as one of the most important works among the early production of the Living World Series. Ming's Living World Series appears or suggests that his work may evolve from his perception of the world around him; however, he has been quoted as saying that there is no one interpretation or set interpretation designated in his intention to create his sculptures. There are other parts of The Living World Series including "Imprisonment"which has drawn attention to his style of thought provoking sculpture. FYI-This Public Piece of art was purchased by Eagle Holdings, which is the parent group of the Langham Hospitality Group.