Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
To get to Grant Park, take bus no. 3, 4, 6, 146, or 151. If you want to take
the subway or the El, get off at any stop in the Loop along State or Wabash, and
walk east.
ALONG SOUTH MICHIGAN AVENUE
Fashion and glamour might have moved north to the Magnificent Mile, but
Chicago's grandest stretch of boulevard is still Michigan Avenue, south of the
river. From a little north of the Michigan Avenue bridge all the way down to the
Field Museum, South Michigan Avenue runs parallel to Grant Park on one side
and the Loop on the other. A stroll along this boulevard in any season offers
both visual and cultural treats. Particularly impressive is the great wall of build-
ings from Randolph Street south to Congress Parkway (beginning with the
Chicago Cultural Center and terminating at the Auditorium Building) that
architecture buffs refer to as the “Michigan Avenue Cliff.”
The following attractions are listed from north to south.
Chicago Cultural Center
Built in 1897 as the city's public library,
and transformed into a showplace for visual and performing arts in 1991, the
Chicago Cultural Center is an overlooked civic treasure. Its basic Beaux Arts
exterior conceals a sumptuous interior of rare marble, fine hardwood, stained
glass, polished brass, and mosaics of Favrile glass, colored stone, and mother-of-
pearl inlaid in white marble. The crowning centerpiece is Preston Bradley Hall's
majestic Tiffany dome, said to be the largest of its kind in the world.
The building also houses one of the Chicago Office of Tourism's visitor cen-
ters, which makes it an ideal place to kick-start your visit. If you stop in to pick
up tourist information and take a quick look around, your visit won't take
longer than half an hour. But the Cultural Center also hosts an array of art
exhibitions, concerts, films, lectures, and other special events (many free),
which might convince you to extend your time here. A long-standing tradition
is the 12:15pm Dame Myra Hess Memorial classical concert every Wednesday
in the Preston Bradley Hall. Other ongoing programs include a monthly cul-
tural festival—which highlights a different city or country over a weekend with
art, theater, and film.
Guided architectural tours of the Cultural Center are offered Wednesday, Fri-
day, and Saturday at 1:15pm. For information, call
&
312/744-8032.
Allow a half-hour.
78 E. Washington St.
&
312/744-6630,
or 312/FINE-ART for weekly events. www.cityofchicago.org/exploring
chicago. Free admission. Mon-Thurs 10am-7pm; Fri 10am-6pm; Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 11am-5pm. Closed holi-
days. Bus: 3, 4, 20, 56, 145, 146, 147, 151, or 157. Subway/El: Brown, Green, Orange, or Purple line to Randolph,
or Red Line to Washington/State.
Chicago ArchiCenter
Chicago's architecture is one of the city's main claims
to fame, and a quick swing through this center will help you understand why.
Run by the well-regarded Chicago Architecture Foundation, it's conveniently
located across the street from the Art Institute. Still trying to figure out the dif-
ference between Prairie School and postmodern? Stop in here for a quick lesson.
Exhibits include a scale model of downtown Chicago, profiles of the people and
buildings that shaped the city's look, and a searchable database with pictures
and information on many of Chicago's best-known skyscrapers. “Architecture
ambassadors” are on hand to provide information on tours run by the founda-
tion (see “Sightseeing Tours,” p. 210). Two galleries feature changing exhibits
about ongoing Chicago design projects—so you can see firsthand how local
architecture continues to evolve. There's also an excellent gift shop filled with
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