Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Oprah in Person
Oprah Winfrey tapes her phenomenally successful talk
show at Harpo Studios, 1058 W. Washington Blvd., just
west of the Loop. If you'd like to be in her studio audience,
you'll have to plan ahead: Reservations are taken by
phone only (
&
312/591-9222
), at least 1 month in
advance. For information on upcoming shows, check the
website (www.oprah.com); if you've got a great personal
story that relates to a show being planned, you can submit
it online and just might get booked as a guest.
A free brochure,
The Chicago Public Art Guide
(available at the
Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.), can help steer you
toward the best examples of monumental public art. You can also
conduct a self-guided tour of the city's best public sculptures by fol-
lowing “The Loop Sculpture Tour” map (p. 91).
The single most famous sculpture is
Pablo Picasso's
Untitled,
located in Daley Plaza and constructed out of Cor-Ten steel, the
same gracefully rusting material used on the exterior of the Daley
Center behind it. Viewed from various perspectives, its enigmatic
shape suggests a woman, bird, or dog. Perhaps because it was the
button-down Loop's first monumental modern sculpture, its instal-
lation in 1967 was met with hoots and heckles, but today “The
Picasso” enjoys semiofficial status as the logo of modern Chicago. It
is by far the city's most popular photo opportunity among visiting
tourists. At noon on weekdays during warm weather, you'll likely
find a dance troupe, musical group, or visual-arts exhibition here as
part of the city's long-running “Under the Picasso” multicultural
program. Call
&
312/346-3278
for event information.
GRANT PARK & MILLENNIUM PARK
Thanks to architect Daniel Burnham and his coterie of visionary
civic planners—who drafted the revolutionary 1909 Plan of
Chicago—the city boasts a wide-open lakefront park system unri-
valed by most major metropolises. Modeled after the gardens at
Versailles,
Grant Park
(
&
312/742-PLAY;
www.chicagopark
district.com) is Chicago's front yard, composed of giant lawns seg-
mented by
allées
of trees, plantings, and paths, and pieced together
by major roadways and a network of railroad tracks. Incredibly, the