Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chicago's best-known skyscrapers. “Architecture ambassadors” are
on hand to provide information on tours run by the foundation (see
“Sightseeing Tours” on p. 117). Two galleries feature changing
exhibits about ongoing Chicago design projects, so you can see first-
hand how local architecture continues to evolve. There's also an
excellent gift shop filled with architecture-focused topics, decorative
accessories, and gifts. Allow a half-hour, more if you want to browse
in the store.
224 S. Michigan Ave.
&
312/922-3432,
ext. 241. www.architecture.org. Free
admission. Exhibits Mon-Sat 9:30am-4pm. Shop and tour desk Mon-Sat
9am-6:30pm; Sun 9am-6pm. Bus: 3, 4, 145, 147, or 151. Subway/El: Brown, Green,
Purple, or Orange line to Adams, or Red Line to Jackson.
Auditorium Building and Theatre
A truly grand theater
with historic-landmark status, the Auditorium is worth a visit to
experience late-19th-century Chicago opulence. Because it's still a
working theater—not a museum—it's not always open to the public
during the day; to make sure you'll get in, schedule a guided tour,
which are offered on Mondays at 10am and 1pm (call
&
312/431-
2389
to confirm the date and time; reservations aren't necessary).
Tours cost $8 per person.
Designed and built in 1889 by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar
Adler, the 4,000-seat Auditorium was a wonder of the world: the
heaviest (110,000 tons) and most massive modern edifice on earth,
the most fireproof building ever constructed, and the tallest building
in Chicago. Don't miss the lobby fronting Michigan Avenue, with its
faux-marble ornamental columns, molded ceilings, mosaic floors,
and Mexican onyx walls. Allow 1 hour for the guided tour.
50 E. Congress Pkwy.
&
312/922-2110.
www.auditoriumtheatre.org. For tickets to
a performance at the Auditorium, call Ticketmaster at
&
312/902-1500.
Bus: 145,
147, or 151. Subway/El: Brown, Green, Orange, or Purple line to Library/Van Buren,
or Red Line to Jackson.
2 The Earth, the Sky & the Sea: The Big Three
in the Grant Park Museum Campus
With terraced gardens and broad walkways, the Museum Campus at
the southern end of Grant Park makes it easy for pedestrians to visit
three of the city's most beloved institutions: the natural history
museum, aquarium, and planetarium. The campus is about a 15- to
20-minute walk from the Loop and is easy to reach by bus or sub-
way (a free trolley runs from the Roosevelt Rd. El stop). To get to the
Museum Campus from the Loop, head east across Grant Park on
East Balbo Drive from South Michigan Avenue, and then trek south
