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This grande dame of Chicago’s art scene features world-renowned collections. The ever-popular Impressionist section includes outstanding exhibits such as Renoir’s Acrobats at the Circus Fernando .

The city’s skyscraping superlative is actually made up of nine tube-like sections. The views are absolutely awesome: on a clear day, you can see up to 40 miles (64 km) from the 103rd-floor Skydeck.

Delve into cultures and environments from ancient Egypt to modern Africa, via Midwestern wildlife, and the underground life of bugs. The Field also offers a closeup of the world’s largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, as well as many other fossils.

An enduring family favorite, this museum is the only building left from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Exhibits emphasizing interactivity cover everything from space exploration to coal-mining, including the Walk-Through Heart and Silver Streak train, which visitors can climb aboard.

Once dilapidated, this Lake Michigan pier is now a bustling year-round playground for kids and adults alike, complete with a Ferris Wheel and carousel. In warm weather, take a boat tour or join the throngs that stroll along the pier and get some amazing city views.

Chicago’s amazing aquarium is located on the lakefront and is home to thousands of marine animals from big beluga whales to tiny seahorses. Get a fun, fish-eye view at the Oceanarium’s underwater viewing galleries.

It might not be the biggest, but it’s one of the oldest zoos in the country and, after more than 100 years, still free. Kids love the hands-on Children’s Zoo and Endangered Species Carousel.

Chicago’s premier shopping destination is a four-lane stretch of North Michigan Avenue. It also has historic significance, claiming two of only a few structures to survive the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.

Opened in 1892, this private university is an important part of the southside Hyde Park neighborhood. Its public attractions include museums and galleries, and a Frank Lloyd Wright home.

Frank Lloyd Wright, creator of Prairie Style architecture, was based in this Chicago suburb for 20 years. His legacy is an “outdoor museum” of 25 buildings. Take a self-guided or guided tour of his creations and those of other Prairie Style architects.