DK Travel : Chicago : The Loop : Best of the Rest

Top 10 Best of the Rest

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1. Loop Theater District

A sidewalk plaque at Randolph and State Streets denotes Chicago’s Theater District, a cluster of old and new theaters.
2. Civic Opera House

This 1929 structure was inspired by Paris’s Opera Garnier. Inside, there are gleaming marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and a grand staircase.
3. Symphony Center

At the heart of this center is Orchestra Hall (1904), the home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. A major 1997 extension added office space and the Rhapsody restaurant (see Arts Venues).
4. Old St. Patrick’s Church

Chicago’s oldest church (1856) is crowned by two towers – one Romanesque, one Byzantine – symbolizing East and West.
5. Fine Arts Building

This historic landmark was designed by Solon S. Beman and completed in 1885. It was used as a carriage showroom by the Studebaker Company and today houses a gallery and two movie theaters.
6. Chicago Temple

A Gothic-inspired structure that was designed by Holabird and Roche in 1923. Under the majestic spire is a 35-seat chapel.
7. Federal Reserve Bank

This impressive structure is one of 12 regional Reserve banks. When it was first built in 1922, it had the largest bank vaults ever constructed.
8. Palmer House Hilton

The first Palmer House was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire (see 1871: Great Chicago Fire). The current grand hotel is the third version and is lavishly decorated with frescos, Tiffany light fixtures, and marble floors.
9. Daley Plaza

The location of the county court headquarters, Daley Plaza is best known for its giant steel unnamed Picasso sculpture (1967), donated by the artist. It was mocked when unveiled, but is now a city icon.
10. Four Seasons

Chagall’s glittering 70-ft (21-m) long, rectangular slab (1974) is covered in thousands of tiles that depict the cycle of the seasons.