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Chicago Information and Chicago Tourism
(Chicago, IL, USA)



Chicago is one of the most important cities in America and is a top tourist destination. With many interesting attractions, historic landmarks, entertainment, sports, beaches and a number of vast parks and gardens, Chicago is located next to the beautiful Lake Michigan.

The city of Chicago is often referred to as the 'Queen of the Lake' and forms an impressive backdrop of skyscrapers that tower above the waterfront. There are numerous Chicago tourism and tourist information offices in and around downtown Chicago. These Chicago tourism and tourist information offices provide useful tourism and tourist information, such as information about tourist attractions, landmarks, restaurants, travel, maps and Chicago public transport.




Accommodation in Chicago can be a little expensive, but there are certainly a large number of hotels to choose from. There are also some excellent value hotel deals to be found, even in the heart of Chicago's central Loop District, particularly when you book in advance. Booking ahead is strongly recommended and at certain times of the year, in particular summer and Christmas, many of the Chicago hotels are filled to capacity. Weekend reservations are generally necessary several weeks in advance. Luxury hotels in Chicago are plentiful and budget lodging is also available is some areas, providing value hotel accommodation in Chicago.

Chicago is full of interesting and appealing tourist attractions and historical landmarks. Some of the top tourist attractions in Chicago include Chicago's famous Magnificent Mile - part of Michigan Avenue which has become a Mecca for shopping in Chicago with literally hundreds of shops, the Harold Washington Library - one of the largest library's in the world, Chicago's Hancock Observatory - with stunning views of the stars at night and spectacular panoramic views of downtown Chicago, Chicago's North Avenue Beach - where many tourists in Chicago go to swim, sunbathe and relax, the Chicago Sears Tower - built in 1973 and the world's tallest building until 1996, the Chicago Tribune Tower - one of the earliest skyscrapers, built in 1922, and the Chicago Navy Pier - an enormous pier constructed in 1914 for Chicago's shipping industry and now full of an enormous range of entertainment and attractions, covering over 50 acres. More information on Chicago Tourist Attractions and Chicago Landmarks.

There are also many excellent museums in Chicago, providing interesting information on the history of Chicago and many other exhibitions. Some of the major museums in Chicago include the Clarke House Museum - Chicago's oldest house built in 1836, the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry - one of the world's largest science museums, and the Chicago Historical Society Museum - featuring nostalgic exhibits and many interactive displays. There are numerous excellent Chicago art galleries as well, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, which is one of the top art galleries in Chicago and exhibits paintings from both famous and unknown artists, including impressionist and post-impressionist art by Monet, Van Gough, Renoir and other important artists.

Chicago has many sporting facilities, including numerous spectator sports. Home to several world-class sports teams, the most famous of which is the Chicago Bears, who regularly play American football at Chicago's Soldier Field. Many World Cup football sports matches are played in Chicago and American football in Chicago attracts a large following, with the season running from September to December.

There are a number of large parks and gardens in Chicago, such as Grant Park - covering over 300 acres, a popular place for both tourists and locals in Chicago, the splendid Chicago Botanic Gardens - one of the major tourist attractions in Chicago, attracting around one million visitors every year, Chicago's Jackson Park - a spectacular public park which opened in 1893, including a traditional Japanese garden, and Lincoln Park - more than 1,200 acres of parkland and landscaped gardens, providing excellent sports facilities in Chicago and home to the popular Lincoln Park zoo, one of the largest zoos in America.

Chicago has a fairly mild climate, although it can experience extremes in temperatures during the summer and winter. This spectacular city is one of America's most interesting and appealing city's to see and is worth a visit, whatever the time of year.

Chicago O'Hare ORD Airports Guide - useful Chicago O'Hare Airport (ORD) information.

Chicago Midway MDW Airports Guide - useful Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) information.

More Chicago Information / Fast Facts and Orientation

• Country: USA
• Location: Cook County, Illinois (IL)
• Status: city, county seat
• Area: 89 square miles / 230 square kilometers
• Population: 2.9 million
• Language: American English
• Currency: US Dollar (USD)
• Time zone: GMT - 6 hours Central Standard Time (daylight saving time is observed)
• Country dialing code: +1
• Telephone area code: 312 within the Loop; 773 outside the Loop
• Religion: various religions
• Electricity: 110 volts AC, 50 Hz - flat two-pin plugs or third round pin are used
• Average daily January temperature: 0ºC / 32ºF
• Average daily July temperature: 29ºC / 84ºF

 
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