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About Chicago Restaurants Museums Attractions Shopping Architecture Facts |
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Visitors from around the world come to Chicago, the birthplace of the modern building, to admire its architectural marvels. From historic landmark buildings to contemporary technological masterpieces, Chicago is built of the unique and innovative designs that have shaped American architecture. The city is a living museum of architecture thanks to the work of such greats as Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Helmut Jahn and hundreds of others.Chicago is home to the world's first skyscraper designed by William Le Baron Jenney in 1885. Although the Home Insurance Building no longer stands, today Chicago is also home to three of the world's 10 tallest buildings including the Sears Tower, which opened in 1974. Other city landmark buildings include the Chicago Cultural Center- completed in 1897 in the Beaux Arts style, Adler and Sullivan's 1889 Auditorium Building, and the Art Deco era Chicago Board of Trade Building, designed by Holabird and Root in 1929. To learn more about Chicago's acclaimed architecture, the Chicago Architecture Foundation offers more than 50 walking or bus tours, conducted by knowledgeable guides. If you'd rather sightsee by boat, an architectural boat cruise on the Chicago River shows bridge houses and Loop skyscrapers from a wonderful vantagepoint. If you prefer a self-guided tour, "Audio Architecture," a taped walking tour of the Chicago Loop, is available for rental from the Chicago Office of Tourism at the Chicago Cultural Center. Chicago truly is the great American City....from stunning architecture and world-famous museums to lakefront parks and vibrant ethnic neighborhoods, Chicago offers a range of attractions that keep visitors coming back again and again! |