The third most populous and second most financially important American metropolis, Chicago is located in the southwest of Lake Michigan at the confluence of the Chicago River. Americans call it the City of Winds, and the picturesque parks that stretch along the embankments of Chicago are perhaps the most important local attractions. In Chicago, the business quarters of modern skyscrapers and old city quarters are surprisingly harmoniously combined with buildings from the century before last.
On the shore of Michigan
One of the Great Lakes, Michigan is a huge freshwater body of water that supplies the city and surrounding areas. The Chicago Lakefront Trail with the most famous city parks stretches along the coast of Michigan:
- Grant Park has appeared on the map of Chicago since the city's founding. It hosts concert venues and sports facilities, as well as art and photo exhibitions. The park houses the Art Institute of Chicago and the Campus Museum.
- Millennium Park is part of the Grant Park territory, but it is a separate recreational area. It was broken not so long ago: its grand opening took place in 2004. It is in Millennium Park on the Chicago waterfront that the modern city celebrity - the Cloud Gate - is located. A public sculpture by Briton Anish Kapoor is a polished structure shaped like a giant bean.
- Maggie Daly's Waterfront Park in Chicago has recently been transformed into a modern entertainment area with the latest rides. In winter, a huge skating rink is flooded here, and in summer you can go rock climbing and play tennis. Picnic areas are made for fans of breakfast in the open air, and for young visitors there is the "Enchanted Forest".
At sea and in space
At the southern end of Grant Park are two popular Chicago attractions - Shedd's Aquarium and Adler Planetarium. It is always crowded here, because both objects are champions among their own kind.
The aquarium features over 25 thousand species of marine animals and fish. It was the world's first land-based saltwater aquarium. The Adler Planetarium, which opened in 1930, has also been unmatched in the Western Hemisphere for decades. For details on the Chicago Waterfront Aquarium and Planetarium operation, opening hours and ticket prices, visit www.sheddaquarium.org and www.adlerplanetarium.org respectively.
