Discover Chicago

Chicago combines striking cityscapes, architectural history, special green spaces and experiences by the water. Anyone looking for a vacation rental in Chicago can therefore plan their trip around very different interests: one day might take you to the Riverwalk and on an architecture cruise, while another could lead to historic Pullman or the tropical exhibition houses of the Lincoln Park Conservatory.

Chicago by the river and as a city of architecture

A section of the Chicago Riverwalk connects with the Lakefront Trail and includes docking points for river cruises. This makes it possible to combine a walk with a view of another side of the city. The Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise aboard the First Lady lasts 90 minutes and is led by trained volunteer docents. During the cruise, the focus is on Chicago’s buildings. This experience may be particularly interesting for you if you would like to learn about the city’s history not only on land, but also from the water.

The Chicago City Model Experience offers a different way to get oriented. It is a detailed three-dimensional city model brought to life with special effects and a short film. The model turns an understanding of Chicago’s spatial layout into an experience in its own right and complements visits to individual buildings or neighborhoods with a more comprehensive view of the city.

Pullman: industrial history and a planned city

Pullman is a planned industrial community known for its urban planning and architecture. The historic row houses in the Pullman neighborhood are connected with the history of industry, urban planning and labor. Anyone interested in the development of working and living environments will find a thematic focus here that clearly differs from the modern cityscapes along the river.

Pullman National Historical Park offers guided tours every day at 1 p.m. starting from the visitor center. This fixed time can be taken into account when planning your day. This allows you to deliberately incorporate the visit into a stay centered on historical connections and Pullman’s distinctive structure.

Tropical experience and historic greenhouses

The Lincoln Park Conservatory offers visitors a tropical experience in four exhibition houses: Palm House, Fern Room, Orchid House and Show House. The four areas give the visit a clear internal structure and offer different perspectives on the world of plants. The Conservatory was built in several construction phases between 1890 and 1895. This gives the site a special combination of a nature experience and architectural history.

The Loop and iconic city images

Millennium Park is located in the heart of Chicago’s Loop neighborhood. Cloud Gate, also known as The Bean, is located there. The sculpture by Anish Kapoor is the first outdoor sculpture in the United States. Millennium Park and Cloud Gate are therefore among the places where a stay in Chicago can be combined with a clear, recognizable city icon.

Choose the right accommodation for your travel plans

When looking for accommodation in Chicago, it is worth deciding on your preferred focus first. Architecture and river experiences, Pullman’s history, the tropical Conservatory or the places in the Loop represent different ways of discovering the city. This makes the choice of accommodation part of travel planning that takes into account not only where you stay overnight, but also the experiences you want to have in Chicago.

Other destinations that you can discover at this level are Evanston, Hoffman Estates, Skokie, Glenview, Wheeling, Oak Forest, Homewood and Hillside.

For the overarching travel overview: Cook.