Chicago Travel Guide

Chicago Culture

Chicago's culture scene is extraordinary - a scene that includes a world-class opera and symphony, plus great jazz, theater, dance, art and architecture.

To keep abreast, pick up a copy of the free weekly, The Reader (www.chireader.com) distributed on Thursdays. The city's dailies, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, have up-to-date cultural reviews and comments, particularly on Fridays. The best online information is at www.metromix.com, City Search at http://chicago.citysearch.com or the Things to See & Do section of the city's website (www.choosechicago.com).

Tickets can be purchased from individual box offices or from Ticketmaster (tel: (312) 902 1500 for the arts line). At Hot Tix booths, 72 East Randolph and 163 East Pearson (Water Works Visitors Center), half-priced tickets are available on the day of performance. Check the website (www.hottix.org) for daily availability listings. There is a fee of US$3-4 per ticket for processing, so cash is more desirable.

Music: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 220 South Michigan Avenue (tel: (312) 294 3000; www.cso.org), is internationally renowned. The symphony box office offers Rush Seating - discounted tickets to students and senior citizens (aged 64 and over) on the day of the performance at 1200 for matinees and 1700 for evening performances. The symphony's outdoor, summer home is Ravinia, 400 Iris Lane, Highland Park (tel: (847) 266 5100; www.ravinia.org).

Chicago's notable opera companies are the Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 North Wacker Drive (tel: (312) 332 2244; www.lyricopera.org) and the Chicago Opera Theater, 205 East Randolph (tel: (312) 704 8414; www.chicagooperatheater.org), which always performs in English.

Theater: The theater scene pulsates with everything from regional ensembles to elaborate productions. Productions can vary from classical to avant-garde. The Loop's revived theater district, which includes the Cadillac Palace, 151 West Randolph (tel: (312) 977 1700; www.broadwayinchicago.com), the Oriental, 24 West Randolph, (tel: (312) 977 1700; www.broadwayinchicago.com) and the LaSalle Bank Theater (formerly the Schubert) at 18 West Monroe Street (tel: (312) 902 1400; www.broadwayinchicago.com), host booming Broadway productions, while the Goodman Theater, 170 North Dearborn (tel: (312) 443 3800; www.goodman-theater.org) and the Steppenwolf, 1650 North Halsted, (tel: (312) 335 1650; www.steppenwolf.org) are renowned for their workings of the classics and contemporary productions. A creative approach to the bard's works is the focus of the Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier (tel: (312) 595 5600; www.chicagoshakes.com).

Besides the Loop, a multitude of theaters are scattered throughout the city, though many are located on the North Side around Halsted and Lincoln. In 1934, gangster John Dillinger was shot by the FBI in front of the Biograph Theater, 2433 North Lincoln Avenue. It is now home to the Victory Gardens Theater, an intimate 229-seat venue. The League of Chicago Theaters (tel: (312) 554 9800; www.chicagoplays.com) has a complete listing of current programs.

Dance: The city has several talented companies that perform regularly. Its top ballet company is the Joffrey Ballet Company of Chicago (tel: (312) 739 0120; www.joffrey.com). A daring mix of jazz with classical ballet and contemporary techniques is a specialty of the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (tel: (312) 850 9744 or 1 866 535 4732; www.hubbardstreetdance.com). Pure jazz is performed by Gus Giordano Jazz Dance of Chicago (tel: (847) 866 6779; www.giordanojazzdance.com/), founded in 1962 and based in the Evanston suburb. Ethnic dance troupes are an example of the city's diversity. For dances from the Emerald Isle, there is Trinity Academy of Irish Dance (tel: (773) 774 5961 or 1 877 326 2328; www.trinity-dancers.com), while Muntu Dance Theater of Chicago (tel: (773) 602 1135; www.muntu.com) teaches and performs traditional African rhythms and African-American style.

Film: Many of the mainstream cinemas, such as the AMC Loew's Cinema, 600 North Michigan Avenue (tel: (312) 255 9340; www.amctheaters.com), have several screens. Cheap, cheerful and sometimes rowdy typifies the Brew and View at the Vic cinema, 3145 North Sheffield Avenue (tel: (773) 929 6713; www.brewview.com), which screens late-night films, cult numbers and new releases. For a rich mix of the old and the new, there is the Music Box Theater, 3733 North Southport Avenue (tel: (773) 871 6604; www.musicboxtheater.com), a 1920s movie palace, which features independent films, foreign films, classics and silent films accompanied by a live organ. The Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 North State (tel: (312) 846 2600; www.siskelfilmcenter.org) specializes in unusual films, classics and film festivals. Moviefone (tel: (312) 444 3456; www.moviefone.com) is the principal source of information and also sells tickets to some cinemas (‘movie theaters').

Of the many films set or filmed in Chicago, some of the most famous are The Sting (1973), starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford; the classic John Belushi film, The Blues Brothers (1980); the Oscar-winning Ordinary People (1980); Risky Business (1983), the film that launched Tom Cruise; the cult comedy classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986); the John Candy, Steve Martin film, Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987); Home Alone and Back Draft (1990), Hoop Dreams, a documentary about inner-city kids becoming basketball stars (1994); the Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day (1993), the 1930s gangster dramas, The Untouchables (1987), High Fidelity and Return to Me (1999), The Road to Perdition (2002) with Tom Hanks and Paul Newman, Barbershop (2002), Barbershop 2 (2003) and Amityville Horror (2004). Proof (2005), starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins, the story of a devoted daughter coming to terms with the death of her father, a brilliant mathematician crippled by insanity. The Break Up (2006) with Jennifer Anniston, and Beau Jeste (2007), the hilarious story of young woman who falls in love with a man who is unacceptable to her parents, were also shot in Chicago. The 2002 production of the musical Chicago, starring Renée Zellweger and Richard Gere, was actually filmed in Toronto. Scenes from the late Heath Ledger's last film, Dark Knight (2008) were also filmed here.

Literary Notes: The poet Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) was part of the heady Chicago Renaissance in the first two decades of the 1900s. In his poem, Chicago (1916), he coined the phrase ‘City of the Big Shoulders'. Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) wrote about the horrors of the meatpacking world of Union Stockyards and the Jewish-Lithuanian ghetto in The Jungle (1903). The book was the catalyst for the changing of food laws in America.

Chicago's most famous writers are probably Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), born in the Oak Park suburb (see Excursions), and Saul Bellow (1915-2005), who was born in Quebec but raised in Chicago. Bellow portrayed the post-modern city in many guises, including Pulitzer-Prize-winning Humboldt's Gift (1975) and The Dean's December (1982).

The dangerous, frenzied and unscrupulous underside of the Board of Trade was the subject of The Pit (1903), by Frank Norris (1870-1902). James T Farrell (1904-1979) was born in Chicago. His best-known work is the trilogy, Studs Lonigan (1932-1935), depicting the ethnic turmoil of the South Side slums. The clash of races in the slums was also the subject of Richard Wright's (1908-1960) Native Son (1940). Detroit-born Nelson Algren (1909-1981), as part of the Chicago school of realism, continued the unadorned style associated with the city's portrayal in several of his novels, including The Man with the Golden Arm (1949), a novel about drug addiction, often regarded as his best work. Defending the Damned (2007) by Kevin Davis is about the murder task force of Chicago's public defender's office.

Theater has also made its mark in this city, particularly with American Buffalo (1976), by David Mamet (b 1947), the Chicago-born playwright and film director. With Chicago's gangster tradition, it is fitting that he also wrote the screenplay for The Untouchables (1987). It is also appropriate that two writers have based their detective novels in the city. Sara Paretsky's ‘VI Warshawski' stories and Andrew Greeley's ‘Monsignor Ryan' tales feature Chicago as a major location or, one could even say, character.

Chicago Tours

See Chicago by boat, train, coach, bicycle and antique carriage. Many excursions are slanted toward a special interest, such as architecture. Some are themed, like culinary and gangster tours. Full listings are available from hotel concierges and from the city's website (www.cityofchicago.org or www.choosechicago.com).

Walking Tours
The city is known for its architecture and there is no better way to learn about the city's structural designs than by taking one of the many tours that the Chicago Architectural Foundation offers. Tours, which are on foot, by bus and on the water, include historic and modern skyscrapers as well as Frank Lloyd Wright homes. Except for the water tours, most begin at 224 South Michigan Avenue (tel: (312) 922 3432; www.architecture.org).

Chicago Greeters
Considered a ‘themed visit' rather than a tour, Chicago Greeters will escort small groups (up to six) to attractions, neighborhoods, explore insider's favorite haunts, visit specific points of interest, or even take them shopping. Greeters are residents who know and love the city. Advance reservations are necessary for this free service of the Chicago Office of Tourism. (tel: 1.877 244 2246; www.chicagogreeter.com).

Millennium Park Greeter Service, a branch of Chicago Greeters, will escort groups of 10 or fewer on a free 45-minute tour to explain the park's architecture, development and environment. Daily tours are available at 1130 and 1300, on a first-come, first-served basis from late May through October. InstaGreeters explores downtown and North Michigan Avenue with groups of six or less. Service is also on a first-come, first-served basis and departs from the InstaGreeter booth at the Visitor Information Center at 77 East Randolph Street.

Chicago Neighborhood Tours
Explore the city's cultural diversity on a Chicago Neighborhood Tour. Tours include ethnic neighborhoods like Chinatown, Little Italy, Greektown, Bronzeville and Devon Avenue, as well as specialty excursions like 'The Great Chicago Fire' and the Pullman neighborhood (the first industrial community). Schedules are sporadic and reservations are necessary. Departure is from the Chicago Cultural Center (tel: (312) 742 1190; www.chicagoneighborhoodtours.com).

Loop Tour Train
A unique way to learn about the city's architecture is via the Loop Tour Train. The tour, aboard the CTA ‘L' train, circles the Loop three times, while a Chicago Architecture Foundation docent explains the beauty of the façades and windows that are hidden amid the caverns of the city. These free Saturday tours, which operate from May-Sep, originate at the Chicago Cultural Center on a first-come, first-served basis. Trains leave from the Randolph and Wabash CTA ‘L' station. (tel: 1 877 244 2246/CHICAGO; www.architecture.org). Please note: This tour will be on hiatus for the 2008-2009 season but will resume later.

Water Tours
One of the best ways to appreciate the beauty of the city as well as learn about it is from the water. Such excursions operate May-early Nov, but it is best to check with the individual sightseeing company for schedules and costs. Tours offered by the Chicago Architectural Foundation (tel: (312) 922 3432; www.architecture.org) give a pylon prospective of Chicago's great structures, as does Chicago's First Lady (tel: (847) 358 1330; www.cruisechicago.com). Chicago Line Cruises (tel: (312) 527 1977; www.chicagoline.com) also runs both history and architectural trips. Other water cruises include Wendella boats (tel: (312) 337 1446; www.wendellaboats.com), which depart from below the Wrigley Building and cruise the Chicago River, andMercury (tel: (312) 332 1353; www.mercuryskylinecruiseline.com), which offers a 90-minute lake and river cruise.

Boats departing from Navy Pier run the gamut from schooners to yachts and those that include meals and cocktails. Enjoy the Odyssey (tel: 1 866 305 2469; www.odysseycruises.com) or Spirit of Chicago (tel: (312) 836 7899 or 1 866 273 2769; www.spiritcitycruises.com). Windy I or Windy II set sail around Lake Michigan (tel: (312) 595 5555; www.tallshipwindy.com).

Paddle a kayak down the Chicago River with Wateriders (tel: (312) 953 9287; www.wateriders.com) and explore history, architecture or gangster history.

Bus Tours
There are plenty of road-based options for touring the city. Gray Line Tours (tel: (312) 251 3100 or 1 800 966 8125; www.grayline.com) runs a variety of city excursions including ‘North' and ‘South' side city tours, which cover all the major sights in those parts of the city. Buses leave from 55 East Monroe Street. The Chicago Double Decker Co. (tel: (773) 648 5000; www.chicagotrolley.com), based at the Willis Tower, offers double-decker service, using London-style double-decker buses to tour 21km (13 miles) of Chicago's main sights. A hop-on hop-off service (explore a site and catch another bus to resume the tour) stops at a number of points, including Navy Pier, Willis Tower, the Art Institute and Field Museum.

Other Tours
The Untouchables Gangster Tour (tel: (773) 881 1195; www.gangstertour.com) takes a step back to the days of prohibition. It traces the paths of some of the city's most infamous 1920s and 1930s residents, like Al Capone and John Dillinger. Wisecracking guides relate gangster lore on the way to famous hoodlum haunts like Little Italy and the St Valentine's Massacre. All tours depart from 600 North Clark Street, and reservations are necessary.

Chicago Hauntings (tel: 1 888 446 7891; www.chicagohauntings.com) visits paranormal and supernatural locations around the city. A 2-hour 45-minute bus ride explores such haunts as the Biograph Theater, Graceland Cemetery, and the site of the Fort Dearborn massacre. Reservations are necessary.

Roll through Grant Park to the Museum Campus via a narrated, three-hour, motorized, three-wheeled scooter tour. Before the tour gets underway there is a 40-minute training session on how to use the vehicles. It's one of those things that you can say, been there, done that (tel: (312) 819 0816 or 1 877 734 8687; www.citysegwaytours.com/chicago).

Get a real taste of the city while learning about history and architecture. Chicago Food Planet's(tel: 1 800 979 3370; www.chicagofoodplanet.com) seasonal walking tour and tastings include visits to a pizzeria, Jewish deli, tea merchant, chocolate lounge, fudge specialty shop and bakery. The tours are seasonal and begin in April.

Sports Activities

Sport

Chicago has professional teams in all the major American sports. There are two baseball teams – the Chicago Cubs (www.cubs.mlb.com), who play at the Wrigley Field (tel: (800) THE CUBS or 843 2827), and the Chicago White Sox (tel: (312) 831 1SOX or 1769); www.whitesox.mlb.com), who play at US Cellular Field (formerly Comisky Park). During the season (April-September), a unique experience is attending a Cub game at the ivy-clad Wrigley Field and singing the traditional Take me out to the Ball Game during the seventh inning.

The NFL Chicago Bears (tel: (847) 295 6600; www.chicagobears.com), whose season runs from early September to the end of December, play at Soldier Field. The stadium looks quite strange from the outside, but state-of-the-art improvements have made the inside quite the athletic field. The Chicago Fire (tel: (888) 657 3473; www.chicago-fire.com) soccer team is also based there.

Because of former basketball player, Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls (www.nba.com/bulls) is perhaps the most internationally known of the Chicago teams. They play their games at the United Center (1901 W Madison; tel: (312) 455 4000). The neighborhood is not all that safe, so be careful in and around the center.

The United Center is also home to the NHL ice hockey team, the Chicago Blackhawks (tel: (312) 943 7000; www.chicagoblackhawks.com), while the Chicago Wolves (tel: (800) THE WOLVES or 843 9658 or (847) 724 4625; www.chicagowolves.com) the IHL ice hockey team, play at Allstate Arena, located in Rosemont near O'Hare Airport at 10550 Lunt Avenue.

The best place for purchasing tickets to sporting events, other than the venue itself, is Ticketmaster (tel: (312) 559 1212; www.ticketmaster.com). Tickets for Bears and Cubs games are often sold out but are available from a broker for a hefty fee.

Biking: The Lakefront Trail has 29km (18 miles) of cycling paths, the area between Monroe Street and Wacker Drive being the most scenic. Keep in mind that walkers, joggers and in-line skaters also use these paths, so they often get very crowded during rush hours and weekends. Many of the city streets have bike lanes, but visitors should take extreme caution should they decide to use them because drivers often use them as car lanes. For biking information, contact The Chicago Park District (tel: (312) 742 BIKE or 2453), Millennium Park (tel: (888) BIKE WAY or 245 3929), or the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (tel: (312) 427 3325; www.chibikefed.org). To obtain a Chicago Bike Map, telephone (312) 742 2453 or e-mail: cdotbikemaps@cityofchicago.org.

Bike Chicago, at the Navy Pier (tel: (312) 595 9600 or (800) 915 BIKE or 2453; www.bikechicago.com), Millennium Park (tel: (888) BIKE WAY or 245 3929) or at North Avenue Beach (tel: (773) 327 2706) has a good range of bicycles and blades for hire from 30 April to 31 October. Rates vary between US$9.95 (minimum four days) to US$40 per day, including helmet, lock and map. Cycling tours are also available at Bike Chicago. They will guide you through Lincoln Park, Grant Park and Chinatown. From late May through early September they offer free tours of the lakefront and the Japanese Garden.

Fitness Centers: Though most fitness clubs are for members only (although guests are welcome when accompanied by a member), many hotels have their own facilities or associate membership arrangements with nearby gyms. For US$15, a fitness facility day pass is available at any one of the city's YMCAs, (tel: 312.932.1200; www.ymcachgo.org) or download a free pass at: www.ymcachgo.org/images/ymca/sites/ymcachgo/guestpass.pdf

Golf: There are several nine-hole and 18-hole public golf courses scattered around the metropolitan area. Some of the courses that are operated by the Chicago Park District (tel: (312) 245 0909; www.cpdgolf.com) include Robert Black on the north side, 2045 West Pratt Boulevard (tel: (312) 742 7931) Jackson Park on the south side, 63rd Street and Lakeshore Drive (tel: (773) 667 0524) and west at Columbus Park, 5701 West Jackson Boulevard (tel: (312) 746 5573).

The Forest Preserve District of Cook County (tel: (800) 460 0010; www.fpdcc.com) also has several courses, including Edgebrook, 5900 North Central Chicago (tel: (773) 763 8320) and Indian Boundary, 8600 Forest Preserve Drive (tel: (773) 625 9630). Harborside International Port & Starboard Courses, 11001 South Doty Avenue (tel: (312) 782 7837; www.harborsidegolf.com), has two courses. Prices vary from about $US13.60-28 (nine holes) and US$22-92 depending on the course, the day of the week and the season.

Ice Skating: November to March, depending on the weather, Chicago Park District offers several outdoor ice skating venues (tel; (312) 742 7529; www.chicagoparkdistrict.com). The primo one is Millennium Park, 55 North Michigan Avenue (tel: (312) 742 1168; www.millenniumpark.org). It is free. Available skate rentals are US$7.

Swimming: Lake Michigan's 31 beaches are maintained by the Chicago Park District (tel: (312) 742 7529; www.chicagoparkdistrict.com). The beaches are opened from Memorial Day (the last weekend in May) to Labor Day (the first weekend in September). Lifeguards are on duty 0900-2100. Many hotels have indoor pools as well as health clubs.

Tennis: The Chicago Park District (see above) also maintains outdoor tennis courts throughout the city. Most are free. Public school outdoor courts are also available after school hours. There are 12 lighted courts at the Daley Bicentennial Plaza, 337 East Randolph Street (tel: (312) 742 7648), but they must reserved at least 24 hours in advance. US$7 per hour per person. Most indoor clubs are private.