Travel guide Chicago
Chicago : The best time to go
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Chicago : Practical information for travel
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Edition 2020/2021
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Chicago : What to see, what to do ?
Chicago : Where to go?
The most beautiful tourist sites
Chicago : Other nearby tourist attractions
5 km away
Chicago : Petit Futé's best addresses
Discover the most beautiful addresses selected by the authors of Petit Futé.
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Chicago : Featured articles
What to do and see in the Midwest, USA? The best tour
Published on 24/03/2025 Activities and experiences
What to do and see in the Midwest, USA? The best tour
What to do and see in the United States The 20 must-sees
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What to do and see in the United States The 20 must-sees
Preparing your road-trip along Route 66: our advice
Published on 20/11/2024 Activities and experiences
Preparing your road-trip along Route 66: our advice
Chicago : How do I travel?
How to go alone
There are direct flights to Chicago. Once you are here, it is very easy to be autonomous, as Chicago is easily accessible on foot or by public transportation. The locals are very welcoming and will not fail to guide you in your visits. The only thing you need to do in advance is to make hotel reservations in order to get the right rate.
How to go on a tour
If Chicago is a destination less known by the French, it tends to become more democratic. Some tour operators offer trips that often include the Great Lakes region and the cities of Minnesota. Thematic trips, focused on nature or architecture, can also be planned. Finally, Chicago is located on Route 66 and is therefore often included in this type of trip.
How to get around
Like New York or San Francisco, Chicago is very well served by public transportation. Do not neglect the distances from one neighborhood to another, the city is very large. It is worthwhile to take a weekly pass if you are staying for a long time, in order to reduce the cost of transportation and to save you money. The Loop, the central and iconic subway line, is worth taking at least once, for the buzzing experience!
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Chicago : Discover
Chicago is one of the most important cities in the USA, and has been almost since its foundation in 1833. Less than a century later, it was already home to three million inhabitants and had played a central role in the country's development, as had the Great Lakes region. Over the course of its history, Chicago has distinguished itself in the fields of industry, transportation and architecture, which it is said to be the capital of the world. The music scene has also seen a major turning point in Chicago, as it was here that blues became electric, leading to the emergence of new genres, notably rock. In the collective unconscious, Chicago obviously evokes the Mafia and Al Capone, and the reign of the underworld during Prohibition in the 1920s. The city, which has only elected Democratic mayors since 1931, claims to be progressive: the statue of Christopher Columbus was debunked in 2020.
Chicago : The 12 keywords
Architecture
Chicago has a very contrasting architecture, the city having become the architects' playground after the Great Fire of 1871. Frank Lloyd Wright, the main protagonist of the Prairie School movement and one of the most important American architects, subsequently worked there for almost twenty years.
Urban art
In addition to housing one of the country's most prestigious art museums, the Chicago Art Institute, the city has many urban works of art that brighten the sometimes cold streets of downtown. One can contemplate works by Picasso, Dubuffet, Chagall, Miro or Anish Kapoor with his famous Cloud Gate, the centerpiece of Millennium Park.
Blues
It was in Chicago that the blues really developed and became electric, after the phenomenon of the Great Migration of African-Americans to the north. The greatest bluesmen of all time have lived there, from Muddy Waters to Howlin' Wolf to Buddy Guy, who in fact opened his own club, Buddy Guy's Legends, in 1989.
Organized crime
For many, it's the first thing that comes to mind when they think of Chicago. It is true that the city was the scene of particularly violent clashes between criminal gangs during Prohibition in the 1920s. Al Capone, the terrible godfather of the Outfit, has in fact become the most famous mobster of all time!
Deep-dish pizza
If there's one specialty to be tasted during your stay, it's this one! The Chicago version of the pizza is quite different from its Italian cousin: it consists of a thick crust, lots of cheese, topping and tomato sauce, all baked in a pan. You can taste it at Lou Malnati's, Gino's East or Pizzeria Uno.
Diversity
Like many great American cities, Chicago is cosmopolitan and proud of its diversity. However, communities coexist but don't mix, with African-Americans and Latinos living in outlying neighborhoods to the south and west. A phenomenon of segregation and social fracture also found in Detroit.
Great Lakes
Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario form the world's largest group of freshwater lakes. Lovers of wide open spaces, deep forests and camping will be delighted. In Chicago, sandy beaches are colonized by hordes of Chicagoans, and to the north, you'll find deserted beaches or lakeside villages.
Skyscraper
Chicago was the birthplace of the world's first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building, which opened in 1885. Chicago is considered the cradle of modern architecture, which developed after the Great Fire of 1871 that destroyed a third of the city. Today, the Willis Tower is the high point of the skyline.
Midwest
Chicago is the heart and main city of the Midwest, a region that encompasses the states of Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio. The Midwest is centered around the Great Lakes, with the majority of its economy based on agricultural activity. Its inhabitants are known to be welcoming and friendly!
Museums
Chicago's museums are numerous and of excellent quality. The rich collections of the Art Institute, the Field Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Science and Industry or the Chicago History Museum will delight enthusiasts and the curious. In winter, when it's freezing cold, we spend even more time discovering them!
Sport
The locals are avid sports fans! Chicago boasts two great teams: the Bulls, Michael Jordan's legendary basketball team, and the Cubs, who won their last world baseball title in 2016 after a 108-year wait. In American football, the Bears won the Superbowl once, in 1986.
Theaters
There are over two hundred and fifty theaters in Chicago alone! The most mythical is the Chicago Theatre, built in 1921 in a French neo-baroque style. Some theatres have only a few dozen seats, while the largest can accommodate several thousand people. The experience is unique every time!
You are from here, if...
You may live in a city of 2.7 million people, but nothing can shake your sense of hospitality! You don't hesitate to make small talk with strangers in the elevator and to come to the rescue of lost tourists. After all, you're from the Midwest, so a sense of hospitality is a bit innate!
You're tolerant and open-minded, which doesn't stop you from having strong opinions and expressing them.
One of your favorite pastimes isgetting out and enjoying the thousand and one treasures your city has to offer.
You're capable of listing, off the top of your head and without being asked, the best hot dogs in town.
As long as the mercury doesn't drop below zero, you refuse to wear your winter coat, and as soon as the first rays of sunshine herald spring, you can be seen on the street in a t-shirt and flip-flops.
Finally, whatever the season, you proudly wear your Cubs cap!
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