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The greater Chicagoland area, "Chicagoland", shares much in common with other major metropolitan areas but also has a great number of features unique to its location, built environment, and history. The city evolved with a focal point of trade at its center and progressive rings of commerce, industry, residential and agricultural areas moving outward. This pattern, along with the eastern boundary at Lake Michigan, funneled the metropolitan area into a shape somewhat like a baseball field or a half-moon that angles inward. The city itself showcases phenomenal architecture and world-class museums, mainly in its downtown Loop area. Hyde Park and the University of Chicago, as well as Lincoln Park with its well-known zoo, also represent major attractions for the city. The suburban areas have a great deal to offer, some of which gets frequently overlooked. Evanston and the North Shore highlights are well-heralded, as is Oak Park's world-known architecture and the fauna and flaura of Brookfield Zoo and the Morton Arboretum, respectively. Less celebrated but well-worth a visit are the historical and commercial landmarks of the Northwest Suburbs, and the picturesque Americana of the South Suburbs. Great natural areas and charming smaller cities line Chicagoland's frontier, and beyond these other cultural centers in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana abound.

 



Chicagoland > Key Places to Visit


City of Chicago
View of the Loop from the Hancock Building
Downtown


The Gothic Architecture of the University of Chicago
Hyde Park
/ U. of Chicago



Lincoln Park


St. Mary's of the Lake Church in the Buena Park / Uptown Neighborhood
North / Far North Neighborhoods

The Garfield Park Conservatory hosts lush vegetation year-round
Garfield Park
Conservatory
           
Northern Suburbs A modernist clocktower welcomes students and visitors to Evanston's Northwestern University.
Evanston / Northwestern

Baha'i Temple
(Wilmette)

Lily pads adorn a pool at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe
Chicago Botanic
Garden (Glencoe)

The Martin Theater at Ravina Park dates back to the early 1900s.
Ravinia Music Festival
An engraving on a war memorial in the affluent college town of Lake Forest
Lake Forest

           
Northwest Suburbs The Sugar Bowl restaurant, an example of hometown style in the Northwest Suburbs
Des Plaines

The Yeohan shopping center in Arlington Heights offers several Japanese shops and restaurants as well as a supermarket.
Japanese Mall
(Arlington Heights)


Whimsical detailing of the vintage movie theater in Park Ridge
Park Ridge


The angular ceiling of the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, one of the nation's largest
Woodfield Mall (Schaumburg)
The Star-Spangled Banner waves high and proud in all-American Libertyville.
Libertyville and
Mundelein
           
Western Suburbs The villages of Oak Park and River Forest contain dozens of structures designed by superstar architect Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as many other architectural and historical treasures.
Oak Park and River Forest
A friendly resident of the celebrated Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield Zoo


A gracious, green 19th Century suburb, Riverside has many buildings dating from that time.
Riverside


Western Springs and Hinsdale are elegant Western Suburbs with many stately buildings.
Western Springs and Hinsdale
The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, long a cetner of conservation, recently completed a new visitor's center that has an appealing dialogue with its natural environment
Morton Arboretum (Lisle)
           
South Suburbs
Evergreen Park
Chicago Heights
Tinley Park Area
Frankfort
Lansing
           
Nearby Cities Detail from an impressive mansion in Joliet
Joliet and Lockport

Geneva and
St. Charles

St. James at Sag Bridge in Lemont evokes the stark beauty of frontier settlements along the Canal, once the primary connection between the Great Lakes and the Missippi River
St. James at Sag Bridge / Lemont

The docks at Waukegan are a major lakefront facility.
Waukegan



* * *
also:
Aurora, IL
Gary, Indiana

* * *

           
Day Trips in Nature
Illinois Beach State Park offers visitors rugged access to the lake shore.
Illinois Beach State Park

Sunsets at the Indiana Dunes shoreline are often gorgeous.
Indiana Dunes


The State Parks west of Chicagoland offer beautiful sites for tenting.
Starved Rock and Illini State Parks

Independence Grove Forest Preserve, one of the Lake County Forest Preserve District's finest facilities, near Libertyville.
Chicago Area
Forest Preserves
* * *
also:
Lake Geneva, WI

* * *
           
Beyond Chicagoland Wisconsin has many fascinating places to explore, including Milwaukee, the Door County Area, and Madison (pictured here).
Wisconsin

South Bend, Indiana, hosts Notre Dame University (pictured here) and has many vintage structures.
Notre Dame /
South Bend, IN

Southwestern Michigan offers many picturesque charms along the lake.
Eastern Shore of Lake Michigan

Galena, with its restored 19th-Century buildings and its Western feel, is quickly becoming a favorite destination for travelers.
Northwestern Illinois

* * *
also:
Central Illinois,
Including Springfield
and the Champaign / Urbana area
* * *


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