Location: Magnificent Mile
Top Things to do in Magnificent Mile
The 10 Best Sights & Landmarks in Magnificent Mile, Illinois (IL)
The windy city is a cornucopia of modern art, fine dining, cutting edge comedy, and die-hard sports fans. Snap a photo of your reflection in the silver Cloud Gate sculpture at Millennium Park before heading to Grant Park to get hit with the refreshing spray of Buckingham Fountain. There are dozens of museums and theater companies in Chicago, so a cultural experience is never hard to find. You’re sure to laugh your head off at the Second City Theater, the professional launch pad of many famous comedians.
Restaurants in Chicago
1. Lucent
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Lucent is the mesmerizing and mind-boggling sculpture that hangs in the lobby of Chicago's John Hancock Building, which is located at 875 North Michigan Avenue. It is a wonder to behold. And it certainly lives up to its name. Lucent is derived from the Latin word "lucere," meaning "to shine." Made of 3,115 lights, the number of visible stars in the Northern Hemisphere, the 13-foot artwork depicts a scale map of the stars that shine in the night sky. The sculpture, created by English artist Wolfgang Buttress with the assistance of astrophysicist Dr. Daniel Bayliss of the Australian National University, contains thousands of glass bulbs, all fed light through blue illuminating fiber-optic lines. It represents a 3D map of all the stars in the Northern Hemisphere that are visible with the naked eye. According to Buttress, who also created the award-winning UK Pavilion at Milan Expo 2015 in Italy, this cosmic-inspired sculpture aims to express "the idea of looking up and sensing wonder." All of the piece's glass bulbs were hand blown by artists at a Chicago glass studio. Each one of the 3,115 bulbs is amplified even more against a mirrored ceiling above and a reflecting pool below. The end result is a glorious piece of artwork that seems to go on forever with light looking from sky to ground over and over again. You've never seen anything like it.
2. Tribune Tower
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 626 reviews
The neo-gothic tower's signature is the exterior collection of stones from other famous edifices, like the Parthenon, St. Peter's Basilica, Notre Dame, the White House and most recently, the Berlin Wall.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
As a retired newspaperman who worked for the competitor across the street for more than 30 years, I can't get over the fact that the publishing, editorial and advertising offices of the Chicago Tribune no longer are housed in iconic Tribune Tower. It's like taking Mickey Mouse out of Disneyland or Babe Ruth out of Yankee Stadium. Located at 435 North Michigan Avenue, the 470-foot-tall, 36-floor neo-Gothic skyscraper was built between 1923 and 1925. The tower features carved images of Robin Hood and a howling dog near the main entrance to commemorate the architects John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood and the top of the tower is designed after the Tour de beurre of the Rouen Cathedral in France. While it has been recognized for its classic architecture and has earned a reputation as the most beautiful and distinctive office building in the world, it is most noted for the rocks and bricks that Tribune correspondents brought back from a variety of historically important sites throughout the world at the request of then Tribune publisher Colonel Robert McCormick to be incorporated into the lowest levels of the building. In all, there are 149 fragments in the building, including a piece of steel recovered from the World Trade Center and a rock from the Moon. In addition, there are stones from the Taj Mahal, the Parthenon, Hagia Sophia, Corregidor, Westminster, the Alamo, the Great Pyramid, Notre Dame de Paris, Abraham Lincoln's tomb, the Great Wall of China and Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Today, Tribune Tower is being converted into condominiums with work expected to be completed by 2020.
3. The Magnificent Mile
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15,639 reviews
The Magnificent Mile is one of the great avenues of the world and is at the center of all that makes Chicago an international destination. One of the top 10 hospitality, dining and retail destinations in the world, with endless shopping, international cuisine, top rated hotels, lively entertainment, majestic architecture and natural beauty at every turn, The Magnificent Mile offers visitors to Chicago a one-of-a-kind city experience. The Magnificent Mile is the 13-block stretch of North Michigan Avenue that runs from the banks of the Chicago River to the south, to Oak Street to the north. The Magnificent Mile district extends a full square mile from North Michigan Avenue. The Magnificent Mile is a spectacular showcase of style, flavor, entertainment and fun. With more than 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 60 hotels and unique entertainments and attractions packed and stacked along its length, The Magnificent Mile has an indulgence for every passion and every pocket.
Reviewed By christiano242
The Magnificent Mlle is certainly magnificent with the high end stores and other shops along with the historic and new architecture for which Chicago is so justly proud. Just walking along the Mile, one can hear languages from many countries. Each season the street is decorated with theme-based decorations. Along with shopping I enjoy people watching.
4. Wrigley Building
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 303 reviews
This white, terra-cotta landmark was built in 1922 as headquarters for the Wrigley chewing gum company.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
My wife and I have fond memories of the Wrigley Building. As a sportswriter for the Chicago Daily News in the 1970s, I once joined a platoon of other sportswriters that gathered at Philip Wrigley's top-floor office to learn about a reported Chicago Cubs trade. My wife worked in an office in the Wrigley Building for more than 20 years. I used to get monthly haircuts in the Wrigley Building's barber shop. We used to enjoy breakfasts, lunches and dinners at the old Press Club, which was headquartered in the Wrigley Building. And I cashed my weekly checks at the bank that once was housed on the first floor of the Wrigley Building's South Tower. Today, it remains a Chicago Landmark, an architectural beauty, one of the city's most distinguished buildings. Located at 410 North Michigan Avenue, on the Chicago River, at the head of the Magnificent Mile, the Wrigley Building was built from 1920 to 1924 to house the corporate headquarters of the Wrigley Company, which sold chewing gum and owned the Chicago Cubs. It was the first major office building north of the Chicago River and the city's first air-conditioned office building. The glazed terra cotta structure was designed by the architechural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White using the shape of the Giralda tower of Seville's Cathedral combined with French Renaissance details. The 425-foot, 30-story South Tower was completed in April 1921 and the 21-story North Tower was completed in May 1924. Walkways between the towers were added at the ground level and the third floor. In 1931, another walkway was added at the 14th floor. A signature feature is the clock tower. Who hasn't walked across the Michigan Avenue Bridge or along the Chicago River and glanced up at the Wrigley Building's clock tower to check the time of day? Today, the bank is gone. So is the Press Club. And the barber shop. But the new owners, who purchased the building in 2011, have added a Walgreen's drug store, Giardelli chocolate shop, coffee shop, fitness center and a nursing room for mothers. At night, bathed in lights, the grace and elegance of the Wrigley Building is beholden to one and all.
5. 360 Chicago Observation Deck
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10,847 reviews
Located on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center, 360 CHICAGO offers breathtaking views of Chicago’s skyline, the lakefront, and four states. It’s the only place you can enjoy Chicago’s highest thrill ride, TILT – a giant moving platform that literally TILTs visitors over the edge of the building. Relax at BAR 94 with local favorites, a large cocktail selection, and front-row seating to the city’s best views from 1,000 feet up. Explore HD interactive touch screens in seven languages and learn more about the Windy City. If you really want to experience Chicago, make your first stop 360 CHICAGO.
Reviewed By Mobile750626
I visit the observation deck last week and I have to say it was incredible!, I was there when the sun goes down and the view everywhere you look at was simply amazing, and the tilt experience is also highly recommended!!!
6. Fourth Presbyterian Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 227 reviews
Reviewed By The_Loup_Garou - Phoenix, United States
I first noticed the Fourth Presbyterian Church, when we first stayed at the Westin Hotel, on a previous trip. I could not help but notice it from the Westin Executive Lounge, as one can look down upon it, though many of the lounge’s windows. It is an imposing structure, and dominates a full city block, at the corner of N Michigan Ave and E Delaware Place, directly across from the John Hancock Building, at 875 N Michigan Ave. It was after coffee in that lounge, that I decided to re-visit this magnificent church. I had done a self-guided tour, and was back to do another one, while my wife was in meetings near-by. I walked over to the church, and explored the chapel, and the courtyard, on a cool, damp March day. Much of the church’s structure dates from the early 1900's (though the congregation goes back to the 1870's), in a Gothic Revival style, borrowing on some of the aesthetic aspects of older cathedrals, in Europe, such as Notre Dame, and the Cologne Cathedral. The Gothic Revival elements are everywhere, and quickly establish the visual theme of the building, and from all sides. The exterior deserves a complete walk-around, and will present itself in a different way, with the changing light. Besides the imposing main structure, and also fronting N Michigan Ave, there is a serene courtyard, attaching several administrative buildings. I spent some time in that lovely courtyard, and while those out-buildings are not as grand as the cathedral, itself, they are well-worth the time to study. Again, the chapel was open for viewing, and I took this opportunity to photograph some of the interior, open to the public. Besides its architectural beauty, it is a great place to just relax, and reflect, before heading back out to N Michigan Ave - the Magnificent Mile - for shopping, or more exploring. A gorgeous, and historic (second oldest building on Michigan Ave, after the Water Tower) building, well worth seeing, and spending time both admiring and touring. I probably spent 2 hours on this day, including the walk-around of the entire exterior.
7. John Hancock Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 49 reviews
Reviewed By Keenomanjaro - Croydon, United Kingdom
We visited the John Hancock Centre in the evening to see Chicago by night, and took the elevator to the 95th floor where you can enjoy the views from comfortable window-side seats for the price of a drink. Sure, the drinks aren't exactly cheap, but this is a much more budget friendly option than the $22 observation deck or indeed anything at the Willis Tower. Service was friendly and prompt, the drinks selection was pretty good and we had no problem securing a window seat, albeit on the 'wrong' side for views of The Loop, instead getting good views up Lake Shore Drive. If you're planning on visiting at night, be aware that there is nothing to see in the direction of the Lake - just darkness - so make sure you head left or right from the elevator, as the seats straight ahead only look out to the lake. This was a great way to get a good value night time view having already experienced the day time view from the Willis Tower.
8. Pioneer Court
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By 490irinag - Illinois, United States
The location of Pioneer Court can't be beat - it is a central plaza between N Michigan Avenue, Tribune Tower, Equitable Life Assurance of America Building (a skyscraper at 401 N Michigan Ave), a new Apple Store (opened in 2017) and Michigan Ave Bridge. Pioneer Court is not that large, but now it's decorated for holidays, plus it opens to some fantastic views of major central landmarks and attraction sites of the city, including Tribune Tower, Wrigley Building, Chicago River, and London Guarantee Building across Michigan Avenue Bridge. Great place.
9. City Gallery
10. Historic Water Tower
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 221 reviews
Reviewed By The_Loup_Garou - Phoenix, United States
I first encountered the Water Tower, on N Michigan Ave (Magnificent Mile), when we first stayed at the near-by Ritz Carlton. That was about 25-30 years ago. On this September trip, we were staying near-by, but at the Westin, a block, or so away. The Water Tower is really two buildings, on either side of N Michigan Ave, the Water Tower itself, with a small art gallery, and then the Chicago Avenue Pumping Station, much of which is now a Department of Tourism office, a small theater, the Looking Glass Theater Company. For me, the architecture is the primary draw, and it always has been, however, there is much history associated with the Water Tower - the second oldest remaining such tower in the USA. Even in the dull light of a cloudy September day, the structure is beautiful, reaching into the sky 185'. As much of this area has been rebuilt, with much more modern structures, the Water Tower is a throwback - a throwback to 1869. Visually, it almost seems out of place, but then maybe it’s the newer, much more modern structures, which are themselves, out of place? One positive effect that I encountered on this day, was that the light was soft, as too often, these two structures have some hard shadows cast upon them, by the taller, surrounding buildings. Besides walking around each of the buildings, I also got to gaze upon the Tower Building, from the restaurant, a few floor up in the Park Hyatt hotel - a view that I had never taken in before. I spent probably an hour and a half between both buildings, and would recommend that one budget at least an hour, to take both structures in, to their fullest.
