With coal from Pennsylvania, iron and
lumber from Michigan and Wisconsin; Chicago became the
nation's central point for shipping. The Mississippi
River connected Chicago with the states to the South. The
Great Lakes connected it to the Atlantic Seaboard and the
Northeast. Railroads expanded its presence in the West.
Ingredients that fueled Chicago's growth and economy.
Job opportunities flourished and the
Chicago harbor became the entrance point for massive
numbers of European immigrants who settled here between
1850-1900. Immigrants from Poland were the largest
ethnic community, followed by Germans and Italians.
Eighty percent of Chicago's residents were immigrants
during this era. Ethnic communities were common across
the city. Even the Great Fire of 1871 could not deter Chicago from its
destiny as a leading commercial center. The tenacity of
its people quickly rebuilt Chicago and the Windy City
survived. A testament to the spirit of these immigrants
who helped shape America. 
A center for meat packing during the
early 20th century, Chicago was filled with huge
stockyards as shown in this historic 1947 photo to the right. Today Chicago has went from
herding cattle to herding
commodities. A center for finance and manufacturing with three of the ten tallest
buildings in the U.S. Including the nation's tallest ie.
the Sears Tower @ 1,454 feet, followed by
the Amoco building at 1,136 feet, and John Hancock
building @ 1,127 feet.
Chicago's most popular attractions are
all located on its lakefront within walking distance of each other in Grant Park. The Field Museum
of Natural Science, Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, and country's
first planetarium (the Alder Planetarium) are within a half mile of each other. The Field
Museum contains one of the largest anthropological
collections in the world. Containing an extensive
collection of prehistoric dinosaur fossils including a
complete T. rex skeleton. It is one of a handful of
museums with over 20 Egyptian mummies, reconstructed
pyramids, and organized exhibits that span the millennia
of the pharaohs.
IL, Chicago, Grant Park, with some of Chicago's most famous historic sites marked
Chicago's Shedd Aquarium has the
largest indoor aquarium in the world. Revolutionizing the
concept of habitat recreations which placed fish in
backgrounds that are similar to their natural
environments. The Shedd Aquarium contains over 8,000 fish
in these creative exhibits. A giant saltwater tank which
opened in 1990 houses several Beluga whales which are the
newest residents to the aquarium. The adjoining Alder
Planetarium has three floors of space and astronomy
exhibits. There are three-dimensional models of the
planets, Milky Way Galaxy, and interactive displays that
explore the solar system. The Field Museum, Shedd
Aquarium, and Alder Planetarium make an impressive array
of attractions encompassing land, sea, and air.
IL, Chicago, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, and Soldier Field
Six miles south on Lake Shore Drive is
the Museum of Science and Industry with its
displays of advanced computer technology, the Apollo 8
spacecraft, coal mine, Omnimax Theatre, and captured
World War II U-505 German submarine. The U-505 sank eight
Allied ships before finally being captured in 1944. The
Omnimax Theator seats 350 people in its futuristic five
story dome that surrounds you with lifelike 3D images.
While the Apollo 8 commemorates the first manned
spacecraft to orbit the moon in 1968.
One of Chicago's most historic landmarks opening in 1916 is the Navy Pier.
Situated adjacent to the above museums just north of the Chicago River. The Navy Pier began as a navy shipyard
and served as a training site for the military in both World Wars. Today the Navy Pier has been completely renovated
and encompasses more than 50 acres of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants, botanical gardens, and attractions. There is
a 1,500-seat outdoor auditorium, a 150 foot Ferris Wheel and old fashioned musical carousel. Most of Chicago's tour
boats depart from the Navy Pier.
IL, Chicago, Navy Pier
Chicago's Brookfield Zoo is one
of the largest in the country. Containing 215 acres and
400 species of animals that roam free in a cageless
environment.
IL, Chicago, Wrigley Field, home of the National League's Chicago Cubs
For the sports enthusiasts, Chicago is
baseball. Acclaimed the greatest baseball town in
America. There are two major league teams in Chicago.
Wrigley Field is home of the National League's Chicago
Cubs and Comiskey Park houses the American League's
Chicago White Sox. Two of the oldest and most prestigious
stadiums in the nation. The ivy covered outfield of
Wrigley was opened in 1914 and is where you can find home
run leader Sammy Sosa slamming them out of the park.
IL, Chicago, Comiskey Park, home of the American League's Chicago White Sox
- Field Museum, Admission $10 Adults and $5 Children, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL 60605 , (312) 922-9410 www.fieldmuseum.org
IL, Chicago, Field Museum
- Shedd Aquarium, Admission $11 Adults and $9 Children 3-11, (312) 939-2438 www.sheddnet.org
- Alder Planetarium, (312) 922-STAR Admission $13 Adults and $11 Children www.adlerplanetarium.org
IL, Chicago, Alder Planetarium
- Museum of Science and Industry, (312) 684-1414 Admission $8 Adults and $5 Children www.msichicago.org
- Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Rd., Brookfield, IL 60513 (708) 485-0263 Admission $8 Adults and $4 Children www.brookfieldzoo.org
