Chicago is home to the Art Institute, with its renowned collection of French Impressionist paintings and other famous works; the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; and the Lyric Opera. The city is equally famous for blues, jazz and gospel, and you can find plenty--as well as rock, reggae, rap and any kind of music you enjoy. Theater plays a major role in Chicago, from the Goodman Theater to local dramatic productions. The famous "Second City" improvisational comedy troupe has produced dozens of stars, including many alumni of TV's "Saturday Night Live."

Architecture. Justifiably world-renowned for its architecture, Chicago boasts a spectacular skyline with some of the world's tallest buildings, among them Sears Tower and the John Hancock Center. Closer to ground level, the city boasts elegant turn-of-the century mansions in the Gold Coast, and Frank Lloyd Wright's groundbreaking Prairie School designs, which live on throughout Oak Park and at the Robie House in Hyde Park.

Museums and Zoos. The Museum of Science and Industry on Chicago's south side is a must-see, but don't pass up the city's other treasures: the Field Museum of Natural History, the Adler Planetarium, and Shedd Aquarium (the world's largest indoor aquarium). Chicago is also home to two of the country's finest zoos, Lincoln Park Zoo and Brookfield Zoo.

From State Street, the center of Chicago's Loop and the home of the original Marshall Field's department store, to the famed "Magnificent Mile" along North Michigan Avenue, Chicago is truly a shopper's paradise. You can find top-name designer boutiques side by side with nationally known off-price retailers, as well as dozens of bookstores, specialty shops and more.

Among the few structures to survive the Great Fire are the historic Water Tower and Pumping Station on north Michigan Avenue (adjacent to the appropriately named Water Tower Place shopping mall). Navy Pier features a wide variety of attractions, from a huge Ferris wheel to IMAX movies. The spectactular Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park, built in 1927, holds a million and a half gallons of water and features a dramatic colored light show at night during the summer. Nearly any time of year, but especially during spring and summer, a ride along Lake Shore Drive shows off the city's skyline at its best. Chicago by boat can be breathtaking as well; several cruise lines operate on the Chicago River, and the Chicago Architecture Foundation leads special architectural tours.

Weather. A visiting reporter dubbed Chicago the "Windy City" in 1893, inspired not by the weather but by braggarts carrying on about the town's attributes. Windiness notwithstanding, any Chicagoan can tell you . . . if you don't like the weather here, wait five minutes and it will change. Though temperatures in late June typically average a pleasant 75°F (24°C), they have been known to range from about 90°F (32°C) to 50°F (10°C).

Travel and visitor information about Chicago is available at the following Web sites: