Chicago Midway International Airport is about 10 km from Chicago city centre, in the state of Illinois, and its construction dates back to the 1920s and in 2027 it will celebrate the centenary from its opening.
Chicago Midway Airport is often used by low-cost airlines as main hub, alternatively to the O’Hare International Airport. Once landed and completed the operation of car rental at Chicago Midway Airport, after the reservation on RentalUp, you can drive to the city centre.
The fastest way to reach the centre of the American metropolis is through the Interstate 55 North towards Chicago; after about 10 km, take the exit 292A towards Ryan Expy/Wisconsin, then enter the I-290 W and the I-290 E, following the driving directions to Ida B Wells Dr up to S Dearborn Street.
Chicago: points of interest
Thanks to the car rental service in Chicago at Midway Airport, you are free to start visiting the main points of interest in the American city. One of the icons of Chicago is the Willis Tower, a skyscraper that is the second highest building after the Pentagon. A visit to the Willis Tower will allow you to enjoy a thrilling experience: walking suspended in the void over the glass balconies at the top floor (Skydeck).
Until 1988 the skyscraper Willis Tower has been the highest one in the world and is at 233, South Wacker Drive.
Another stunning skyscraper is the Rookery, so called for the presence of many pigeons. Its construction dates back to the 1920s and saw the commitment of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who realized of the lobby (that today you can visit for free). The skyscraper Rookery is at 209, South La Salle Street.
Among the things you must see in Chicago, we must mention also the Magnificent Mile, the most elegant street all over the city, Here, you can find the best boutiques in Chicago, besides trendy restaurants. There are also skyscrapers, among the highest ones in the United States of America.
Completed in 2017, the Riverwalk is the new promenade between Lake Street and Michigan Avenue; there are restaurants and clubs for young people also here, but there is even a rowing centre, that will allow you to paddle in extreme naturality among the enormous skyscrapers.
In one of its famous aphorisms, Mark Twain once wrote that Chicago “is always a novelty; for she is never the Chicago you saw when you passed through the last time”. A synthesis of this aphorism is represented by the Lakefront Trail, the 30-km trail that flanks the shores of the lake Michigan, real blend of nature and architecture.
Chicago: art and culture
Despite the skyscrapers could let you think the contrary, Chicago is a city of art and culture.
Modernity is a fundamental key to understanding to introduce the Cloud Gate of the Millennium Park. Americans call it The Bean for its original shape, but actually it is a more-than-100-tons silver sculpture.
In the metropolis in Illinois art and culture followed a way out of the box. Another futuristic work of art is the Crown Fountain, where the faces of the passers-by are reflected on a screen. Chicago can also boast the Chicago Board of Trade, a skyscraper famous for the fascinating art deco style. We recommend you a visit to the Chicago Architecture Foundation to deepen the knowledge of the architectonical style in the American capital.
And how cannot you dedicate time also to the museums of the city? Taking advantage of the car rental service at Chicago Airport, you can visit the Art Institute of Chicago, considered the second museum in the USA. The museum complex is also known as the house of the impressionists, for the presence of a huge collection of paintings by the French painter George Seurat. There are also works by Renoir, Monet, Chagall, Cézanne, Miro and Picasso.
Besides the Art Institute of Chicago, there is also the Adler Planetarium, a building that is at the same time a planetarium, an observatory and a science museum. Among the most interesting museums in Chicago, we must mention the Field Museum, included into the museum complex named Campus Museum.
The collection of the museum of natural history of Chicago boasts more than 20 million of exemplars, coming mostly from the Expo held at the end of ‘800. You will be amazed by the collection of dinosaurs, that is among the biggest ones in the world. In addition to this latter, there is also a collection of artefacts belonging to the Native Americans.
