If museums top the must-see list, head towards downtown's museum campus (Roosevelt at Lake Shore Dr.), home to the Field Museum of Natural History, the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum and the Shedd Aquarium. From there, it's a short trip to the renowned Art Institute of Chicago (Michigan Ave at Adams). The CityPass gets you in to all four with a single ticket – plus the Hancock Building's 94th floor observatory and The Museum of Science and Industry in the Hyde Park neighbourhood, a 15-minute trip from downtown – for just $49 (Tel: 707 256 0490 or visit website: www.citypass.com). Not included in the CityPass but worth a trip is the Museum of Contemporary Art, along the Magnificent Mile (220 E Chicago Ave). The two-storey gift shop is excellent. For a slightly different museum experience, check out the Civil War surgical artefacts and the trepanned skulls at the International Museum of Surgical Science in the Lincoln Park neighbourhood (1524 N Lake Shore Dr). Just don't go after lunch. Architecture aficionados will appreciate Chicago's noteworthy skyline, which includes landmark skyscrapers by architects Louis Sullivan and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the Sears Tower (once the tallest building in the world) and historic buildings like St James' Chapel and the Tribune Tower. Throughout the year, the Chicago Architecture Foundation offers guided and self-guided tours by foot, bike, bus or boat (Tel: 312 922 TOURS or www.architecture.org).

The Lincoln Park Zoo, located just north of the city centre amidst the verdant, lakeside Lincoln Park, offers 1200 animals in natural environments – and it's free! On sunny days, follow a visit to the zoo with a trip to the beach – Lake Michigan boasts miles of white sandy beaches, bike and jogging trails and fantastic people watching. Sports fans can keep busy rooting for hometown teams like the Chicago Bears

American football team (www.chicagobears.com), The Chicago Bulls basketball (www.nba.com/bulls), the Chicago Blackhawks hockey (www.chicagoblackhawks.com) and The Chicago Fire soccer club (www.chicagofire.com). Many, however, would argue that it's baseball that's captured the heart of the city. America's game has a rich tradition here, complete with a cross-town rivalry between Northside favourites Chicago Cubs (www.cubs.com) and Southside heroes, the Chicago White Sox (www.chisox.com). Catch American football and soccer at the landmark Soldier Field, just south of downtown's Museum Campus. The Bulls play at United Centre (1901 W. Madison St.), the Cubs play at Wrigley Field, in the heart of the Wrigleyville neighbourhood (1060 W Addison) and the Sox play a bit south of the city at US Cellular Field (Chicagoans still call Comiskey Park) (333 W 35th St).