Magnificent Mile

Chicago


Spanning N Michigan Ave between the river and Oak St, the 'Mag Mile' is Chicago's much-touted upscale shopping strip, where Bloomingdale's, Apple, Burberry and many more will lighten your wallet. The retailers are mostly high-end chains that have stores nationwide.

Granted, they're more slicked up than usual and their vacuum-packed proximity on Michigan Ave is handy. The road goes all out in December with a festive spread of tree lights and holiday adornments.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Chicago attractions

1. Arts Club of Chicago

0.1 MILES

It sounds stuffy: a club for patrons of the arts, and it looks the part as men in fancy suits and women in furs drop by for lunch in the members-only…

2. Driehaus Museum

0.13 MILES

Set in the exquisite Nickerson Mansion, the Driehaus immerses visitors in Gilded Age decorative arts and architecture. You'll feel like a Great Gatsby…

3. Tribune Tower

0.23 MILES

Take a close look when passing by this 1925 neo-Gothic edifice. Colonel Robert McCormick, eccentric owner of the Chicago Tribune in the early 1900s,…

4. City Gallery

0.24 MILES

Set inside the historic Water Tower, this small gallery showcases Chicago-themed works by local photographers and artists.

5. Water Tower

0.24 MILES

This 154ft-tall, turreted tower is a defining city icon: it was the sole downtown survivor of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, thanks to its yellow limestone…

6. Holy Name Cathedral

0.25 MILES

Holy Name Cathedral is the seat of Chicago’s Catholic Church and where its powerful cardinals do their preaching. It provides a quiet place for…

7. Water Works Pumping Station

0.25 MILES

Built in 1869, the Pumping Station and Water Tower, its companion building across the street, were constructed in Gothic style with yellow limestone. It's…

8. Museum of Contemporary Art

0.28 MILES

Consider it the Art Institute’s brash, rebellious sibling, with especially strong minimalist, surrealist and conceptual photography collections, and…