You cannot afford to miss the Navy Pier's most visible attraction, the 150-foot (45-meter)-high Ferris wheel. This fun ride is open year-round. It is fun not only for kids but for all age groups. It is modeled after the very first Ferris wheel, which was built for Chicago's 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. On the Navy Pier Ferris wheel, you can enjoy breathtaking views of the Chicago skyline and lakefront. During the evening, the illuminated Ferris wheel with thousands of sparkling lights is a sight that one must not miss.
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Carbide and Carbon Building is an imposing, dark, art deco tower that has been looming over Michigan Avenue since 1929. Clad in an unusual dark green-and-gold terracotta facade, the building was fashioned to look like a champagne bottle, according to local legend. It is the alleged inspiration for the apartment building in the movie Ghostbusters, where the men battled the giant marshmallow man. Perhaps the building's most famous aspect is its designers. It was built by the Burnham brothers, sons of the Chicago architecture legend Daniel Hudson Burnham.
Former residence of Hugh Hefner—the founder of Playboy Magazine—this Original Playboy Mansion is famous for the legendary parties attended by iconic celebrities. Hef purchased the mansion in 1959 and lived and worked there until 1971. Now, Hef resides in California at the Playboy Mansion West and the original has been converted into private residences. However, the regal architecture can still be seen from the outside, prompting tourists to click pictures of this cultural marvel.
