Chicago is known the world over for its architectural prowess. Since most of the downtown was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 (with the notable exception of the water tower that still stands on North Michigan Avenue), the city was a blank canvas for architects from around the world.

Among the world famous architects who have called Chicago home are Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Burnham was the visionary who designed the "White City" of Chicago's 1893 World's Fair. His Rookery Building at 209 S. LaSalle St. is one of the few Burnham buildings that still stands today. Sullivan, considered to be the father of the skyscraper, designed the ornate Carson Pirie Scott Department store at State and Madison streets and served as a mentor to Wright. Mies van der Rohe, a pioneer in modernist architecture, designed the IBM building at Wabash Avenue just north of the Chicago River.

The tradition continues today. Helmut Jahn, designer of the modern James R. Thompson Center at LaSalle and Randolph streets, and Dirk Lohan, grandson of Mies van der Rohe and designer of the controversial addition to Soldier Field, live and work here. Architects from around the world continue to flock to Chicago, including Frank Gehry who designed the centerpiece bandstand and pedestrian bridge for Millennium Park, and Santiago Calatrava who had been chosen to design the 115-story Chicago Spire, which would have been the tallest building in the U.S. but was never completed. 

Chicago is proud of its world-class collection of architecture, and rightfully so. From the first steel skyscraper in the world--the 10-story Home Insurance building that was destroyed in 1931--to the Hancock and Willis (formerly Sears) towers, to the stunning Trump Tower along the Chicago River, there is something to be seen on every corner.

Don't know where to begin? Head to the Chicago Architecture Foundation, located at 224 S. Michigan Ave. It runs a wide variety of tours. Especially popular is the river cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady Cruises.  Reservations are available online at www.architecture.org and are highly recommended since the river cruises fill up fast.  Walk down the stairs at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive to Chicago's riverwalk to catch the boat. The foundation also offers a variety of walking tours of the Loop led by volunteer docents. The Modern Skyscraper and Historic Skyscraper tours are among the most popular and do a great job of giving visitors an overview of Chicago's architectural wonders.

Frank Lloyd Wright fans will need to travel away from the Loop to see his works. Head west on the CTA Green Line to suburban Oak Park, home to the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio and more Wright-designed structures than any other city. Or head south to Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, home to Robie House, considered to be among Wright's greatest works.

Chicago's skyline gets most of the tourism press, but Chicago also is home to another architectural wonder: the Classic Chicago Bungalow. Tens of thousands of these single-family homes were built between 1910 and 1940.  These solid Arts & Crafts style brick homes were where ordinary people lived stylishly. The city is home to several "bungalow belt" neighborhoods. Find out more about where to view Chicago's "bungalow belt" neighborhoods at the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association, http://www.chicagobungalow.org/