8 hour+ layover option in Chicago--what should we do?

Flying to Salt Lake from St. Louis in July I have the option of an 8 hour 45 min. layover in Chicago, arriving at 10:20 am and leaving at 7:05 pm. Since our family will probably never get to Chicago on our own, I%26#39;m wondering if I should deliberately book this flight even though it%26#39;s more expensive than other flights. I understand there%26#39;s a blue line train we could take from the airport. What is the cost, where does it go that would be a must-see and how long does the ride take? I%26#39;m assuming we%26#39;d have at least 6 hours to do some sightseeing in Chicago. Is there an area that has most of the best sights within walking distance of each other and what are they? We%26#39;ll have kids, age 16, 19 and 22 with us.

8 hour+ layover option in Chicago--what should we do?

It will take about 45 minutes to an hour to get downtown. It goes right downtown, to say Washington, where you can get off the train and walk east to Millenium Park. On the way to Millenium Park you could stop at the tourist office in the cultural center and pick up a map/brochure. There are also some available at the airport in the arrivals area. The area along Michigan Avenue would probably be the best, containing both Millenium Park and the Art Institute. There is much shopping on north Michigan Avenue, and if it%26#39;s nice you could take a boat ride on the river and lake. You would probably have about 5 hours to walk around downtown.

8 hour+ layover option in Chicago--what should we do?

www.explorechicago.org is a good site to see what%26#39;s here.

The cost to ride the blue line train is a flat rate of $2.25 per person. It doesn%26#39;t matter how far you go. If you have young children, they can ride free. The train ride alone will be fun as you start underground, then go up and see the neighborhoods of the city, then underground again. When you are ready to go back to the airport, just go to any blue line stop, pay your $2.25 again and the last stop is the airport.

That being said, we think you should come for an actual vacation, not just as part of a layover!