This Midwestern department store recently celebrated its 150-year anniversary with renovations, galas, and fashion shows. New additions and touches have modernized the interior somewhat, but the old-fashioned charm remains. With 800,000 square feet and nine floors devoted to shopping (including 16,000 square feet for shoes alone), the State Street location remains a shopper's mecca. There's everything from furniture to the famed Frango mints (no longer produced in Chicago, but still sold here).
Of course, when you're shopping at a store this big, you're bound to get hungry before you even reach the fifth floor. There's a Bally's Crunch juice bar, a Starbucks, and a cafe for casual dining. Those looking for a more formal affair should check out The Walnut Room. The restaurant is busiest during the holidays, when each year a massive tree is unveiled with a new theme. Of course, the biggest Christmastime draws are the themed windows, which tell a holiday story as shoppers follow them around the store.
See also the Old Orchard location.
