• Attend an American Football game. The Chicago Bears (website: www.chicagobears.com) play from September to December at Soldier Field.

• Take in a baseball game. The baseball teams, Chicago Cubs (website: www.cubs.mlb.com) and Chicago White Sox (website: www.whitesox.mlb.com), play during the summer months at Wrigley Field and US Cellular Field.

• Enjoy the fast-paced action when the Chicago Bulls (website: www.nba.com/bulls) take to the basketball court from January to April at the United Center, which is also home to the ice hockey team, the Chicago Blackhawks (website: www.chicagoblackhawks.com)

• Tee off on one of the many golf courses. Illinois has the highest number of public and championship golf courses in the USA; there are about 700 of these, 200 of which can be found in the immediate 'Chicagoland' area.

• Enjoy the music at the Annual Chicago Blues Festival held in June (website: www.chicagobluesfestival.org). International, national and local artists perform on over five stages at the largest free-admission blues festival in the world.

• Browse more than 2,000 exhibits at The Museum of Science & Industry (website: www.msichicago.org) in Chicago. Visit the Field Museum of Natural History, which spans the development of the universe from 4.5 billion years ago to the present day; the John G Shedd Aquarium and Oceanarium; and the Adler Planetarium, which features the Sky Dome.

• Track down Chicago's numerous outdoor sculptures by artists such as Picasso, Miro, Moore, Chagall and Calder. Tour the Art Institute of Chicago (website: www.artic.edu), one of the world's leading art museums, and savour art ranging from Monet to Warhol and French impressionists.

• Ride one of the 12 rollercoasters at Six Flags Great America Amusement Park (website: www.sixflags.com) in Chicago or cool down in the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.