Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rock Around the World
The impressive, Gothic
Tribune Tower,
just north of the Chicago River on
the east side of Michigan Avenue, is home to one of the country's media
giants and the
Chicago Tribune
newspaper. But it's also notable for an
array of architectural fragments jutting out from the exterior. The collec-
tion was started shortly after the building's completion in 1925 by the
newspaper's notoriously despotic publisher, Robert R. McCormick, who
gathered them during his world travels.
Tribune
correspondents then
began supplying building fragments that they acquired on assignment.
Each one now bears the name of the structure and country whence it
came. There are 138 pieces in all, including chunks and shards from the
Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the White House, the Arc de Triom-
phe, the Berlin Wall, the Roman Colosseum, London's Houses of Parlia-
ment, the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Giza, Egypt, and the original tomb
of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois.
Fun Fact
first stop should be the handsome barrel-vaulted galleries on the top floor, ded-
icated to pieces from the permanent collection. For visitors who'd like a little
guidance for making sense of the rather challenging works found here, there is
an audio tour for rent as well as a free tour (1 and 6pm Tues; 1pm Wed-Fri;
11am, noon, 1, and 2pm Sat-Sun). In addition to a range of special activities
and educational programming, including films, performances, and a lecture
series in a 300-seat theater, the museum features Puck's at the MCA, a cafe oper-
ated by Wolfgang Puck of Spago restaurant fame, with seating that overlooks a
1-acre terraced sculpture garden. There's also a store, Culturecounter, with one-
of-a-kind gift items, that's worth a stop even if you don't make it into the
museum. The museum's First Fridays program, featuring after-hours perform-
ances, live music, and food and drink, takes place the first Friday of every
month. Allow 1 to 2 hours.
220 E. Chicago Ave. (1 block east of Michigan Ave.).
&
312/280-2660.
www.mcachicago.org. Admission $10
adults, $6 seniors and students with ID, free for children 12 and under. Free admission on Tues 5-8pm. Tues
10am-8pm; Wed-Sun 10am-5pm. Bus: 3, 10, 66, 145, 146, or 151. Subway/El: Red Line to Chicago/State.
Navy Pier
Built during World War I, this 3,000-foot-long pier was
used by the Navy during World War II as a training center for pilots. But any
military aura is long gone, now that the place has been transformed into a
bustling tourist mecca. A combination of carnival, food court, and boat dock,
the pier makes a fun place to stroll (if you don't mind crowds), but you'll have
to walk all the way to the end to get the best views back to the city.
Midway down the pier are the Crystal Gardens, with 70 full-size palm trees,
dancing fountains, and other flora in a glass-enclosed atrium; a white-canopied
open-air Skyline Stage that hosts concerts, dance performances, and film screen-
ings; a carousel; and a 15-story Ferris wheel that's a replica of the original that
debuted at Chicago's 1893 World's Fair. The 50 acres of pier and lakefront prop-
erty also are home to the
Chicago Children's Museum
(p. 209), a
3D IMAX
theater
(
&
312/595-5629
), a small ice-skating rink, and the
Chicago Shake-
speare Theatre
(p. 255). The shops tend to be bland and touristy. Dining
options include a food court, an outpost of Lincoln Park's popular Charlie's Ale
House, and the white-tablecloth seafood restaurant Riva. You'll also find a beer
garden with live music; Joe's Be-Bop Cafe & Jazz Emporium, a Southern-style
Kids
