Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
111 S. Michigan Ave. (at Adams St.).
&
312/443-3600.
www.artic.edu. Admission
$12 adults; $7 seniors and students with ID; free for children 11 and under. Addi-
tional cost for special exhibitions. Free admission Thurs 5-8pm. Mon-Fri
10:30am-5pm (Thurs until 8pm, until 9pm Thurs-Fri Memorial Day-Labor Day);
Sat-Sun 10am-5pm. Closed Jan. 1, Thanksgiving, and Dec 25. Bus: 3, 4, 60, 145,
147, or 151. Subway/El: Green, Brown, Purple, or Orange line to Adams, or Red Line
to Monroe/State or Jackson/State.
Sears Tower Skydeck
First Sears sold the building and
moved to cheaper suburban offices in 1992. Then the skyscraper got an
ego blow when the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, went
up and laid claim to the title of world's tallest building. (The Sears
Tower has since put up a 22-ft. antenna in an attempt to win back the
title.) Tallest-building posturing aside, this is still a great place to orient
yourself to the city, but I wouldn't put it on the top of must-see sights
for anyone with limited time (and limited patience for crowds).
The view from the 103rd-floor Skydeck is everything you'd expect
it to be—once you get there. Unfortunately, you're often stuck in a
very long, very noisy line, so by the time you make it to the top, your
patience could be as thin as the atmosphere up there. (Come in the
late afternoon or early evening to avoid most of the crowds.) On a
clear day, visibility extends up to 50 miles, and you can catch
glimpses of four surrounding states. Despite the fact that it's called a
“skydeck,” you can't actually walk outside. Multimedia exhibits on
Chicago history and
Knee High Chicago,
an exhibit for kids, are addi-
tional attractions. The 70-second, high-speed elevator trip will feel
like a thrill ride for some, but it's a nightmare for anyone with even
mild claustrophobia. Allow 1 hour, more if there's a long line.
233 S. Wacker Dr. (enter on Jackson Blvd.).
&
312/875-9696.
www.the-skydeck.
com. Admission $13 adults; $9.50 seniors and children 3-12; free for children 2 and
under. Apr-Sept daily 10am-10pm; Oct-Mar daily 10am-8pm. Bus: 1, 7, 126, 146,
151, or 156. Subway/El: Brown, Purple, or Orange line to Quincy, or Red or Blue line
to Jackson; and then walk a few blocks west.
THE LOOP SCULPTURE TOUR
Monuments, statues, and contemporary sculptures are on view
throughout Chicago, but the concentration of public art within the
Loop and nearby Grant Park is worth noting. The best known of
these works are by 20th-century artists including Picasso, Chagall,
Miró, Calder, Moore, and Oldenburg. The newest addition is the
massive elliptical sculpture
Cloud Gate
(known as “The Bean”
because it looks like a giant silver kidney bean) by British artist Anish
Kapoor. The sculpture, in Millennium Park, was Kapoor's first pub-
lic commission in the U.S.
Overrated
