Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Insiders in the travel business sometimes whisper that Chicago is to the United States
as Frankfurt, Germany, is to Europe: a hub for conv entions, a business destination, but
otherwise often consider ed flyover or airpor t layover territory. In this topic I intend to
demonstrate to ev en the most sophisticated trav elers that Chicago is a wor thy destina-
tion. This city can be a magical place for families, filled with new discoveries and favorite
places y ou'll want to visit again and again o ver the y ears. M any of my friends r ecall
annual trips to Chicago with great fondness. Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle at the Museum
of Science and Industry, Buckingham Fountain's invigorating spray on a windy day—for
this generation, Millennium Park's bedazzling “bean” sculpture and its fun-house reflec-
tions will become part of your family lore as well.
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FAVORITE CHICAGO FAMILY EXPERIENCES
Chicago has made vast strides in beautify-
ing the city and developing visitor-friendly
attractions. M illennium P ark, a world-
class destination on 25 acr es near M ichi-
gan Avenue and the Art Institute, is one of
the city 's biggest tourist attractions. The
architectural highlight of the par k is the
Frank G ehry-designed P ritzker M usic
Pavilion, home of the fr ee summer music
concerts per formed b y the G rant P ark
Symphony O rchestra. Another popular
attraction is the huge elliptical sculptur e
Cloudgate
(immediately dubbed “the bean”
by Chicagoans) b y B ritish ar tist Anish
Kapoor—his first public work in the U.S.
The dazzling $450-million par k added to
the already excellent facilities for families,
including Museum Campus, no w (in my
humble opinion) the number-one collec-
tion of museums on one walkable campus
in the countr y. The city cr eated the cam-
pus by linking three great Chicago institu-
tions—the F ield M useum of N atural
History, J ohn G. S hedd A quarium, and
Adler P lanetarium & Astr onomy
Museum—by r erouting major str eets to
make the area more pedestrian-friendly.
Chicago continues to wor k on its cul-
tural institutions, many of which hav e
launched fundraising driv es to impr ove
and enhance their facilities for visitors.
Navy Pier was rehabilitated and opened in
the mid-1990s, quickly becoming the
city's number-one tourist destination. The
North Loop theater district has risen from
a decades-long slumber . And the r etail
expansion along the city 's fabled Magnifi-
cent Mile has y et to slo w down. Is it any
wonder that nativ es of the city hav e the
reputation of nev er wanting to liv e any-
where else?
From the simple pleasur es of summer
baseball to the complexities of the world
of science, her e ar e my fav orite Chicago
experiences for families:
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Encountering Jurassic Wonders:
Sue,
the largest T-rex skeleton ev er unco v-
ered, has made the F ield Museum her
home. (D on't be taken aback b y her
intimidating presence in the museum 's
grand entry hall.) But don't be surprised
if your kids ar e just as much in aw e of
the Field's many classic kid charmers: a
life-size E gyptian tomb, r ooms of glit-
tering gemstones, the r oyal Camer oon
palace fr om Africa, and hundr eds of
stuffed animals (not of the teddy bear
variety) in their habitat. B eware of the
Field's mesmerizing qualities on adults
and kids alike: A friend of mine began
meditating in an I ndian tepee, only to
open his ey es and find the museum
closed! See p. 162.
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Exploring Underwater Life:
Most kids
have a fascination for life under the sea,
and an afternoon watching dolphins
frolic and color ful tr opical fish swim
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