Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
279
Chicago White Sox
Ages 4 & up.
Despite their thrilling 2005 World Series win, the
White Sox struggle to attract the kind of crowds that the Cubs do. Located in the South
Side neighborhood of Bridgeport, the former Comiskey P ark (now known as
U.S. Cel-
lular Field
) has made a real effort to be family-friendly, although the sterile stadium and
the blighted neighborhood that surr ounds it r emain deterr ents. When the o wners
replaced the admittedly dilapidated former stadium with a concrete behemoth that lacks
the yesteryear charm of its predecessor, they did improve sightlines (if your kids are afraid
of heights, I'd recommend avoiding the v ertigo-inducing upper-deck seats) and added
every conceivable amenity—from above-average ballpark food concessions to shops to
plentiful r estrooms. The endearing quality about the White S ox is their blue-collar ,
working-class aura with which so many C ubs-loathing southsiders identify. Games are
rarely sold out, but that makes this a bargain for bona fide baseball fans. U.S. Cellular
Field has the added bonus of pr egame batting practice for kids (see “S ports & Games,”
in chapter 8).
At U.S. Cellular Field, 333 W. 35th St. in the south side neighborhood of Bridge-
port.
&
312/674-1000.
www.whitesox.mlb.com. Tickets $12-$45, half-price on Mon (kids get in
for $1 for certain Sun games). To get Sox tickets, call Ticketmaster at
&
866/SOX-GAME
(769-4263)
or visit the ticket offic e, Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm, with ex tended hours on
game days. Subway/El: Red Line to Sox/35th St.
DePaul Blue Demons
Ages 8 & up.
The local college basketball team, the B lue
Demons, has a loyal following and is a good bet for an entertaining game at a reasonable
price. The season begins at the end of November.
At the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim
Rd., Rosemont. Tickets $9-$40; call
&
773/325-7526.
(Some of their games ar e at the Unit ed
Center.)
Northwestern Wildcats
Ages 8 & up.
The smallest of the B ig Ten colleges plays
football here. Although the team has occasionally surprised ev eryone by winning that
coveted spot in the R ose Bowl, more often, Northwestern crowds like to r emind them-
selves why they attend N orthwestern and not M ichigan or Wisconsin or O hio, with
cheers of “Someday, we'll be your boss” to opposing teams.
At Ryan Field, 1501 Central St.,
in north suburban Evanston.
&
847/491-CATS
(491-2287). www.nusports.com. Tickets $25. Sub-
way/El: Purple Line to Central St., Evanston.
Thoroughbred Racing
Ages 6 & up.
Arlington International Racecourse, with its
gleaming-white, palatial, six-story grandstand and lush gardens, is one of the most beau-
tiful showcases for thoroughbred horse racing in the world. Arlington likes to say that it
caters to families, and it must be said that the ambience her e is more Disney than den-
of-iniquity. It has a storied history stretching back to 1927, and its track has been graced
by such equine stars as Citation, S ecretariat, and Cigar . The track's annual Arlington
Million (the spor t's first million-dollar race) has attracted the top jockeys, trainers, and
horses in past years and recently became part of the new World Series Racing Champion-
ship, which includes the Breeders Cup races. Arlington's race days are thrilling to behold,
with all of racing 's time-honored pageantry on display—fr om the bugler in traditional
dress to the parade of jockeys. S unday is Family Day, with special activities for kids 12
and under. In the past, kids have been able to see a blacksmith shoe a horse, learn about
horse care from a groomer and the track veterinarian, and get goggles signed by jockeys.
Chicago parents should ask about the Junior Jockey Club, which keeps kids informed of
these activities. You can sign up through the website.
At Arlington International Racecourse,
2200 W. E uclid A ve., Arlingt on Heights .
&
847/385-7500.
w ww.arlingtonpark.com. S eating
$3-$6. Gates Wed-Sun at 11am; post times are 1:05 and 3:05pm. Season runs June 13-Oct 28.
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