Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
283
pick up sandwiches and drinks are Corner Bakery (p. 129) and Potbelly Sandwich Works
(p. 120).
2
KOHL CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
About 20 miles NW of Chicago
Children as y oung as 1 y ear old can enjo y this top-notch museum. ( There are several
infant play areas, which come in handy for younger siblings, but your kids will get more
out of the museum once they're at least a year old.) In fact, many Chicago parents prefer
Kohl to the Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier for its ease of access—y ou'll find
much less of a crowd here than at Navy Pier. The museum has a brand-new facility that
makes it worth a suburban stop.
ESSENTIALS
Glenview is on the N orth Shore, a swath of suburbia betw een Chicago and the state
border of Wisconsin that is one of the nation's most affluent residential areas.
BY CAR
From 94 northbound: Take Lake Avenue West exit heading west for 3 miles,
then turn right onto Patriot Boulevard.
BY TRAIN
Catch the
Metra
train (
&
312/322-6777;
www.metrarail.com) from the
Ogilvie Transportation Center at M adison and Canal str eets in Chicago to the N orth
Glenview station. Walk
1
/
2
mile w est on West Lake A venue to r each the museum on
Patriot Boulevard.
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SEEING THE MUSEUM
The K ohl Childr en's Museum packs a lot into its small squar e footage: The 200,000
visitors it hosts annually make it the most heavily visited museum per squar e foot in
metropolitan Chicago. Opened in 1985, this museum is a hands-on, dr ess-up-and-pre-
tend, blow-bubbles sort of place where your kids will amuse themselves for hours. They
can shop at a simulated supermarket, take a voyage on a Phoenician sailing ship, and join
in puppet shows and singalongs.
Permanent exhibits include
Car Care,
which provides a car wash with real blowers and
rolling mops for kids to r un through and operate, a car for kids to driv e and repair, and
an elaborate racetrack with cars that kids assemble on their o wn.
Dominick's,
a grocery-store exhibit, gives children a chance to run the shop. Kids can
role-play by pretending to be shoppers or the cashier . They're responsible for the wor k-
ings of the store, from shopping to restocking to checking out. Other permanent exhib-
its include the
Hands-on House,
where you can be a home builder;
Water Works,
where
kids can explore the wonders of water play;
Pet Vet,
a mocked-up veterinary clinic; and
Potbelly Sandwich Works,
where kids can run their own restaurant.
2100 Patriot Blvd., Glenview.
&
847/832-6600.
www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org. Admission $6.50 adults
and children, $5.50 seniors, free for children under 1. M on 9:30am-noon (to 5pm June -Aug); Tues-Sat
9:30am-5pm; Sun noon-5pm.
MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT
The N orth S hore offers plenty of activities for families. B esides the K ohl Childr en's
Museum, the
Chicago Botanic Garden,
with its kid-pleasing train gar den (see below),
