Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the University of Illinois. 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 of
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 aforementioned Chicago Children's Museum (p. 150),
a 3-D
IMAX theater
(
&
312/595-0090
), a small ice-skating rink, and the
Chicago Shakespeare Theater (p. 245). Naturally, there are a handful of rather
bland shops and pushcart vendors. Dining options include a food court, an out-
post 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 (run by Joe and Wayne Segal of Jazz Showcase
fame), a Southern-style BBQ restaurant with live music nightly; and Bubba
Gump Shrimp Co. & Market, a casual family seafood joint.
The
Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows
sounds dull, but is actually
a remarkable installation of more than 150 stained-glass windows set in illumi-
nated display cases. Occupying an 800-foot-long expanse on the ground floor of
Navy Pier, the museum features works by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan,
John LaFarge, and Louis Comfort Tiffany, and is divided into four themes: Vic-
torian religious windows, Victorian secular windows, designs of the Prairie
School, and contemporary designs.
Slumbering at Chicago's Museums
A trend has swept our museums, and that trend is . . . sleeping. Two
Chicago museums offer scheduled sleepovers, a trend that promises to
continue. Word is that the Museum of Science and Industry is consid-
ering adding a sleepover to the public as well. This may well happen,
so call the education department (
&
773/684-9844
) if that's of inter-
est. Whether or not you will actually get any sleep is up in the air, but
it's sure to be a memorable experience.
Dozin' with the Dinos
at the
Field Museum
allows kids to roam the
halls, take part in workshops and tours, or explore a mummy's tomb by
flashlight. With an adult in tow, children ages 5 to 12 can bring a sleep-
ing bag and bed down with the dinos. The event costs $47 per person,
including a snack and breakfast, and takes place twice a year—once
during the summer months, and once during the holiday season, usu-
ally in late November. Call
&
312/665-7400
for reservations for the
next sleepover.
The slightly threatening-sounding
Sleeping with the Fish
evening at
the
Shedd Aquarium
is an annual event that takes place on a Friday in
September, usually from 6:30pm to 9am. The event costs $45 per per-
son. Call
&
312/939-2438
for more information.
