Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of the land from a waterborne vantage point. It's the best way to see how the city
sweeps from Museum Campus in the south, to the Loop, across the Chicago
River, and up through the Magnificent Mile, then onto the condo buildings that
populate the lakefront moving north to the suburbs. See “Kid-Friendly Tours,”
later in this chapter, for a full listing of boat tour options.
The Hancock Observatory
All ages.
Kids can play “count the rooftop
pools” from the 1,000-foot high observation deck as they look down (way down)
on the residential neighborhoods below. For my money, the Hancock Center
offers the best views in town. Why? You're located right on the Magnificent Mile,
offering a close view of the city from the observatory on the 94th floor. (Most peo-
ple don't agree with me, however, because over 1.5 million people go up the Sears
Tower each year.) Although it's not as famous as the Sears Tower, for many local
residents, the Hancock remains the archetypal Chicago skyscraper, with its bold,
tapered shape and exterior steel cross-bracing design. The building rises to a total
height of 1,107 feet above Michigan Avenue—1,456 feet if you count its twin
349-foot antennas. The view from the top of Chicago's third-tallest building is
enough to satisfy, and some high-tech additions to the experience include “talking
telescopes” with sound effects and narration in four languages, history walls illus-
trating the growth of the city, and the Skywalk open-air viewing deck—a “screened
porch” that allows visitors to feel the rush of the wind at 1,000 feet. It's a sky-high
step outside. Kids can check out the building's infrastructure on computers and
locate 80 Chicago attractions on virtual-reality television screens.
The Hancock Observatory delivers an excellent panorama of the city and an
intimate view over nearby Lake Michigan and the various shoreline residential
areas. On a clear day you can see portions of the three states surrounding this
corner of Illinois (Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin), for a radius of 40 to 50
miles. The view up the North Side is particularly dramatic, stretching from the
nearby Oak Street and North Avenue beaches, along the green strip of Lincoln
Park, to the line of high-rises you can trace up the shoreline until they suddenly
halt just below the boundary of the northern suburbs. A high-speed elevator car-
ries passengers to the observatory in 40 seconds, and the entrance and observa-
tory are accessible for people with disabilities.
“Big John,” as it's referred to by some locals, also has a sleek restaurant,
The
Signature Room at the 95th,
with an adjoining lounge. (For about the same
cost as the observatory, you can take in the views with libation in hand). Dur-
ing the day plenty of tourists make the place kid-friendly; at night it's more
adult-oriented. In the afternoon it's not very crowded, so don't be afraid bring
the family for a drink.
94th floor of the John Hancock Center, 875 N. Michigan Ave. (enter on Delaware St.).
&
888/887-9596
or
312/751-3681. Fax 312/751-3675. www.hancock-observatory.com. Admission $9.50 adults, $7.50 seniors, $6
children 5-12, free for children under 5. Daily 9am-11pm. Bus: 145, 146, 147, or 151. Subway/El: Red Line to
Chicago/State.
Walker's Warning
Chicago is a great city to explore on foot, but I must warn people against
trying to cross Lake Shore Drive on foot. People have been seriously
injured and even killed attempting to dodge the traffic on the drive. Look
for the pedestrian underpasses at Chicago Avenue, Oak Street, and North
Avenue, among other locations.
Tips
