Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Photo Op
For a great photo op, walk on Randolph Street toward the lake in the
morning. That's when the sun, rising in the east over the lake, hits the
string of high-rises that line South Michigan Avenue—giving you the per-
fect backdrop for an only-in-Chicago picture.
Moments
your kids, try the late afternoon, when crowds have thinned. On a clear day, vis-
ibility extends up to 50 miles, and you can catch glimpses of the surrounding
states. Despite the fact that it's called a “skydeck,” you can't actually walk out-
side (though I can't understand why you'd want to—but that's just my fear of
heights speaking!). The 70-second high-speed elevator trip will feel like a thrill
ride for some, but it's a nightmare for anyone with even mild claustrophobia.
Recent upgrades to the Skydeck include multimedia exhibits on Chicago history
and
Knee High Chicago,
an exhibit for kids. Allow 1 to 2 hours, depending on
the length of the line.
233 S. Wacker Dr. (enter on Jackson Blvd.).
&
312/875-9696.
www.the-skydeck.com. Admission $9.95
adults, $7.95 seniors, $6.95 children 3-12, free for children under 3. May-Sept daily 10am-10pm; Oct-Apr
daily 10am-8pm. Subway/El: Brown, Purple, or Orange Line to Quincy; Red or Blue Line to Jackson; then walk
a few blocks west. Bus: 1, 7, 126, 146, 151, or 156.
4 More Chicago Museums
Chicago has plenty of museums that make every effort to turn a bored child into
a stimulated one. Many of the city's museums are leaders in the “please touch
me” school of interactive exhibitions, with buttons and lights and levers and
sounds and bright colors, and activities for kids at special exhibitions.
Art Institute of Chicago
All ages.
Chicago's pride and joy is a warm,
welcoming museum—one that's never too stuffy to embrace kids. You know this
is a museum with a winning sense of whimsy when at the holidays, the famous
lion sculptures that guard its entrance sport Santa hats.
The Art Institute goes the extra mile to help kids get through a few hours here
without even a hint of boredom. The Kraft Education Center on the lower level
features interactive exhibits for children and has a list of “gallery games” that
encourage kids to “seek and find” to make visiting the museum more fun. Spe-
cial exhibitions are designed for kids with accompanying hands-on programs.
Kids might be taught by a visiting children's book illustrator, for example, and
then learn how to make their own books. A highlight tour for kids runs on Sat-
urday. The center is open during regular museum hours and family programs are
free with museum admission.
In other parts of the museum, kids will be entranced by the
Thorne Minia-
ture Rooms,
filled with tiny reproductions of furnished interiors from Euro-
pean and American history (heaven for a dollhouse fanatic). Another popular
attraction is the original
Trading Room of the old Chicago Stock Exchange,
salvaged when the Adler and Sullivan Stock Exchange building was demolished
in 1972. One parent says her boys love the great hall of European arms
and armor dating from the 15th to 19th centuries. Composed of more than
1,500 objects, including armor, horse equipment, swords, daggers, pole arms,
and maces, it's one of the most important assemblages of its kind in the country.
