Chicago Attractions - Part I

Chicago Attractions - Part I

Despite the harsh cold weather in the "Windy City" - there are tons of 'Things-To-Do' for a tourist. First, see the expanse of the Chicagoland area from 1,000 feet above at the John Hancock Observatory or the Sears Tower Skydeck. At Navy Pier, Time Escape is a 3-D motion simulation experience allowing you to travel through Chicago’s history, present and future. There are a variety of boat tours departing from Navy Pier and other city locations, as well as city bus tours, which point out significant landmarks and provide interesting information about Chicago and its history.

Some of the top attractions include:

1) The Adler Planetarium

Website: The Adler Planetarium
The Adler Planetarium is located on Lake Shore Drive at Chicago's Museum Campus. Opened in 1930 as the first planetarium in the western hemisphere, the Adler fuels the imagination of its visitors with all new exhibits, state-of-the-art computer technology and the world's first StarRider Theater, while showcasing a renowned collection of historical astronomy artifacts.

The Adler is home to more than 35,000 square feet of exhibits. From scale models of the Solar System, to ancient astronomical instruments, to interactive adventures, Adler's exhibit galleries provide a passageway for you to explore the universe. The Adler's historical collections of astronomical instruments and rare books are among the finest in the world.

2) Brookfield Zoo

Website: Brookfield Zoo

Brookfield Zoo, located in Brookfield, Illinois, just west of Chicago, is open every day of the year. The Zoo is located on 216 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, featuring over 2,000 animals. The Zoo first opened in 1934 and became world renowned for its use of natural barriers, such as moats, rather than cages. Brookfield Zoo featured the first Giant Panda exhibit in the United States.

The exhibits, such as the Australia House, Baboon Island, Wolf Woods, Reptile House, Pachyderm House and more, are sure to please. There is also a children's petting zoo and the Play Zoo, where families can interact more closely with the animals. Sure to be a favorite is the Tropic World exhibit, which simulates a tropical rain forest with monkeys, birds and more, even a simulated thunderstorm. Also, be sure to check the schedule so you don't miss the Dolphin Presentation. From Spring through Fall, you can hop on the Motor Safari tram for a guided tour. Brookfield Zoo also features all sorts of dining options and gift shops.

3)Buckingham Fountain

Website: Buckingham Fountain

The Buckingham Fountain, located in Grant Park, is one of Chicago's most popular attractions and one of the largest fountains in the world. It was opened in May of 1927. The four sea horses you see on its sides represent the four states that touch Lake Michigan: Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

The fountain operates from approximately April 1 to November 1 each year and runs from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm each day. Every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the fountain produces a major water display and the center jet shoots 150 feet into the air. At dusk, the fountain's hourly major water display is accompanied by lights and music.
The fountain's water capacity is 1.5 million gallons. Depending on wind conditions, major displays use approximately 14,100 gallons of recirculated water per minute conveyed through 134 jets. The fountain contains 820 lights.


4) ESPN Zone

Website: http://www.espnzone.com/

ESPN Zone is a combination sports, entertainment and dining venue featuring the Sports Arena for interactive sports and the Screening Room for viewing sporting events.

Here are just a few of the many interactive sports played at ESPN Zone: MoCap Golf is set amongst the beautiful scenery of Hawaii and uses sensors to emulate the actual swing of the player and translates the power, direction and accuracy into the onscreen shot. MoCap Boxing simulates a real pro fight, forcing you to bob and weave to avoid your opponent's punches, while throwing punches of your own. ESPN Hoops Hysteria is a great basketball shooting attraction. NHL 2 Night is an interactive hockey attraction that you can play against the ESPN computer goalie or against a friend.

The Screening Room features a 16-foot screen surrounded by skybox suites. There are 37 monitors throughout the facility for watching all sorts of sporting events. ESPN Zone Chicago is one of few places to feature high definition TV.

ESPN Zone also has a restaurant offering American grill selections, as well as a SportsCenter Studio Store for ESPN & ESPN Zone apparel and Chicago merchandise.


5) Sears Tower

Website= Sears Tower

The view from the Skydeck on the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower is amazing! On a clear day, you can see 40-50 miles - the city of Chicago and its beautiful architecture, Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin.

For your enjoyment on the way up, the elevators are equipped with 50-inch flat screen monitors that make you feel like you're blasting off through the top of the Sears Tower and into space - with views of the earth compliments of NASA and the Space Shuttle Endeavor.

The Skydeck also features interactive, museum-quality exhibits highlighting Chicago's history and historic characters. Interactive kiosks provide a tour of Chicago's landmarks. Knee-High Chicago is a kid-level display that extends all the way around the Skydeck. Cool cut-out windows put kids eye-to-eye with scenes from Chicago's most fascinating moments in history. The Skydeck also has high-tech, high-powered telescopes for a closer look at the city.

Restaurants in the Sears Tower include Augustino’s Rock and Roll Deli, now located on the 2nd floor restaurant level. A great Mexican restaurant is opening in May called Salsario Loco also located on the 2nd floor restaurant level. In the main lobby are Starbucks and Corner Bakery and on Lower Level 1 (also easily accessible to the public) is Venice Café, a long standing loop favorite that relocated from across Wacker Dr.

6) Shedd Aquarium

Website: Shedd Aquarium

The Shedd Aquarium, located on Chicago's Museum Campus, is the world's largest indoor aquarium with more than 8,000 aquatic animals representing more than 700 species from all parts of the world. The Caribbean Reef, teaming with bright, colorful new corals and more than 60 species of animal, includes bonnet head sharks, southern stingrays, angelfish and a hawksbill sea turtle. Divers hand-feed sharks, sea turtles and eels at scheduled times during the day. The Marine Mammal Presentation, presented several times each day, features animal-care staff interacting with the dolphins and whales as they dive, spyhop and walk on their tails.

Shedd also offers Habitat Chats for visitors to learn about the aquatic world and its inhabitants in an informal setting. Learn about what they eat, how Shedd Aquarium cares for them and more about their natural habitats. Aquarium and Oceanarium chats are scheduled in a variety of habitats, locations are posted daily throughout the Aquarium. Another feature, Animal Encounters, gives you a chance to look at, learn about and touch such critters as a Chilean rose tarantula, leopard gecko, African bullfrog, red-tailed boa, or king snake.

Shedd Aquarium offers a special event for 3-5 year-old preschoolers - "Tots on Tuesdays". This event features a full day of activities, including story times, crafts, animal touch programs, videos, costumed characters, dancing and singing.

Dining options at Shedd Aquarium include the Bubble Net Food Court offering pizza, sandwiches, burgers and more, Sounding Restaurant with full table service, wine and cocktails in a casual setting, and Mrs. Field's Cookie House featuring cookies, brownies, cold beverages and coffee. You can also visit the gift shop for souvenirs, jewelry, home decor and more.

7) The Art Institute of Chicago

Website: The Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago holds one of the world's great art collections. The following describes just a few of the wonderful exhibits:
The African & Amerindian collection includes an African exhibit of wood sculpture, masks, ceramics, furniture, textiles, and beadwork from West, Central, and Southern Africa and an Amerindian collection of Mesoamerican and Andean ceramics, sculpture, textiles, and metalwork, as well as South American Indian ceramics and figurative art.

The Ernest R. Graham Study Center for Architectural Drawings houses a distinguished collection of more than 130,000 architectural sketches and drawings.

The European Painting collection ranges from the Middle Ages to 1900 and numbers approximately 950 works. The greatest strength of the department is in French painting of the 19th century.

The European Decorative Arts collection of 25,000 objects includes furniture, ceramics, metalwork, glass, enamels, and ivory from 1100 to the present, and sculpture from the medieval period to 1900.

The holdings of the Department of Textiles contain more than 13,000 textiles, as well as 66,000 sample swatches, ranging from 300 B.C. to the present. The collection represents Europe, Asia, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Indonesia, North America, and Africa, with selections in pre-Columbian textiles, European vestments, tapestries, woven silks and velvets, printed fabrics, needlework, and lace.

Considered one of the finest and most comprehensive in the world, the collection of the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art includes more than 1,500 paintings and sculptures representing every significant movement in Europe and America throughout the 20th century.

Dining options at the Art Institute include the Court Cafe and the Garden Restaurant. The Art Institute also has a museum shop.