Chicago Botanic Garden
- Lake Cook Road/East of Edens Hwy. (708) 835-5440
A 300-acre living museum, offers visitors of all ages
and interests the unparalled beauty of more than 20 different gardens. Admission is free,
parking $4.00
Oak Park Conservatory
- 615 Garfield St. (708) 386-4700
Visit all three showhouses: Desert, Fern and Tropic.
Special Floral displays Nov., Dec., Feb., & Mar. Major Herb Sale April 30.
- Northwestern University 1967 S. Campus Drive (708)
491-4000
The Mary and Leigh Block Gallery is the fine arts
museum at Northwestern University and maintains and ambitious and an active exhibition
schedule throughout the year. The Sculpture Garden of the Gallery is one of the major
collections in this region and offers visitors a wonderful opportunity to view 20th
century sculpture.
Pritzker Park
- State Street and Van Buren (312) 456-7140
A block-long park in the Loop, commissioned by
Sculpture Chicago, created by artist Ronald Jones in cooperation with the City of Chicago,
featuring a grove of trees and granite wall modeled after Rene Magritte's "The
Banquet."
Danada Sculpture Gardens Association Exhibition and Sale
- 1S 151 Winfield Rd.,Wheaton (708) 434-0484
Rapidly gaining recognition as one of the finest
sculpture shows in the country, the Association invites you to preview the works of 70
leading American sculptors at this exhibition and sale. This show allows you to meet with
sculptors and enjoy their work while listening to chamber music played in the background.
Special hands-on sculpting activities are presented for the children.
Harold Washington Public Library
- 400 S. State Street (312) 747-4130
One of the world's largest public libraries,
Chicago's newest architectural gem offers comprehensive information services, cultural
programs, exhibits and art. Call for Special Attractions.
What to Do in Chicago
57th Street and Lake Shore Drive (312) 684-1414
About a 20 minute ride south of downtown, has science
exhibits that visitors can get involved with (hands-on), a coal mine and German submarine
to visit, a 727 and an F-14 flight simulator, a five-story high omnimax theater for
"feeling" adventures in space or under the ocean, a chick hatchery to see the
beginning of life, and much more. Something for everyone.
The Shedd Aquarium
(312) 939-2438
Located on Lake Shore Drive not far from downtown, is near
the Adler Planitarium and the Field Museum. The aquarium has a global collection of over
8,000 aquatic animals, representing over 650 species, including whales, otters, penguins,
sharks and eels. Prices: Adults $10, Children, Seniors $8.
The Field Museum
(312) 933-9410
located on Lake Shore Drive near downtown, is near the
Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium. It is a nuatural history museum with six acres
of animals and plants, dinosaurs and mummies, fossils and gems, cultural objects,
interactive exhibits, and life-like dioramas. Adults $5, Children, Seniors $3.
The Brookfield Zoo
Located just 15 minutes west of downtown, at First Avenue
and 31st Street in Brookfield, Illinois. It is open all year around, and has over 2,500
animals representing nearly 400 species.
Enchanted Castle
1103 S. Main, Lombard (708) 953-7860
Chicagoland's largest indoor family entertainment complex.
Experience Q-Zar Laser Tag, ImaGYMnation Station, Adventure Playland, mini-golf, batting
cages, Krazy Bumper Kars, and over 250 games. Restaurant features casual dining menu. Call
for hours and rates.
Six Flags Great America
I-94 at 132 E. (Grand Ave.), Gurnee (708) 249-1776
The most popular family entertainment center in the
Midwest. Divided into five historical themed areas the park features over 130 rides,
shows, attractions, gift shops and restaurants; live stage shows and a special children's
area. Call for hours and admission prices.
1300 S. Lake Shore Drive (312) 922-STAR
Incredibly realistic multi-media Sky Shows transport
visitors to nearby planets, distant stars and galaxies. Three floors of exhibits on
astronomy, space exploration, telescopes and navigation. $4.00 adults, $2.00 children.
Check out the many blues clubs in Chicago, known world-wide
for their music.
Chicago Academy of Sciences
2001 N. Clark St. at Armitage (312) 871-2668
Explore the science of nature at Chicago's first natural
history museum. Located next to Lincoln Park Zoo, features a walk-through pre-historic
coal forest, Ice Age cave, lifelike dioramas of Chicago's past wilderness, a hands-on
Children's Gallery, and changing exhibits on current environmental issues. Adults $2.00,
Children $1.00
The Ernest Hemingway Museum and Birthplace
200 N. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park (708) 848-2222
See where the Nobel-prize winning author was born. The
Museum features photos, letters, videos, memorabilia, bookstore. Call for hours and
admission charges.
Charles Gates Dawes House
225 Greenwood Ave. (708) 475-3410
This beautifully restored national historic landmark was
home of former Vice President and Nobel laureate Dawes. The 28-room mansion features
original 1920's furnishings. Rotating exhibits and various events year round. Call for
details. Admission: $5.00
Where to Stay in Chicago
Best Western Inn of Chicago
(312) 787-3100, (800) 557-BEST
The Blackstone Hotel
(312) 427-4300, (800) 622-6330
City Suites Hotel Chicago
(312) 404-3400
The Drake Hotel
(312) 787-2200, (800) 55 DRAKE
Holiday Inn Chicago City Centre
(312) 787-6100, (800) HOLIDAY
Hotel Inter-Continental Chicago
(312) 944-4100, (800) 628-21112
Hyatt on Printers Row
(312) 986-1234, (800) 233-1234
The Sutton Place Hotel
(312) 266-2100, (800) 543-4300
Oxford House Hotel
(312) 346-6585, (800) 344-4111
Park Brompton Hotel
(312) 404-3499
Surf Hotel
(312) 528-8400
The Whitehall Hotel
(312) 944-6300, (800) 948-4255
Where to Shop in Chicago
Wentworth Gallery specializes in providing a wide selection
of original oil paintings, limited edition serigraphs, lithographs, and sculptures from
artists around the world. At our Web site, you can browse through a variety of artwork
styles including impressionist, seascape, whimsical, and Renaissance. Online ordering is
available. We also provide a schedule of upcoming gallery events.
Please visit our gallery in Chicago to see a wider
selection of our art!
Bloomingdale's
900 N. Michigan Ave. (312) 440-4460
The midwest flagship store has all the fascination of the
legendary New York retailer with six floors of excitement in fashions, home furnishings,
and cosmetics - plus two spas and two cozy restaurants.
Marshall Field's
111 N. State St. (312) 781-1000
Visit the flagship store. Enjoy the Tiffany Dome, Landmark
Great Clock, and Atrium fountain exclusive merchandise for all, antique furniture, Frango
mint chocolates, personal shopping and beauty salon. Seven restaurants, plus a food court.
Neiman Marcus
737 N. Michigan Ave. (312) 642-5900
Located on the "Magnificent Mile." Continues the
tradition and commitment to the quality service and merchandise for which the name is
known. This pleasurable shopping atmosphere offers four floors of American and European
designer apparel, furs, precious jewelry and unique gift items.
Factory Outlet Centre
7700 120th Ave., Kenosha, WI (414) 857-7962
Enjoy shopping in a fully enclosed one-level mall with over
100 factory direct stores, including a food court. Discover name brand, first quality
merchandise up to 85% off retail prices.
Accent Chicago
835 N. Michigan Ave., 7th Level (312) 944-1354
Take a bit of Chicago home! Visit the city's most exciting
and complete Chicago themed gift stores. Explore our tremendous selection of distinctive
souvenirs, t-shirts, sweatshirts, toys, photographs, mugs, and much more! 3 other
locations - call for info.
Chicago Place
700 N. Michigan Ave. (312) 266-7710
Chicago Place is North Michigan Avenue's premier shopping
experience featuring more than 50 specialty shops including Saks Fifth Avenue, Talbot's,
Ann Taylor, Williams-Sonoma, and many more. An eighth-level tropical garden food court
offers a selection of nine fabulous restaurants. Bockwinkel's located on the center's
concourse level, is North Michigan Avenue's only European gourmet supermarket.
Overview
For a century, Chicago has been the
nation's quintessential midwestern city-a city of hard work, dirty fingernails, and plain
talk. Over the years, Chicago has grown famous for its pizza, its politics, its sports
passions, and its urban poetry. But Chicago today is dramatically different from the city
once celebrated by Carl Sandburg and later controlled by Mayor Richard J. Daley. It is no
longer the nation's premier industrial powerhouse. The slaughterhouses are long gone, and
downtown train tracks that once carried cargo from across the country have been replaced
by high-rises and townhouses. Even the famous skyline has altered dizzily in the past
twenty years. Chicago retains much midwestern charm but has a sleeker urban sensibility.
Michigan Avenue's Magnificent Mile now showcases the world's most exclusive designers,
from Giorgio Armani to Jil Sander to Chanel. Michael Jordan has replaced Al Capone as the
city's best-known citizen, and Chicago's theater scene is world-famous. But Chicago has
not lost its basic character. The most popular site on Michigan Avenue is not Chanel or
Tiffany, but the eight-story Nike Town. And Chicago is led once again by a Daley, Mayor
Richard M. Daley, (called "da mare" like his father). The city's storied and
colorful past is not lost in the entertaining and sophisticated spirit of the Chicago of
today. Vicinities The heart of Chicago, and its most recognizable single feature, is the
long strip of Lake Michigan bounding the city on the east. The best beaches are not in
Chicago but on other side of the lake in the Indiana and Michigan dunes. To reach the
dunes, drive along I-94 east to Michigan City in Indiana, or to New Buffalo, Michigan. The
drive takes about 90 minutes. Or take the Metro train from the Michigan Ave. station to
the Indiana Dunes stop, the end of the line. Most of the environs of Chicago are dominated
by suburbs. The metropolitan area extends more than an hour's drive in any direction. But
after an hour, suburbia begins to dwindle, and Illinois farmland reappears. This is the
single most fertile stretch of land in the world, and cornfields run for hundreds of
miles, interrupted only by the Mississippi River, 300 miles (500 kilometers) west of
downtown Chicago. To view the cornfields, drive south on I-55 or west on I-88 (a toll
road). During harvest season in August and September, every small farm town offers fresh
sweet corn and other provisions at small stands along the road
