Summer In The City
From popular tourist spots to lesser known sites, a Chicago
“stay-cation” has plenty to offer.

By Mike Michaelson

How well do you know Chicago? If you’re at all familiar with the major metropolis to the east, you undoubtedly know about popular attractions like Navy Pier and Millennium Park. But there are also numerous lesser-known sights to see and things to do. In many cases, they don’t cost a cent, from free movies and music festivals to memorable stage performances and lunchtime concerts. Visitors quickly learn that many of the best things in Chicago are free.

Tourists commonly are first struck by the magnificent expanse of Lake Michigan. But what makes the lake truly special are the miles of publicly-owned frontage, creating a recreational corridor threaded with parks and containing many of the city’s extraordinary museums and famous sights.

Especially spectacular on a bright, sunny day, the lakefront is a great place to start a tour of the city. Simply head towards the lake and you’ll come across the 18-mile lakefront trail, bustling with joggers, bikers, in-line skaters and many others — a microcosm of Chicago on parade.

A quick and easy way to join in the fun is by stopping at Bike Chicago (for details, see related “Resource Directory”) and choose from more than 500 vehicles including mountain bikes, tandems, inline skates, segways and a range of other equipment. Bike rentals range from $10 to $20 an hour ($8 an hour for children), with half-day, full-day and multi-day rates available.

For something a little different, consider a Segway Tour, a “self-balancing personal transportation device” that is being widely adopted by police departments and tour operators. Sign up with Segway Authorized Tours and expect an unusual tour of such premier sites as Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, the Museum Campus and Monroe Harbor. After professional training provided by Segway Tour Captains, your tour will yield great photos and fascinating facts about the Windy City. Cost is $75 for a two-hour guided tour.

Steve’s Segway Tours also offers standard tours, priced at $70 per person, as well as specialty tours like the North Tour (peek into Gold Coast mansions and explore Lincoln Park) and an Architecture Tour into the Loop that provides an opportunity to enjoy Chicago’s much-admired architecture.

Those looking for a more comprehensive yet still flexible tour of the city can hop a London-style, double-decker bus from the Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Company. Sightseeing tours cover 13 miles and 18 stops and riders can hop on and off wherever whim or fancy might lead them. And with more than 1,000 free exhibitions, performances and programs held each year in Millennium Park, the Chicago Cultural Center (be sure to look up and see its large Tiffany stained-glass masterwork) and similar venues, there are no shortage of diversions.

Refreshing additions to Chicago Trolley’s line-up are three new neighborhood tours. The new “West Neighborhood Tour” visits Chinatown, Greektown, Little Italy and the Oprah Store, while the “North Neighborhood” tour embraces Wrigley Field, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago History Museum, Briar Street Theatre and Blue Man Group. A South Tour includes the Museum of Science and Industry and President Obama’s “hometown highlights.” “Signature Tour” tickets are $29 per day for adults, $24 for seniors 65 and older, and $17 for children 3-11. Multiple-day passes may also be purchased.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS
Anchoring the lakefront is Navy Pier, a true tourist magnet thanks in no small part to its 148-foot-high ferris wheel, a “must do” for first-time visitors to the city. Opened in 1995, the redeveloped pier offers a variety of other attractions, from street performers and boat excursions to the Chicago Children’s Museum, the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

In the summer, the skies above Navy Pier are illuminated with weekly fireworks displays, synchronized to seven different soundtracks. Shows occur through Labor Day on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 10:15 p.m. and during other special events, including the 4th of July and Tall Ships Chicago, a six-day event (August 24-29) featuring more than 20 historic tall ships from around the world.

Next, head over to the heart of the city and the 24.5-acre expanse of gardens, architecture, art and music found at Millennium Park. A respite from the hustle and bustle of the city streets, the award-winning park is home to work by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry and artists Anish Kapoor and Jaume Plensa. Though officially known as “Cloud Gate,” Kapoor’s 110-ton elliptical steel sculpture with its mirror-like reflections has been affectionately dubbed “The Bean.”

Gehry’s key contribution to the park is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, where ribbons of brushed stainless steel create an eye-catching presence at this open-air concert venue. The pavilion boasts 4,000 seats, employs a state-of-the-art sound system, and best of all, much of the entertainment it hosts is inexpensive or free.

Nearby is the popular Crown Fountain. Designed by Spanish artist Plensa, two 50-foot glass block towers bookend a shallow reflecting pool. The towers’ changing faces feature local Chicagoans as water seems to flow out of their mouths and into the pool — a perfect respite from the summer heat.

Want to get away from the crowds and enjoy one of the city’s many hidden entertainment gems? How about dinner and a movie on the rooftop terrace at the nearby Conrad Chicago? On Sunday evenings (through September 26), the hotel will present a series of Chicago-centric films, including The Breakfast Club, Chicago, Public Enemies, Uncle Buck and High Fidelity. The stylish rooftop terrace offers numerous dining options, including a “Haute Teppan” menu with individual table-top grills that allow diners to do their own cooking.

MUSEUM CAMPUS AND BEYOND
Designed as a lakefront park with easy access to Lake Shore Drive, the Museum Campus is a 57-acre parcel that is home to the Field Museum, the Adler Planetarium and the John G. Shedd Aquarium.

The Field Museum is home to exhibits on myriad topics and exhibits, including “The Ancient Americas,” “Lions of Tsavo,” “Inside Ancient Egypt” and much more. But the museum is perhaps most well-known for Sue, the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton ever discovered, which looms over the main entranceway.

Admission to the museum ranges from $15 for adults and $10 for children for basic admission, to $29 for adults and $20 for children for an “All-Access Pass.” Or head over during one of Target’s Free Second Mondays, offering free basic admission from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the second Monday each month.

A short walk away is the John G. Shedd Aquarium, home to a variety of exhibits featuring marine animals and fish from around the world, including “Caribbean Reef,” “Amazon Rising’s flooded forest,” and the oceanarium’s “Pacific Northwest Coast.”

One of the Aquarium’s newest attractions is Fantasea. This multi-media and multi-species aquatic show in the oceanarium’s amphitheatre brings together beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, penguins, sea lions and birds of prey as the audience follows a young girl’s journey as she learns about the connections between the animals and her natural world. Admission to the aquarium is $27 for adults and $20 for children. Tickets to the Fantasea show are an additional $2 per person.

A short stroll down a small peninsula of land jutting out into Lake Michigan is the Adler Planetarium. Founded by Max Adler in 1930, it was America’s first planetarium and is now home to three full-size theaters.

Popular exhibits include “Planet Explorers,” a hands-on exhibit where children become space explorers; “Galaxy Wall,” the largest, most complete view of the Milky Way ever made; and “Shoot for the Moon,” which highlights stories of space exploration and America’s plans to return to the moon.

Planetarium admission ranges from $10 for adults and $6 for children for general admission (exhibitions only) to $25 for adults and $21 for children for the “universe package,” which includes unlimited shows and a tour.

Venture off the Museum Campus and head south along Lake Shore Drive to the Museum of Science and Industry, but be prepared because there’s a storm brewing ahead — in fact, multiple storms are in the making. One of the Museum’s newest exhibits, “Science Storms,” explores the science behind seven natural phenomena from lightning and fire to
tornadoes and avalanches. Visitors also can step into a 40-foot tornado and control its course, while a giant bolt of lightning cracks overhead as a tsunami wave is unleashed.

Other popular attractions include “Smart Home: Green + Wired,” a fully functioning, eco-friendly home on the Museum grounds; the new “You! The Experience,” showcasing the connection between the human body, mind and spirit; and long-time favorite “U-505 Submarine,” where visitors can explore a captured WWII U-boat.

General museum admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children. Add-ons include the “Smart Home,” $10 for adults, $5 for children; and Omnimax shows, $8 for adults and $6 for children.

GET YOUR ART ON
Should you find yourself a little overwhelmed on a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago, just tell yourself that you really don’t expect to see it all on a single visit. (It is, after all, one of the world’s top art museums.) As an introduction, check out a “Collection Highlights Tour.” These free tours concentrate on a half-dozen or so major works. Usually included are Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Gustave Caillebotte’s Paris Street; Rainy Day and Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks.

Admission to the Art Institute is $18 for adults, $12 for children, students and seniors 65 and older, and free for children under 14. Thursday nights from 5 to 8 p.m. are free admission for everyone.

If more modern and contemporary art is the draw, head over to the Museum of Contemporary Art, one of the largest facilities dedicated to art created from 1945 to the present. Works currently on display include those from Alexander Calder, Adam Ekberg, Dan Flavin and Hiroshi Sugimoto. Admission is $12 for adults and $7 for students with ID and senior citizens, or head over on a Tuesday, which is free admission year-round.

Chicago is also well-endowed with street art in a collection that keeps getting better. You’ll find work by Marc Chagall, Joan Miro and Henry Moore. And, of course, by the controversial Pablo Picasso. You’ll also find memorialized on the street a number of Chicago icons. These include Cubs’ broadcaster Jack Brickhouse, and entertainment writer and political commentator Irving Kupicent (simply “Kup” to his legions of fans).

For art in a park setting, head to Lincoln Park. Fifty percent larger than New York’s Central Park, the park contains a zoo, a farm, a busy barnyard and more than 20 sculptural monuments. Notable works include Saint-Gaudens’ majestic standing Lincoln, the popular seated Shakespeare, with a lap that beckons photographers and their sometimes unwilling models, and the heroic equestrian statue of Philip Sheridan.

FOCUS ON ARCHITECTURE
Chicago is known worldwide for its architecture. For a fish-eye view of the city’s famous buildings, venture out via boat. Join one of the 90-minute architectural tours from the Chicago Architecture Foundation that depart from the docks at 112 Wacker Dr. and cruise the Chicago River. Docents provide knowledgeable commentary. You’ll slip under about two dozen bridges and learn about the variety of architectural styles that line the banks of these rivers and distinguish the city. Cruises are $32 per person and run multiple times from June through October. The Foundation also offers a variety of walking and bus tours.

For a different perspective on the buildings that make up Chicago’s signature skyline, the John Hancock Center offers a bird’s-eye view 94 stories above Michigan Avenue. America’s fastest elevators zip visitors to the observatory — more than 1,000 feet in just 39 seconds. Be sure to venture out to the open-air skywalk, where a stainless steel screen is the only thing between you and the sky. General admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children (under 3 are free).

For an even more dramatic view, try the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) Skydeck. Perched on the 103rd floor of Chicago’s tallest building, the Skydeck’s new “Ledge” attraction allows visitors to literally step over the edge of the building and into clear, glass boxes that protrude out, allowing a view between your feet to the street more than 1,300 feet below. Admission is $16 for adults, $11 for children.

THEATRE
In the evenings, take advantage of Chicago’s vibrant theater scene ranging from touring Broadway shows like Billy Elliot at the Ford Center and Shrek the Musical at the Cadillac Palace; to the Goodman Theatre’s production of Karen Zacarias’ The Sins of Sor Juana; to Steppenwolf Theatre’s current presentation of Bruce Norris’ A Parallelogram.

For those looking for a good laugh, head over to The Second City, a premier comedy venue specializing in sketch comedy and improvisation and a Chicago staple for more than 50 years. Show tickets range from $22 to $27.

CHICAGO CITYPASS
Jump the lines and save some money during your trip with the Chicago CityPass. The dollar-size booklet is valid for nine days and is ideal for a weekend or week-long getaway.

The pass allows the holder to visit five of the city’s most popular attractions —the Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Museum of Science & Industry, and either the Willis Tower Skydeck or John Hancock Observatory.

CityPasses are $69 for adults and $59 for children ages 3-11 – a savings of nearly 50 percent over individual tickets to all five attractions.

For more information or to purchase a CityPass, visit www.citypass.com/chicago.

RESOURCE DIRECTORY: WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO IN CHICAGO
GETTING AROUND
• Bike Chicago – multiple locations around the city, 888 245-3929, www.bikechicago.com.

• Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co.– Multiple locations/stops, 773 648-5000, www.chicagotrolley.com.

• Segway Authorized Tours – 312 663-0600, www.mysegwayexperience.com. Location is determined after ticket purchase.

• Steve’s Segway Tours – Grant Park at the northeast corner of Monroe and Columbus,
312 946-9467, www.stevessegwaytours.com.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS
• Millennium Park – Michigan Avenue at Monroe and Randolph, 312 742-1168, www.millenniumpark.org.

• Navy Pier – 600 E. Grand Ave., 312 595-7437, www.navypier.com.

MUSEUM CAMPUS AND BEYOND
• Adler Planetarium – 1300 S. Lake Shore Dr., 312 322-7827, www.adlerplanetarium.org.

• The Field Museum – 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., 312 922-9410, www.fieldmuseum.org.

• Museum of Science & Industry – 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr., 773 684-1414, www.msichicago.org.

• Shedd Aquarium – 1200 S. Lake Shore Dr., 312 939-2438, www.sheddaquarium.org.

SMART ART
• The Art Institute of Chicago – 111 S. Michigan Ave., 312 443-3600, www.artic.edu/aic.

• Museum of Contemporary Art – 220 E. Chicago Ave., 312 280-2660, www.mcachicago.org.

FOCUS ON ARCHITECTURE
• Chicago Architecture Foundation – 224 S. Michigan Ave., 312 922-3432, caf.architecture.org.

• John Hancock Observatory – 875 N. Michigan Ave., 888 875-8439, www.hancockobservatory.com.

• Willis Tower Skydeck & Ledge – 233 S. Wacker Dr., 312 875-9696, www.theskydeck.com.

THEATRE
• Broadway In Chicago – 312 977-1700, www.broadwayinchicago.com.

• Goodman Theatre – 170 N. Dearborn, 312 443-3800, www.goodmantheatre.org.

• The Second City – 1616 N. Wells St., 312 337-3992, www.secondcity.com.

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company – 1650 N. Halstead, 312 335-1650, www.steppenwolf.org.