Fun Group Activities in Chicago. Ideas? (Addison, Lincoln: how much, neighborhoods, buy)

[caddy93]

My senior class is planning its annual senior day trip, and I have to do most of the planning. Our main option is going to downtown Chicago for the day. My class is relatively small, about 110 students. We would be in town from 9 AM to 8 PM on the first Monday of June, and that time is flexible.

I need ideas for activities that would be fun and manageable for a group 100+ 17 and 18 year olds.

I would plan on giving everyone an hour or hour and a half at Navy Pier in the morning, before the crowds get bad. Anyone know what time most of the things at Navy Pier open up, and how much time should we give them there?

Then we would drop them off at the Water Tower Shops and give them 3-4 hours to roam around downtown and get lunch on their own (on a recent choir trip downtown, everyone complained they didn't have enough free time, and they had 2 hours).

I want to give everyone a list of activities they can do in their individual groups if they want. I would mainly list things around the Magnificent Mile, and maybe the South Loop, and things that are affordable. I don't want anyone straying too far off and getting lost. I would list things like these:

Water Tower Shopping Mall - free
Art Institute Museum - $12
John hancock Building observation deck - $15
Millennium Park (famous sculptures, fountain, etc) - free
And so on and so forth. I'd love any other suggestions to put on this list.

Then I would like a suggestion of any restaurant that may be good for big groups (local pizza buffets would be ideal, if anyone knows of any). And lastly, a suggestion for one big activity to do before or after dinner as a group. I thought about a river cruise or tour. Any other suggestions?

I would like the fixed costs (group dinner and group activity) to be between $30-$40, the cheaper the better . Once I get some more ideas, I'll start calling about group pricing rates.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but thanks in advance for any suggestion!

[sfcambridge]

Get the entire class on one of the boats and have boat tour, maybe one that goes into the lake as well as the river. Maybe call a few of them and see if they'll give you a special discounted rate for bringing 100 kids at once.

[caddy93]

So I have quotes from Lou Malnati's pizza in Gold Coast and the original Gino's East on Wells st. They both cost the same amount for the same amount of pizza, pasta, salad and drinks. Gino's also comes with cookies for desert. Personally I like Lou's a lot more than Gino's, but I think Gino's may be more of a fun atmosphere for a group. But Lou's is also closer to where we will be. I'm waiting to hear from Giordano's in Greek town.

Any suggestion on which route to go?

[ChiGuy2.5]

I think the art institute would be pretty boring for most 17-18 year olds. Just my opinion from when I was around that age. Now that I am older I can actually appreciate that kind of stuff.

Anyway, you seem to have a good list of stuff other than that. How do you plan to get downtown? Walking from Union/Ogilvie to Navy Pier is kind of a hike. You can add a trip on the water taxi as "optional" for those who dont want to walk. I think it costs like $4 or something to go to Navy Pier. Also, they sell Architecture tours via the boats at Navy Pier. Check out what a group rate for that might be. Its very interesting and may interest most students.

The Museum of Science and Industry is an awesome place for teens. They even have a FREE admission day for residents of Illinois on Monday June 4th. This would be an excellent option for you as well. Its fairly far south however, so maybe somebody could suggest a good public trans option for you.

Museum Free Days 2012 | Explore Chicago

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by ChiGuy2.5

I think the art institute would be pretty boring for most 17-18 year olds. Just my opinion from when I was around that age. Now that I am older I can actually appreciate that kind of stuff.

Anyway, you seem to have a good list of stuff other than that. How do you plan to get downtown? Walking from Union/Ogilvie to Navy Pier is kind of a hike. You can add a trip on the water taxi as "optional" for those who dont want to walk. I think it costs like $4 or something to go to Navy Pier. Also, they sell Architecture tours via the boats at Navy Pier. Check out what a group rate for that might be. Its very interesting and may interest most students.

The Museum of Science and Industry is an awesome place for teens. They even have a FREE admission day for residents of Illinois on Monday June 4th. This would be an excellent option for you as well. Its fairly far south however, so maybe somebody could suggest a good public trans option for you.

Museum Free Days 2012 | Explore Chicago

If you only have 1 day, and you are coordinating activities for 110 teenagers, the Museum of Science and Industry isn't the best option.

Like sfcambridge said, I think your plan is good enough. I'd start at Navy Pier, schedule an architectural boat tour for the group, let them run around either Millenium Park or the Mag Mile, then regroup and have Pizza at Gino's East.

Sure its touristy, but its manageable.

[It'sAutomatic]

I don't think there is anything at Navy Pier worth doing except special events.

I think just walking around in certain neighborhoods is very cool (and free) if you find the right areas. Downtown and Michigan Avenue are cool, so are Old Town and the Gold Coast(1.5-2 miles from downtown), or the lakefront trail. There is lots to do all the way up to Addison or Irving Park Rd., with more shopping and food than you'll find in downtown alone on the way, and the Chicago History Museum (has a free day, I'm not sure which day).

[caddy93]

Well I think I'm actually going to start the morning at Lincoln Park now, and give them time for the free zoo, conservatory or just the park. Maybe even get some games going in the park while we wait for the zoo to open at 10. I'd have the school buses that dropped us off pick us up 2 hours later and take us down to Michigan ave, dropping us off at Pioneer Court plaza by the river. I'd give them 4 hours of free time, meeting up back at the plaza. We'd then walk to Navy Pier (it's 9 blocks, so I'll offer up the water taxi idea, thanks ChiGuy!). They'd have an hour, give or take, to enjoy Navy Pier (Personally, I don't like navy pier, but it's iconic and people want to see it). We'd board the cruise there. After the cruise, I would arrange our school buses to pick us up at Navy Pier and take us to Lou Malnati's in the Gold Coast, because I like that neighborhood and I think the park would be a good place to kill time before or after dinner if we have flex time. Gino's is still on the table as well. Then the buses would take us back home.

I thought about the Science and Industry museum, as well as Shedd, but those are both day trips on their own, and I don't want to spend the whole day in one building.

[Alacran]

Just buy a couple kegs.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Alacran

Just buy a couple kegs.

Or some Beam and 7 Up.