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One thing I didn't see mentioned in the Chicago Architectural Foundation tours. Their boat tours on the river are the most popular, but all of their tours are great. The Tiffany Dome at the Chicago Cultural Center is definitely worth checking out, and the room it is in has one of the best views of Millennium Park.
There's loads of great fishing in Chicago, this list is pretty good, but there's a lot more in the area.
I was blown away by the list and categories of museums above. And these are just some of your favorites?!!!
Looks like I'll be kept very busy. Thank you for posting the links- I browsed through some, and was intrigued by the events they had as well...the lecture series, concerts, book sales, etc.
We've never lived so closed to a metropolitan area as large and worldly as Chicago...so this will be an unusual treat!
What impressed me the most was seeing the array of ethnic/historic/cultural museums! Truth be told, I was not aware of any museums dedicated to my heritage (mix of Swedish, Ukraine, and Polish). I'm SO excited to venture into these!
So, besides the art, these will be among my first stops!
I really appreciated that you listed these here, including the different categories. Too often, I've been befuddled looking at a city's offerings that are spread out page after page in a tourist booklet - one may miss something, nor see museums like these side-by-side to compare or see the whole picture.
Then, the advantage also is that via the replies here on CD, people can list their favorites, and I can therefore concentrate on these recommendations first.
Thank you for taking the time to post and reply!
Cheers,
Dandiday
Haha, these aren't my favorites though I do love the Art Institute, Museum of Science and Industry, Oriental Institute, Field Museum, etc.
Where are you guys moving from? It can be daunting going through a city's offerings because it's so much usually. The events part you mentioned is interesting as many of these places always have events at them. For example at the Art Institute they will have fashion events where you pay maybe $25/person and get drinks, some appetizers, and part of the museum is opened. A ton of very fashionable people go there and you'll usually see models, pro sports players, etc there.
There are a lot of other places if you're interested in cultural events too. Sometimes the consulates in town will have events, or cultural centers. The cultural centers might not be museums, but they still do programming. Here's a few of them:
If you love the AI, which you will, you need to get a year-long membership. It's approx. $90 for limitless entry, access to special exhibits, and you can always bring another person with you at no extra charge. Free coffee, tea, coat check. It's one of the best deals in all of Chicago!
Agreed. You can do that for Museum of Science and Industry too (includes parking too I believe). Great deal - though I think it might be more like $125/year or something.
art, art, and more art...and history...and culture...etc!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jjjttt
If you love the AI, which you will, you need to get a year-long membership. It's approx. $90 for limitless entry, access to special exhibits, and you can always bring another person with you at no extra charge. Free coffee, tea, coat check. It's one of the best deals in all of Chicago!
Wahooooo!!!! Sounds great. We did the same at the McNay in San Antonio...loved their special events and exhibits. The Impressionists were among my favs...
We also drove to the Art museum in Houston, when they had MOMA's "200 years of Modern Art" traveling exhibition. To stand in front of a room-sized Rothko was mesmerizing...I became a "part" of the color field!
I fell in love with Van Gogh's Starry Night...there's NOTHING like standing in front of such masterful work!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Attrill
One thing I didn't see mentioned in the Chicago Architectural Foundation tours. Their boat tours on the river are the most popular, but all of their tours are great. The Tiffany Dome at the Chicago Cultural Center is definitely worth checking out, and the room it is in has one of the best views of Millennium Park.
There's loads of great fishing in Chicago, this list is pretty good, but there's a lot more in the area.
Attrill, THANK YOU for the advice, as well as the links! I looked at the fishing link - oh my goodness - to fish right from downtown Chicago is amazing! We'll have to explore most of these options. What fun! I love the idea of the boat tour...another great way to view the city and architecture. We did something similar in East/West Berlin. The boat tour renders a unique view to aspects of buildings and architecture not usually seen while walking. Wonderful to do!
Quote:
Originally Posted by marothisu
Haha, these aren't my favorites though I do love the Art Institute, Museum of Science and Industry, Oriental Institute, Field Museum, etc.
Where are you guys moving from? It can be daunting going through a city's offerings because it's so much usually. The events part you mentioned is interesting as many of these places always have events at them. For example at the Art Institute they will have fashion events where you pay maybe $25/person and get drinks, some appetizers, and part of the museum is opened. A ton of very fashionable people go there and you'll usually see models, pro sports players, etc there.
There are a lot of other places if you're interested in cultural events too. Sometimes the consulates in town will have events, or cultural centers. The cultural centers might not be museums, but they still do programming. Here's a few of them:
Agreed. You can do that for Museum of Science and Industry too (includes parking too I believe). Great deal - though I think it might be more like $125/year or something.
OK - that's another great angle. Thank you for these links above! I've already taken a look at the offerings from the Ukranian center...things like concerts, lectures, book sales and the like. I do enjoy learning/enjoying culture from these aspects as well!
Marothisu...I was only teasing you....I knew you supplied a comprehensive list! Although, in all honesty, it looks like these ALL could become my favs!!!
We're coming from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia- there are more historic things to see, such as Civil war towns in Williamsburg, Yorktown battlefields, and some maritime and flight museums.
We did make it up to DC - Smithsonian, the Portrait gallery, and other events. But, that was a 4-hour travel, and the trip into town on the train after that was too physically taxing on me. Chicago, being closer, should be much easier, I'd imagine.
When we lived in Europe, we did manage to tow the kids around to so many different countries, castles, events, concerts, tours, skiing, camping, fishing, museums in London (LOVED them!), as well as the theatre. It all depended on DH's availability (from his job), the school requirements/vacations, and of course, proximity, depending on which country we lived in at the time.
Over our last four stateside assignments, DH's job did take up a lot of weekends (military is 24/7, 7 days a week...), so we couldn't avail ourselves to these events and places as much as I wanted to. Not to mention college kids' activities, too....
His next job will be of similar duties, however our weekends (every other one) should be "our own". We may even travel back to Europe, to revisit some of our favorite "haunts".
I'm still itching to get back to Florence, Italy, as well as Rome and even Sienna. Perhaps at the top of our list, is the fusion of art, archeology and history at Pompeii...we were there with a baby and toddler, on one of the hottest days in Italy . Learning about their brilliant culture was awe-inspiring, however.
One fresco that still stands out in my mind is a goddess perched on a round earth...and architectural wonders including the copper piping that was installed in and under the floors to heat or cool their homes. We only got to see a small portion- so, we want to go back for a longer visit!
Also, Florence is on our list...Firenze is infused with so much history and art, especially within its churches! I loved the pastel colors of the different marble that made up the front of Santa Maria del Fiore, and across the square, the revolutionary 3-D doors on the Baptistry designed by Ghiberti.
The Basilica of Santa Croce was amazing...not only due to the beautiful architecture, sculpture, and frescoes, but also due to the history via the prominent people buried there...Michelangelo, Galileo, Gentile, Rossini, Dante and Machiavelli to name a few!
I also was impressed with the beauty of the city, as well as the notion that these and other famous Italians (including Ghiberti) had once strolled along its cobbled streets. It's filled with an atmosphere of such history, art, and architecture, that is not only palpable, but almost incomparable!
Now, from what I gather, Chicago and it's surrounding neighborhoods also has some quite notable history, and prominent historic citizens as well. So, this, along with all of the museums and events that you and others have posted, should keep us equally enthralled and busy!
So, I'm looking forward both to our new-found freedom and time, as well as the plethora of offerings in and near Chicago!
Thank you all SO MUCH for your replies and information in your posts. As I said, our notebook is growing delightfully much thicker!
Can't wait!!!!!
This is a nice "Things to Do When Visiting Chicago" list and everything, but what Chicagoans do on a typical weekend? How do they fill their time generally? I guess people here take trips to the Botanical Gardens or Field Museum every weekend, but as for everyone else in Chicago, the answer is they fill their weekends by drinking.
I do a lot of stuff. I'm in a sports league; I volunteer; I take my bike out for a spin; I used to be in a Scrabble club, but that dissolved due to general drama; I take a stroll through the park when it's nice out; I'm probably the only person in Chicago who can't be bothered with the lake due to the f*ckery of it all; I'm a huge fan of the improv shows here (Whirled News Tonight is awesome); I avoid Lakeview/Wrigleyhell like the plague; I go out to dinner with my friends; I pretend to be good at bowling; and yes, like all Chicagoans, I drink -- a lot.
Most of this stuff you can do anywhere else, except the improv. LA, NY, and Boston are good for stand-up, but Chicago's where the improv is. Different kind of comedy than stand-up, sure, but very good. I dig it.
This is a nice "Things to Do When Visiting Chicago" list and everything, but what Chicagoans do on a typical weekend? How do they fill their time generally? I guess people here take trips to the Botanical Gardens or Field Museum every weekend, but as for everyone else in Chicago, the answer is they fill their weekends by drinking.
I do a lot of stuff. I'm in a sports league; I volunteer; I take my bike out for a spin; I used to be in a Scrabble club, but that dissolved due to general drama; I take a stroll through the park when it's nice out; I'm probably the only person in Chicago who can't be bothered with the lake due to the f*ckery of it all; I'm a huge fan of the improv shows here (Whirled News Tonight is awesome); I avoid Lakeview/Wrigleyhell like the plague; I go out to dinner with my friends; I pretend to be good at bowling; and yes, like all Chicagoans, I drink -- a lot.
Most of this stuff you can do anywhere else, except the improv. LA, NY, and Boston are good for stand-up, but Chicago's where the improv is. Different kind of comedy than stand-up, sure, but very good. I dig it.
You're not alone. I generally avoid the lakefront and downtown (during tourist season especially) I tend to stick to my neighborhood for most of my leisure, dining and entertainment. I like being able to walk home from the bar, and not worry about driving or taking a cab. I attend Hawks games (and Bears when I can) but going downtown for dinner and/or theater are special occasion, date night sort of activities.
I love the comedy/improv stuff too, even took the improv classes at Second City (which were awesome) but I'm not going to shows every weekend, or even every month for that matter. The thing that actually gets me out the most (besides drinking at my local) is playing my acoustic shows, and open mic nights. If not for those I'd be much more of a homebody. I do a lot of cooking when I'm at home, so I also love exploring the various markets, and specialty stores too for foodie kind of stuff! (Chicago is great for that!)
I'm moving to Chicago eventually and I don't drink. If Chicago has so much to offer and you choose to drink most of your time, then that says something about you, not the city. Just because there are a lot of bars doesn't mean you have to go in them.
I am. My teeth aren't perfectly straight and that bothers me sometimes.
Hahaha ok.
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art, art, and more art...and history...and culture...etc!
. Learning about their brilliant culture was awe-inspiring, however.
