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Tours in Chicago |
Brookfield Zoo
Naturalistic settings aim to make visitors think they are in the wild, though sometimes hordes of school children make it seem otherwise. The nearly 67-hectare (200-acre) facility is home to more than 3,000 animals. Monkeys, birds and otters are found in the Tropical World, while sharks, seals and jellyfish inhabit the Living Coast. There are daily dolphin shows and Hamill Family Zoo, plus a petting zoo where kids can be zookeepers, vets and gardeners. The zoo's latest exhibit, Stingray Bay, allows visitors to interact with stingrays and is proving extremely popular with younger children.
3300 Golf Road, Brookfield
Tel: (708) 485 0263 or 1 866 468 6966 (for out of area).
Website: www.brookfieldzoo.org
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (Nov-Mar); weekdays 1000-1700, weekends 1000- 1800 (Apr-late May and early Sep-Oct); Daily 0930-1800 (late May-early Sep).
Admission charge.
DuSable Museum of African American History
With the aid of artefacts, books, slave documents, civil rights memorabilia, paintings, drawings and sculpture, the DuSable Museum, the country's oldest museum of its kind, dedicates itself to preserving and interpreting African Americans' history and culture. Exhibits about the Underground Railroad, the Civil Rights Movement and Hale Woodruff murals, illustrating the slave ship Amistad, educate visitors about the turbulent history of African Americans.
740 East 56th Place (57th Street and South Cottage Grove Avenue)
Tel: (773) 947 0600.
Website: www.dusablemuseum.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700.
Admission charge.
Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo, which sits alongside Lake Michigan, has been a favourite to both locals and visitors since 1868. Though it is noted for its Great Ape, Elephant and Lion Houses, other buildings in the nation's first urban zoo tend to simulate natural habitats. The Regenstein Small Mammal and Reptile House has a glass dome roof that serves to replicate a jungle, river and forest environment. You will find cuddly koalas here too. While away your time amid orchids and lush greenery at the nearby Lincoln Park Conservatory (2200 North Stockton Drive).
2200 North Cannon Drive
Tel: (312) 742 2000.
Website: www.lpzoo.org
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700, buildings close 1630 (Nov-Mar); 0700-1830 (Apr-late May and early Sep-Oct); 0900-1900 (late May-early Sep).
Free admission.
Macy's (formerly Marshall Field's)
One of the earliest department stores in the world, Marshall Field's (now Macy's) was to Chicago what Harrods is to London - much more than just a place to shop. Designed by Daniel Burnham in a neo-classical style, the State Street store opened in 1907. Its green clock at the State and Randolph entrance has become a Chicago landmark. A visit is as much an architectural experience as it is a consumer one. The building has distinct courtyards, one resembling an Italian palazzo, a striking Tiffany dome of mosaic glass, a calming fountain and gilded pillars. For lunch, try the famous Walnut Room and don't forget to sample Frango mints, which are a speciality.
111 North State Street
Tel: (312) 781 1000.
Website: www.macys.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-2000, Sat 0900-2100, Sun 1100-2000.
Free admission.
National Vietnam Veterans' Art Museum
Enter to the sound of tinkling bells, then look toward the ceiling and see Above and Beyond: 58,000 imprinted dog tags of the men and women who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. This gem of a museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving and displaying artwork done by Vietnam veterans, which includes the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese as well as the allies. Artefacts and artwork give one a more intimate look and a better understanding of a most unpopular war.
1801 South Indiana Avenue
Tel: (312) 326 0270.
Website: www.nvvam.org
Opening hours: Tues-Fri: 1100-1800, Sat: 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
The Oprah Winfrey Show
Everyone wants to see Oprah and her popular TV talk show. It is possible to do just that because programmes are recorded in Chicago with a live audience. Morning and afternoon dates vary and go from Jan-Jun and Sep-Nov. Tickets, available exclusively by phone at the ticket hotline: (312) 591 9222, are at a premium and must be obtained at least one month in advance. A valid photo ID is required to enter the studio.
Harpo Studios, 1058 West Washington Boulevard
Tel: (312) 591 9222.
Website: www.oprah.com
Free admission.
Oriental Institute Museum
Having done a lot of archaeological digs and studies in the Near East, the University of Chicago uses this venue to showcase its major collections from Egypt, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria and Turkey. Reliefs, jewellery, pottery, bronzes, cuneiforms and mummies dating from 4000 BC to 1300 AD grace the galleries. Most impressive is the 4-ton, 16-ft human headed winged bull from an Assyrian palace. It dominates the Mesopotamian Gallery.
1155 East 58th Street
Tel: (773) 702 9514.
Website: www.oi.uchicago.edu
Opening hours: Tues, Thurs-Sat 1000-1800, Wed 1000-2030, Sun 1200-1800. Free admission, a donation of US$5 is suggested.
The Notebaert Nature Museum
Feel the tickle of a butterfly as you walk amid hundreds of Midwest species of them. The exhibits in this wonderful nature museum help kids of all ages (as well as those who are still big kids at heart) to learn about the impact of lakes and rivers. The museum's huge windows reveal the outdoor nature of the surrounding Lincoln Park.
2430 North Cannon Drive
Tel: (773) 755 5100.
Website: www.chias.org
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1630, Sat-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum
To help visitors understand, value and protect freedom, the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum explores the US Constitution's First Amendment: ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances.' Exhibits explain influences on basic American freedoms and the struggle to preserve them. Freedom's history and issues such as Native American, civil, immigrant and worker rights are also examined.
445 North Michigan Avenue
Tel: (312) 222 4860.
Website: www.freedommuseum.us
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 1000-1800.Admission charge.
Naturalistic settings aim to make visitors think they are in the wild, though sometimes hordes of school children make it seem otherwise. The nearly 67-hectare (200-acre) facility is home to more than 3,000 animals. Monkeys, birds and otters are found in the Tropical World, while sharks, seals and jellyfish inhabit the Living Coast. There are daily dolphin shows and Hamill Family Zoo, plus a petting zoo where kids can be zookeepers, vets and gardeners. The zoo's latest exhibit, Stingray Bay, allows visitors to interact with stingrays and is proving extremely popular with younger children.
3300 Golf Road, Brookfield
Tel: (708) 485 0263 or 1 866 468 6966 (for out of area).
Website: www.brookfieldzoo.org
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (Nov-Mar); weekdays 1000-1700, weekends 1000- 1800 (Apr-late May and early Sep-Oct); Daily 0930-1800 (late May-early Sep).
Admission charge.
DuSable Museum of African American History
With the aid of artefacts, books, slave documents, civil rights memorabilia, paintings, drawings and sculpture, the DuSable Museum, the country's oldest museum of its kind, dedicates itself to preserving and interpreting African Americans' history and culture. Exhibits about the Underground Railroad, the Civil Rights Movement and Hale Woodruff murals, illustrating the slave ship Amistad, educate visitors about the turbulent history of African Americans.
740 East 56th Place (57th Street and South Cottage Grove Avenue)
Tel: (773) 947 0600.
Website: www.dusablemuseum.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700.
Admission charge.
Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo, which sits alongside Lake Michigan, has been a favourite to both locals and visitors since 1868. Though it is noted for its Great Ape, Elephant and Lion Houses, other buildings in the nation's first urban zoo tend to simulate natural habitats. The Regenstein Small Mammal and Reptile House has a glass dome roof that serves to replicate a jungle, river and forest environment. You will find cuddly koalas here too. While away your time amid orchids and lush greenery at the nearby Lincoln Park Conservatory (2200 North Stockton Drive).
2200 North Cannon Drive
Tel: (312) 742 2000.
Website: www.lpzoo.org
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700, buildings close 1630 (Nov-Mar); 0700-1830 (Apr-late May and early Sep-Oct); 0900-1900 (late May-early Sep).
Free admission.
Macy's (formerly Marshall Field's)
One of the earliest department stores in the world, Marshall Field's (now Macy's) was to Chicago what Harrods is to London - much more than just a place to shop. Designed by Daniel Burnham in a neo-classical style, the State Street store opened in 1907. Its green clock at the State and Randolph entrance has become a Chicago landmark. A visit is as much an architectural experience as it is a consumer one. The building has distinct courtyards, one resembling an Italian palazzo, a striking Tiffany dome of mosaic glass, a calming fountain and gilded pillars. For lunch, try the famous Walnut Room and don't forget to sample Frango mints, which are a speciality.
111 North State Street
Tel: (312) 781 1000.
Website: www.macys.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-2000, Sat 0900-2100, Sun 1100-2000.
Free admission.
National Vietnam Veterans' Art Museum
Enter to the sound of tinkling bells, then look toward the ceiling and see Above and Beyond: 58,000 imprinted dog tags of the men and women who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. This gem of a museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving and displaying artwork done by Vietnam veterans, which includes the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese as well as the allies. Artefacts and artwork give one a more intimate look and a better understanding of a most unpopular war.
1801 South Indiana Avenue
Tel: (312) 326 0270.
Website: www.nvvam.org
Opening hours: Tues-Fri: 1100-1800, Sat: 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
The Oprah Winfrey Show
Everyone wants to see Oprah and her popular TV talk show. It is possible to do just that because programmes are recorded in Chicago with a live audience. Morning and afternoon dates vary and go from Jan-Jun and Sep-Nov. Tickets, available exclusively by phone at the ticket hotline: (312) 591 9222, are at a premium and must be obtained at least one month in advance. A valid photo ID is required to enter the studio.
Harpo Studios, 1058 West Washington Boulevard
Tel: (312) 591 9222.
Website: www.oprah.com
Free admission.
Oriental Institute Museum
Having done a lot of archaeological digs and studies in the Near East, the University of Chicago uses this venue to showcase its major collections from Egypt, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria and Turkey. Reliefs, jewellery, pottery, bronzes, cuneiforms and mummies dating from 4000 BC to 1300 AD grace the galleries. Most impressive is the 4-ton, 16-ft human headed winged bull from an Assyrian palace. It dominates the Mesopotamian Gallery.
1155 East 58th Street
Tel: (773) 702 9514.
Website: www.oi.uchicago.edu
Opening hours: Tues, Thurs-Sat 1000-1800, Wed 1000-2030, Sun 1200-1800. Free admission, a donation of US$5 is suggested.
The Notebaert Nature Museum
Feel the tickle of a butterfly as you walk amid hundreds of Midwest species of them. The exhibits in this wonderful nature museum help kids of all ages (as well as those who are still big kids at heart) to learn about the impact of lakes and rivers. The museum's huge windows reveal the outdoor nature of the surrounding Lincoln Park.
2430 North Cannon Drive
Tel: (773) 755 5100.
Website: www.chias.org
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1630, Sat-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum
To help visitors understand, value and protect freedom, the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum explores the US Constitution's First Amendment: ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances.' Exhibits explain influences on basic American freedoms and the struggle to preserve them. Freedom's history and issues such as Native American, civil, immigrant and worker rights are also examined.
445 North Michigan Avenue
Tel: (312) 222 4860.
Website: www.freedommuseum.us
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 1000-1800.Admission charge.
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