Museums and Attractions

Rev. 10-Jul-2000

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Infobot: info@chicon.org

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Events in Chicago

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City Of Chicago's Downtown Interactive Map [www]

Chicago is a large, busy place, and there is plenty to do besides the convention. This is just a partial list of the attractions you'll find in Chicago. As time goes by, and your intrepid reporter has more time, this list will expand.

Travel Notes

All directions are from the "Chicon Zero Point", which is the corner of East Wacker Drive and North Michigan Avenue. In numerical terms, this is at 100E/220N on the Chicago grid, with the scale being 800=1 mile. To get to Michigan Avenue, walk west from any of the Chicon 2000 hotels. To get to Wacker Drive, walk north from any of the Chicon 2000 hotels. Occasional mention is made of Columbus Avenue, which runs north to south, and is 1 block east of Michigan Avenue, which put Columbus just east of the Hyatt, and a 1/2 block west of the Swissôtel. The Fairmont is on Columbus. Note that all the streets around the Chicon 2000 hotels have multiple levels, you'll want to be on the upper level.

The most handy map for any visitor to downtown Chicago is the CTA's Downtown Sightseeing Guide [www], which you can find at the hotels and many of the downtown train stations. It combines a downtown map with all the transit information you'll need. If you are going further out than downtown, the CTA System Map [www] and the Metra System Map [www] show the whole of the Chicago Transit Authority and Metra commuter rail systems. Finally, if you just want to drive, there is a rental car desk at the Hyatt, though driving directions are only given here for outlying attractions.

Finally, if you have any questions on directions or attraction while at the convention, go to the registration area and find the Info Desk, where the Chicon 2000 staff will be happy to help you get where you want to go.

Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum [www]

1300 South Lake Shore Drive, in the Museum Campus [www].

Hours

9:00AM to 6:00PM Saturday through Wednesday, 9:00AM to 9:00PM Thursday and Friday

Admission

Museum $5 Adults $4 Children 4-17 and Seniors over 65. Tuesday Free. Sky shows: $5 per show

Getting There

The Adler Planetarium is about 2 miles from Chicon 200. Walk south on Columbus or Michigan to the museum campus, and follow the signs. The #146 Marine/Michigan CTA bus running on Michigan Avenue can get you right to the door, catch it at Michigan and Wacker, or at Wabash and Wacker. The #130 Grant Park runs only on weekends and labor day, catch it at Michigan and Adams, across from the Art Institute . Taxi would cost around $6.

Description

The Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, featuring the Zeiss Sky Show and StarRider theaters. Just completed addition of the Sky Pavilion and renvoation of the original 1930 building. Outside of the Adler along Solidarity Drive is a popular Chicago picnic spot, with great views of air traffic from Meigs Field, sailboats in Columbus Harbor, and a wonderful view of the Chicago Skyline.

The Art Institute of Chicago [www]
111 South Michigan Avenue.
Hours: 10:30AM to 4:30PM Monday, Wednesday through Friday, 10:30AM to 8:00PM Tuesday, 10:00AM to 5:00PM Saturday and Sunday.
Admission: $8 Adults, $5 Children, Students, Seniors (over 55). Free on Tuesdays to all. Special exhibits may be extra.
Getting There: From Chicon 2000, walk south on Michigan 3 blocks. A taxi would cost about $3.
Description: The Art Institute is one of the world finest museums dedicated to art. Standouts include the European Impressionism collections, the Harding Collection of Arms and Armor, the Thorne Miniature rooms, and the reconstructed Chicago Stock Exchange trading room designed by the noted Chicago firm of Adler and Sullivan. Just listing the highlights, though, doesn't do justice to the collections. The original Allerton building, with the two bronze lions standing guard on Michigan Avenue, is considered an architectural gem. Considering the closeness of the Art Institute to Chicon 2000, if you can only see one other thing in Chicago besides the convention, this is the place.

Brookfield Zoo [www]
1st Avenue at 31st Street.
Hours: 9:00AM to 6:30PM daily (summer hours)
Admission: $7 Adult, $3.50 Seniors/Children
Getting There: By CTA, take the Blue Line outbound on the Cermak branch to the Cermak station, then catch the 304 bus to the zoo. By Metra, take the Aurora (BNSW) train to the Hollywood station, and follow the signs. Taxi fare would be about $30. This is one of the the few attractions where driving makes sense. From Wacker Drive, head east to Lake Shore Drive, south on Lake Shore to I-55 (the Stevenson Expressway), and follow the signs.
Description: Chicagoland's largest zoo, Brookfield features 20 wildlife areas and over 2000 animals.

Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox [www]
333 West 35th Street.
Hours: 2 hours before gametime to 1 hour after, see below for dates.
Admission: Range from $22 for Lower Deck Box to $14 for the bleachers.
Getting There: The best way to get to Comiskey Park is by the CTA Red Line. Walk west from the Chicon 2000 hotels to State Street, then take the subway south (trains will be marked "95th/Dan Ryan") to the 35th/Sox station, and walk 2 blocks west. Parking is plentiful by Sox Park (as the natives call it) and costs around $10 dollars, but driving is still a pain.
Description: New Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox, opened in 1991, heralding the return of the traditional ballpark over the multiuse stadiums that dominated baseball construction through the 1960s and 1970s. However, the New/Old Comiskey argument still burns, and visitors are advised to avoid opinions on the subject. They did save the old scoreboard, complete with fireworks, so some traditions remain. The Sox have had even less luck than their northside rivals and are rebuilding this year, which means that tickets to the Sox should be easy to come by.
The Sox are in town from September 1st through the 7th. All games, unless noted, are at 7:05PM. The Angels are in town Friday, the 1st, Saturday, the 2nd (at 6:05PM) and Sunday, the 3rd (at 1:05PM). The Rangers are in town Monday, the 4th (at 1:05PM), and Tuesday the 5th through Thursday the 7th.

Chicago Architecture Foundation [www]
224 South Michigan Avenue.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9:00AM to 7:00PM, Sunday 9:30AM to 6:00PM
Admission: None for the building, tours and events vary.
Getting There: Walk, catch a bus or taxi 6 blocks south of Chicon 2000 on Michigan.
Description: The Chicago Architecture Foundation runs a gift shop and several tours from this address, and from another location at the John Hancock building , 875 North Michigan avenue. Good first stop for those looking for information on the myriad of tours available in the Chicago area.

The Chicago Athenaeum: The Museum of Architecture and Design [www]
6 North Michigan Avenue.
Hours: Unknown
Admission: $3.00
Getting There: Barley one block south of the Chicon 2000 hotels on Michigan Avenue.
Description: The Athenaeum offers a more traditional overview of design and architecture. LandmarkCHICAGO is the main exhibit, covering the design and construction of the buildings that make Chicago Chicago. Other exhibits change frequently, so check the website before the convention for full details.

Chicago Children's Museum [www]
700 East Grand Avenue (On Navy Pier .)
Hours: 10:00AM to 8:00PM Thursday, 10:00AM to 5:00PM otherwise. Closed on Mondays when schools are open.
Admission: $6.50 each. Thursday evenings from 5:00PM to 8:00PM are free.
Getting There: From Chicon 2000, catch a cab (about $7) or walk north on Michigan to Illinois or Grand Avenues. You'll need to go down the stairs from Upper Michigan to Illinois. There, you can catch the free Navy Pier shuttle. Otherwise walk north on Columbus to Illinois Avenue, then walk east to the Pier. The Pier is about 1 mile from the Chicon 2000 hotels.
Description: Three floors of hands-on exhibits. Highlights included dinosaurs, a climbing "schooner", a maze, airport simulations, and tons of activities specifically designed to wear kids out while teaching them something. Judging by the smiles on the sleepy kids I've seen come out of the museum, it works.

Chicago Cultural Center [www]
78 East Washington Avenue.
Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 10:00AM to 7:00PM, Thursdays 10:00AM to 9:00PM, Fridays 10:00AM to 6:00PM, Saturdays, 10:00AM to 5:00PM, Sundays, 11:00AM to 5:00PM.
Admission: Free.
Getting There: From the Chicon 2000 Hotels, walk south on Michigan Avenue about 2 blocks to Washington, then walk about 30 feet east on Washington to the door.
Description: The Chicago Cultural Center, located in the former Chicago Public Library building, contains several galleries, the Chicago Visitors Center, and the Museum of Broadcast Communications .

Chicago Historical Society [www]
Clark Street At North Avenue.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9:30AM to 4:30PM, Sunday Noon to 5:00PM.
Admission: $5 Adults, $3 Students and Seniors, $1 Children 6-12, Free to Children under 6
Getting There: From the Chicon 2000 Hotels, walk east to Michigan Avenue and catch the #151 bus north to North Avenue, or walk east to State Street and take the Red Line subway north to Fullerton, then catch the Lincoln Park Trolley to the CHS. Taxi would cost around $10.
Description: The Chicago Historical Society is a museum dedicated to the study of the history of Chicago, northern Illinois, and the United States.

The Field Museum [www]
Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, in the Museum Campus [www].
Hours: 9:00AM to 5:00PM daily. Occasionally stays open late.
Admission: $8 for adults, $4 for Students, Seniors and Children. Wednesday is free. Special Exhibits are extra.
Getting There: The Field is about 1 1/2 miles south from Chicon 2000. Walk south on Columbus or Michigan to the museum campus, and follow the signs. The #146 Marine/Michigan CTA bus running on Michigan Avenue can get you right to the door, catch it at Michigan and Wacker, or at Wabash and Wacker. The #130 Grant Park runs only on weekends and labor day, catch it at Michigan and Adams, across from the Art Institute. Cabs would cost around $6.
Description: The Field Museum is an enormous museum dedicated to the study of natural history, biology and anthropology. Frequently changing special exhibits complement the amazingly large and diverse collections. To truly appreciate the Field would take all day, if you only have a couple of hours, the must see exhibits would be the Ancient Egypt and Life over Time exhibits. Occasionally, the Field opens in the evening, watch this space or the Field's website for details.
On 17-May-2000, the Field, after years of work, is finally putting Sue, the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever found. More info on Sue is avaiable at Sue at the Field

The Hancock Observatory [www]
875 North Michigan Avenue.
Hours: 9:00AM to Midnight daily.
Admission: $8.75 Adults, $6.75 Seniors (62 and older), $6 Children 5 to 17, younger kids free. (Discount coupon available on their website.)
Getting There: The John Hancock building, with its distinctive external bracing, stands on the north end of downtown. Walk north on Michigan to 875 North-it's very difficult to miss, as the Hancock is the tallest building on North Michigan Avenue, and the third tallest in Chicago.
Description: View Chicago from 94 floors up. There are other exhibits up there, but the city is the show. The best time to visit is just before sunset, then you get the view in both daylight and night. If you aren't bringing the kids, the Signature Lounge on the 96th offers drinks, and the Signature Room on the 95th offers fine dining. The John Hancock Building has several other restaurants and stores inside, as well as a adjunct shop of the Chicago Architecture Foundation .

Lincoln Park Zoo [www]
2200 North Cannon Drive, in Lincoln Park.
Hours: 9:00AM to 5:00PM daily.
Admission: Free.
Getting There: From the Chicon 2000 hotels, walk east to Michigan Avenue and catch the #151 bus north to Fullerton Avenue, or walk east to State Street and take the Red Line subway north to Fullerton, then catch the Lincoln Park Trolley to the Zoo. Taxi would cost around $10.
Description: Chicago's smaller zoo, in Lincoln Park, the northernmost of Chicago's large lakeside parks. Much easier to get to without a car.

The Museum of Broadcast Communications [www]
at the Chicago Cultural Center , 78 East Washington Avenue.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10:00AM to 4:30PM, Sunday Noon to 5:00PM
Admission: Free.
Getting There: From the Chicon 2000 hotels, walk south on Michigan Avenue about 2 blocks to Washington, then walk about 30 feet east on Washington to the door.
Description: Covers the history of broadcast communications, and has an extensive archive of famous and infamous television and radio broadcasts.

Museum of Contemporary Art [www]
220 East Chicago Avenue.
Hours: Closed Monday, Tuesday 10:00AM to 8:00PM, Wednesdays through Sundays, 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Admission: $7 Adults, $4 Students and Seniors, Children under 12 free. Tuesday, free to all.
Getting There: The Museum of Contemporary Art is about 1 mile north of Chicon 2000, but one of the best walks of all. Walk north on Michigan Avenue to Chicago Avenue, and walk east to the Museum. Taxi would cost around $5.
Description: The Museum of Contemporary Art is dedicated to the art of the Late 20th Century, as well as new works. The collection includes more than 5,000 works and features minimalism, postminimalism, surrealism, and works by Chicago-based artists. Also offered are an ever changing spectrum of traveling exhibits. The MCA's new building opened in 1997.

The Museum of Contemporary Photography [www]
600 South Michigan Avenue.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10:00AM to 5:00PM, Thursdays until 8:00PM, Saturdays Noon to 5:00PM. Closed Sundays.
Admission: Free.
Getting There: The museum is about 3/4 mile south of the Chicon 2000 hotel. Walk south along Michigan Avenue, past the Art Institute, to 600 South. Taxi would cost around $3, or you could take any bus heading south on Michigan, ask the driver if they go to 600 South.
Description: The Museum of Contempory Photography, run as an adjunct of Columbia College Chicago, concentrates on American photography after 1959. Traveling exhibitions feature both thematic and photographer oriented collections.

Museum of Science and Industry [www]
57th Street at Lake Shore Drive.
Hours: Monday through Friday 9:30AM to 4:30PM, Saturday and Sunday, 9:30AM to 5:30PM, occasionally extended.
Admission: $7 Adults, $4 Students and Seniors, Children under 12 free, free for all on Thursdays. Omnimax, parking, and special exhibits cost extra.
Getting There: The Museum of Science and Industry is located in Hyde Park, the southernmost of Chicago's large lakeshore parks. The easiest way to get to MSI is by bus. Take the #6 Jeffrey Express, which runs right in front of the Hyatt, or walk over to the State & Wacker (1/2 block west of Michigan) bus stop and catch the #10 Museum of Science and Industry, which will take you right to the door. If you are driving, head east on Wacker Drive to Lake Shore Drive, and then head south on Lake Shore to 57th Street. Taxi would cost around $15.
Description: A staggering array of exhibits concerning science and industry. With the Coal Mine, The U-505 Submarine, a 727-100 hanging from the balcony, among other things, the Museum of Science and Industry is an amazing place, and an wonderful place to take kids, even the 45 year old ones. Touring exhibits add to the possibilities, but the standing exhibits alone make the long trip to Hyde Park worthwhile. My advice to members is to make a day trip out of it, get there just as it opens, and go straight to the Coal Mine before the line builds. Then, spend the rest of the day, and you might at least glance at most of the museum.

Navy Pier [www]
700 East Grand Avenue.
Hours: 10:00AM to 10:00PM Sunday through Thursday, 10:00AM to Midnight Friday and Saturday.
Admission: Free to the pier itself, some attractions extra.
Getting There: From Chicon 2000, catch a cab (about $7) or walk north on Michigan to Illinois or Grand Avenues. You'll need to go down the stairs from Upper Michigan to Illinois. There, you can catch the Free Navy Pier shuttle. Otherwise walk north on Columbus to Illinois Avenue, then walk east to the Pier. The Pier is about 1 mile from the Chicon 2000 hotels.
Description: Navy Pier, renovated in the early 1990s, has become one of the most active attractions in Chicago, featuring resturants, shopping, boat tours of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, a 150 foot tall ferris wheel, a carousel, the Skyline Stage, The Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the Crystal Gardens, the Chicago Children's Museum , an IMAX theater, 30 acres of parks with bike trails and a fountain, and a wonderful view of the Chicago skyline.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum [www]
(formerly the Nature Museum at the Chicago Academy of Sciences)
2430 North Cannon Drive, in Lincoln Park.
Hours: Wednesday 10:00AM to 8:00PM, otherwise, 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Admission: Adults $6, Seniors and Students $4, Children $3
Getting There: From the Chicon 2000 hotels, walk east to Michigan Avenue and catch the #151 bus north to Fullerton Avenue, or walk east to State Street and take the Red Line subway north to Fullerton, then catch the Lincoln Park Trolley to museum. Taxis would cost around $10.
Description: The Notebaert Nature Museum just opened its new building in October of 1999. Features several exhibits on the natural sciences, a butterfly cage, water labs, garden walks and more. Combined with the Lincoln Park Zoo next door, this would make for a very full day in one of Chicago's prettiest parks.

The Oriental Institute Museum [www]
1155 East 58th Street, on the University of Chicago campus.
Hours: Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday through Saturday, 10:00AM to 4:00PM, Wednesday, 10:00AM to 8:00PM, Sunday, Noon to 4:00PM.
Admission: Unknown
Getting There: Take the #6 Jeffery Express from Wacker Drive to the Museum of Science and Industry, then walk 9 blocks west and one block north. Taxi would cost about $15.
Description: The Oriental Institute has an outstanding collection of near eastern artifacts. However, the Museum is currently under renovation, and only the new Egyptian Gallery and the gift shop are currently open. Fans of ancient Egypt should definitely see this, otherwise, distance and limited galleries make this one a probable miss for most fans.

Sears Tower [www]
223 South Wacker Drive.
Hours: 9:30AM to 11:00PM daily.
Admission: $8.50 Adults, Seniors $6.50, $5.50 Children 5-12, Free to Children 4 and under, $24 Family pass (2 adults, 3 kids)
Getting There: The prettiest way is to walk west along Wacker Drive, which will turn South with the river, which will pass by many of Chicago's landmark building. Sears Tower, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere (and some would argue, both hemispheres) is hard to miss. Taxi would cost around $4.
Description: What can we say? See Chicago from the 103rd floor of one of the World's Tallest Buildings. Once again, just before sunset is the time to be there. On outstandingly clear days, you can see across Lake Michigan. The Skydeck is currently under renovation, due to be completed in April of 2000.

John G. Shedd Aquarium [www]
1200 South Lake Shore Drive, on the Museum Campus [www].
Hours: 9:00AM to 6:00PM weekends, holidays and every day in the summer, 9:00AM to 5:00PM otherwise.
Admission: Adults $11, Seniors and Children $9. Mondays, Aquarium free, Aquarium/Oceanarium $6 Adults $5 Seniors and Kids.
Getting There: The Shedd is about 1 1/2 miles south from Chicon 2000. Walk south on Columbus or Michigan to the museum campus, and follow the signs. The #146 Marine/Michigan CTA bus running on Michigan Avenue can get you right to the door, catch it at Michigan and Wacker, or at Wabash and Wacker. The #130 Grant Park runs only on weekends and labor day, catch it at Michigan and Adams, across from the Art Insitute. Taxi would cost around $6.
Description: The Shedd combines a classical, if large, aquarium with a state of the art Oceanarium just to the west. The Shedd features animals from around the world, in natural settings. The Penguins, Beluga Whales and Dolphins are the most popular. The Shedd advises visitors to buy tickets online and avoid the lines, which can get very long in the summer.

Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs [www]

1060 West Addison Avenue

Hours

From 2 hours before game time to 1/2 hour after the end of the game. See below for dates.

Admission

Ranges from $10 for Upper Deck Reserved, to $15 for the famous outfield bleachers, $25 for field boxes and more for skyboxes. Group tickets are available at the website as well.

Getting There

The easiest and best way to get to Wrigley Field is by the CTA Red Line. Walk west from the Chicon 2000 hotels to State Street, then take the subway north (trains will be marked "Howard") to the Addison stop, then walk one block east. Parking around Wrigley is incredibly scarce, expensive and hard to find, so don't drive unless you have a native guide to get you to a parking space.

Description

The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field, one of the oldest and most famous ballparks in the world. Never mind the decades long misery streak that fans of the Cubs have put up with, if you are a baseball fan, you should make at least one visit to Wrigley, or as the locals call it, Cubs Park. Now that manual scoreboards, grass fields, day games, and uneven outfields are all the rage in Major League Baseball, see the ballpark that kept the traditional ballpark alive through the dark days of the cookie cutter stadiums. Wrigley is one of the smallest parks in baseball, and if Sammy Sosa keeps hitting homers like he has been, or the Cubs start winning, tickets may be hard to find come game day.

The Cubs are in town the week before Chicon 2000, playing the last home game on 31-Aug-2000. The Cubs face the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday the 25th at 2:20PM, Saturday the 26th at 12:15PM and Sunday the 27th TBD. The Cub then face the San Diego Padres on Monday the 28th and Tuesday the 29th at 7:05PM, and Wednesday the 30th and Thursday the 31st at 1:20PM. The Cubs then leave town until September 8th.

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