As the Midwest’s largest and most nationally recognized city, Chicago is no doubt an ideal location for a weekend getaway. With its many cultural, natural and historical locations to explore, it may seem an outing to the Windy City would be out of reach. In reality, seeing the sights of one of the country’s most cosmopolitan cities can be done on a dime with a little creativity and adventurous spirit.
Bike Chicago www.bikechicago.com
888-245-3929
Explore Chicago on wheels. Rent a bicycles, segways or skates by the hour, day or week. You can tour on your own or join a guided bike tour. Bikes include free locks, riding maps and safety gear.
Rental prices vary depending on chosen equipment and tour length. Visit the Web site for detailed pricing information.
Chicago Botanic Garden www.chicago-botanic.org
1000 Lake Cooke Road
847-835-5440
Enjoy an outdoor walk through the gardens to bird watch and explore nature’s beauty or stroll indoors through the Greenhouses.
Open 8 a.m.-sunset. Parking $20 per car.
Garfield Park Conservatory www.garfield-conservatory.com
300 North Central Park Avenue
312-746-5100
Visit one of the largest botanical conservatories in the world and strengthen your family’s knowledge of how nature works. The kids can get interactive at Elizabeth Morse Genius Children’s garden, and the parents can pick up gardening tips from the Garfield gardeners.
Open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with extended hours Wednesdays until 8 p.m.
Lincoln Park Conservatory www.chicagoparkdistrict.com
2391 North Stockton Drive
312-742-7736
Step inside a tropical rainforest in the heart of Lincoln Park. Constructed between 1890 and 1895, the Conservatory was designed to showcase exotic plants and grow the thousands of plans needed to keep the park looking natural and green.
Lincoln Park Zoo www.lpzoo.com
2001 North Clark Street
312-742-2000
A world of wildlife, Lincoln Park zoo serves as a free adventure for animal lovers with a metropolitan spirit. With the skyline of Chicago looming in the distance, visitors can visit the natives of tropical rainforests and African plains.
Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
The Magnificent Mile www.themagnificentmile.com
312-642-3570
Window shop down one of the country’s most famous shopping streets. Explore more than 460 stores and boutiques and dine in any of district’s more than 200 restaurants.
Millennium Park www.millenniumpark.org
55 North Michigan Avenue
312-742-1168
See for yourself why Millennium Park is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design by visiting the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, interactive Crowne Fountain and contemporary Lurie Garden. And, of course, you can’t visit Chicago without a picture with Anish Kapoor’s famous Cloud Gate sculpture or "The Bean."
Museum of Contemporary Photography www.mocp.org
600 South Michigan Avenue
312-663-5554
The only museum in the Midwest with an exclusive commitment to the medium of photography through contemporary aesthetics and technologies.
Open Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thurs, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. Noon-5 p.m.
Navy Pier www.navypier.com
600 East Grand Avenue
312-595-PIER
A trip to Chicago isn’t complete without a visit to Chicago’s lakefront playground. Open year-round, there’s no reason not to visit the collection of restaurants and shops at Navy Pier. Take a ride on the 15-story tall McDonald’s Ferris wheel, catch a movie at the IMAX Theatre or take a mini-cruise departing from the South Dock.
Smart Museum of Art www.smartmuseum.uchicago.edu
5550 South Greenwood Avenue
773-702-0200
Located on the University of Chicago’s Hyde Park campus, this museum houses more than 10,000 pieces of Western and Eastern civilization art. Smart Museum’s educational programs make it one of the Midwest’s most dynamic and innovative visual art institutions.
Open Tues., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Thurs. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
