If you've been thinking of taking your kids to see the new YOU! The Experience exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, this Saturday might be a good time. With admission to the museum, you'll not only get to check out the human-size hamster wheels and giant hearts, but also enjoy the one-day-only Wonder Kids event. This day of interactive science experiments includes such activities as whole-body painting (paint with your elbows, knees or ankles), blind taste tests, fingerprinting and more. The event, a collaboration between MSI and the Chicago Children's Museum, runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Museum hours are from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, and admission is $12-$13 for adults and $9 for kids 3-11.
Ice, ice, baby
Cartier, Boucheron and Tiffany are all well-represented in the new exhibit “The Nature of Diamonds” at the Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive. Tickets, $13-$23, includes general admission. Call (312) 922-9410; www.fieldmuseum.org.
Take part in a Chicago tradition
The 102nd annual lighting of the Walnut Room’s Christmas tree happens at noon today at Macy’s, 111 N. State. Free. Call (312) 781-4884.
Or you could just get lit like a Christmas tree
Kit Kat Lounge (3700 N. Halsted) is celebrating the season with two Thanksgiving-themed cocktails: banana nut bread martini (Vox Vodka, Hazelnut liquor, banana liquor, vanilla, splashes of simple syrup and cream) and apple pie martini (Vox Vodka, Dekuyper apple liquor, Dekuyper butter shots, cream, vanilla, splash of cranberry juice). Each are $12.50. Call (773) 525-1111; www.kitkatchicago.com.
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One of Chicago's biggest lakeside tourist attractions just got a little cooler - and we're not talking about the frigid environs at the top of the Navy Pier Ferris wheel.
We're talking about Adler After Dark, the new, 21-plus program that kicks off this Thursday at the Adler Planetarium. From 6-10 p.m., guests can enjoy cocktails and appetizers while checking out all the museum's exhibitions, sky and space shows, interactive live demonstrations, space-themed pub trivia and even tours of the huge Doane Observatory telescope (available only to Adler After Dark visitors). DJ D-Rek provides the soundtrack.
This week's event is free, while subsequent events (occurring on the third Thursday of each month) will be $10 in advance and $15 on-site.
Looks like the rest of Museum Campus is gonna have to step up its evening game. Get ready for "Night at the Field Museum" with Ben Stiller.
Make Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket proud on Saturday. (via talklikeapirate.com)
Shiver me timbers! Is it International Talk Like a Pirate Day again already? Seems like just last month we were shouting "avast!" at unsuspecting children. No matter. Come this Saturday, September 19, we'll be ready to parrrrrty. To make sure you arrrre too, we've compiled a list of ways to celebrate like a true pirate. Use at your own risk:
Storm one of the many ships cruising the Chicago River and demand to see the "plank." If you can't afford the tour fee, or you're prone to seasickness, just do the same thing at the ship-shaped El Barco.
Heckle the parrotheads at the Landshark Lager Oyster Fest (sponsored by Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Brewing). Actually, we'd suggest this any year.
Try to count all the decorative birds at Lakeview's Parrots. "One! Two! Three! Fourrrrrrr!"
Run aimlessly through noted parrot-haven Hyde Park in full buccaneer gear, calling desperately for your lost pal "Arrrrchie."
Head to the Cubs game armed with some Willie Stargell quotes. See who gets the joke. (Make sure to stop into the Captain Morgan Club to order a noggin o' rum.)
Hit the barrrr. Actually, five of 'em. The Booty Pub Crawl (beginning at 8 p.m. on Saturday, $20) starts at McGee's and moves on to Wrightwood Tap, Durkin's, Duffy's and Redmond's. A buffet, rum punch and domestic drafts are included in the price, and a free trolley will be your vessel for the night.
Learn how pirates really talked. The eye patch-obsessed Field Museum will be hosting all sorts of activities from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., including treasure hunts, sword-fighting performances and even an appearance from Navy Pier's mascot, Patch the Pirate Dog. Kids are encouraged to dress up - and we guess parents can, too. Free w/museum admission.
There’s still plenty of summer left and plenty of activies to enjoy this weekend:
The Lookingglass Theatre, 821 N. Michigan, condenses things down into 2-1/2 hours in its 3 p.m. performance of “The Arabian Nights.” Tickets: $52-$56. Info: (312) 337-0665 or www.lookingglasstheatre.org.
Blues musician Taj Mahal opens for Bonnie Raitt at Ravinia, Lake Cook and Green Bay roads, Highland Park. Tickets: $32-$80. Info: (847) 266-5100 or www.ravinia.org.
“The Fighting Temptations” screens at 8:30 tonight at the DuSable Museum in Washington Park, 740 E. 56th Pl. It’s free.
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Tell us your three favorite things about Saturday!
If you've ever thought you could rock "The Amazing Race," but are a little camera-shy, we've got an event for you. Actually, make that several events. In the next few weeks, Chicago will be inundated with scavenger hunts and races that'll test your physical and mental prowess, as well as your knowledge of the city. Get your team together and head out to these competitions:
August 1: The Great Urban Race will send over 1,000 participants (in two-person teams) all over the city for puzzle-solving, physical challenges and more. The top 25 teams will have the opportunity to go on to the national championship and a chance at $10,000. $60/person if you register by Friday; $70/person day of race.
August 22: City Chase, known as the world's largest urban adventure series (it's been around since 2003) asks two-person teams to complete a variety of challenges (some involving working with competing teams) to earn ChasePoints. The team with the required amount of points that crosses the finish line first will earn a trip to the national championships in Quebec City. $193.50 per team.
True hunt-junkies will want to keep an eye on Watson Adventures, which organizes events throughout the year in museums and neighborhoods city-wide. Upcoming adventures include "Starring the Loop" Movie Locations (August 1, September 12, October 10), Murder at the Art Museum (August 15 & October 31) and the Field of Screams Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt (September 26). Events run from $19.50-$32.
The Art Institute of Chicago — like any great, acclaimed, monstrous museum — is not the kind of place you can just pop by, drop in and dabble. To really see what interests you and to make the most out of your time (and, now that it costs 18 bucks, money), you need a plan. You need a map. An interactive map would be even better.
So here it is. The museum just launched a new interactive floor plan and gallery tour on its Web site. Nicely dubbed Pathfinder, the map allows you to click your way through the hallways, galleries and libraries, showing you the hallmark pieces and information about each spot. You can thus plan your attack and move through the place like a ninja.
"The Modern Wing has really been the impetus for numerous widespread changes in the ways the museum makes itself accessible to all visitors, both virtual and real," James Cuno, president and Eloise W. Martin Director of the Art Institute, says in a statement. "We have a new building, with its fresh approach to our collections, to the city, and to the landscape around us. And now, with our new interactive pathfinder on the web, we are bringing these fresh approaches to the hundreds of thousands of people who come to our website seeking information about our museum and collections."
“All over the world. Everybody’s got the word,” quipped the singing muses of “Xanadu,” and this week we’re all about globe-trotting without ever leaving the city limits:
1. It’s like Epcot Center, but for barbecue
Fork and the Road’s International Barbecue Tour Bike Ride kicks off at 11 a.m. at Pause Cafe, 1107 W. Berwyn. The tour features stops at various Pakistani, Korean and Chinese barbecue joints. The 14.5-mile bike ride and tasting is $50 a person. Can’t make this tour? The next BBQ Bike Ride is slated for Sept. 5. Visit www.forkandtheroad.com.
2. Paris in the summer
The comedic cabaret duo of Colleen McHugh and Miriam Plotkin toast (and roast) the French in their annual “tour de farce,” “Bastille Magnolias.” Storm the barricades of Davenport’s Piano Bar, 1383 N. Milwaukee, at 8 tonight; $29. Details: (773) 278-1830 or www.davenportspianobar.com.
3. Venice on Lake Michigan
It’s the 52nd annual Venetian Night at 8 tonight. More than half a million people are expected to attend the annual parade of decorated boats. Monroe Harbor from Shedd Aquarium at Roosevelt north to the Chicago Yacht Club at Monroe is rumored to be the best place to view the proceedings. Fireworks will follow. Free; www.explorechicago.org.
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Tell us your three favorite things about Saturday!
1. Visiting the Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago, which has more than 1,140 artifacts including traditional folk arts, agricultural tools, artwork, musical instruments and trophies. Then there are the decorated Easter egg collection; military exhibit and library with more than 20,000 titles in English and Ukrainian languages. The museum is at 2249 W. Superior. Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday (closed Monday-Wednesday). Admission: $5 for adults; free for kids 12 and under. Call (312) 421-8020.
2. Biting into homemade Ukrainian and Polish delicatessen cuisine at the many delis found throughout the leafy neighborhood. Pierogi, potato pancakes and breaded pork cutlets are staples as well as deli meats. Kasia’s Polish Deli, 2101 W. Chicago, has it all, plus foods from other countries such as China and Italy. Call (773) 486-6163.
Sam Prekop of The Sea and Cake performs behind the speaker stacks at the Empty Bottle.(Sun-Times file)
3. Checking out the neighborhood’s popular nightclubs. Rock, pop, punk, jazz and indie live music are always on tap at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western. The small, intimate club presents local emerging bands. Call (773) 276-3600.
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Tell us your three favorite things about Ukrainian Village!
One hundred years ago, architect Daniel Burnham had a plan for the city of Chicago (you may have heard of it), inspired, in part, by the 1893 World's Fair -- the famed White City. Now you can get a taste of that monumental event, as the Museum of Science and Industry brings back its popular World's Fair virtual tour June 18-20.
Using real-time video simulation technology, the presentation (narrated by Tim Samuelson, Cultural Historian for the City of Chicago) will feature new elements this time around, including the Fair's recreation of Christopher Columbus's three ships, the Convent of La Rabida and enhanced imagery of the Agriculture Building, the Casino and the Music Hall. No word on whether the "Devil" will be popping up anywhere.
The exhibit runs from 1-2:30 p.m. in the West Pavilion Auditorium, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $40 ($25 for members) and including general admission.
2. In the John E. Larsen Gallery, you’ll find the painting “Last Supper in a Leather Bar,” which puts Da Vinci to shame.
3. The must-have gift shop item: a leather paddle with the museum’s boot logo, just $25. Solid construction.
6418 N. Greenview. Hours: from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Admission: $5. (773) 761-9200 or www.leatherarchives.org
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1. The core of the Shedd’s sea otter collection was a group rescued from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.
2. It’s here you’ll meet Granddad (above), an Australian lungfish considered to be the oldest fish in any aquarium in the world. He is at least 80 years old, and likes to make like a sunken log on the bottom of his habitat.
3. Getting a diver’s view, because there’s just five inches of glass between you and sharks, eels and all that iridescent coral in the Wild Reef exhibit.
The Shedd Aquarium is at 1200 S. Lake Shore Dr. Hours: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. through Labor Day (Sept. 7). More information: (312) 939-2438 or www.sheddaquarium.org.
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Tell us your three favorite things about the Shedd Aquarium!
FESTIVAL SHOPPING
The Randolph Street Market Festival, home of the Chicago Antique and Indie Designer markets, returns this weekend for monthly stints. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday this weekend and then the last weekend of each month through September. Admission to the market, bounded by Washington, Ada, Randolph and Ogden, is $10 for both days, $5 for students; children age 12 and younger are free. Featured will be live music, food vendors and shopping. Regular trolleys run from Water Tower Place, 835 N. Michigan. Call (312) 666-1200.
1. Taking a “ride” on Chicago’s most reliable L car. CTA-1 originally shuttled riders from the Loop to Hyde Park for five cents. It’s now on display year-round at the Chicago History Museum and unlike the real L, you seldom have to wait before boarding the car.
Noren Ungaretti with the Karan evening gown she donated to Chic Chicago.(Sun-Times file)
2. Peeking into the closets of Chicago’s upper crust. Chic Chicago features dresses from 1861 to 2004 worn by Chicago’s elite.
3. Ogling the museum’s collection of dioramas and wondering why the ones we made in third grade never looked this good.
The museum is at 1601 N. Clark. Hours: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday, and , noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission (includes two audio tours): $14 adults, $12 students and seniors, free for children 12 and under. Details: (312) 642-4600 or www.chicagohistory.org.
If you know what these are, you need to plan a trip to the museum.
Ever since Daniel Radcliffe went naked in "Equus," we haven't been able to look at Harry Potter in quite the same way. But we're pretty sure we'll fall in love with the young wizard's story all over again once "Harry Potter: The Exhibition" begins at the Museum of Science and Industry on Thursday.
The exhibit, which has caused quite a buzz since it was first announced, will include more than 200 authentic costumes and props from the Potter films, including Harry's original wand and eyeglasses, Gryffindor school uniforms and more, in settings like the Great Hall and Hagrid's hut. There will even be a few scary creatures here and there, but we promise, no gratuitous nudity.
You'll have to buy an additional ticket to get into the exhibition during museum hours (9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday), combined admission will cost $26 for adults and $19 for children 3-11. If you dare to explore after dark, the exhibit will be open until 9 p.m. ($18 adults, $15 for kids).
As you consider what you're doing for Earth Day (it's tomorrow, by the way), add this to the list: The Museum of Science and Industry is offering free admission all day (9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.).
While you're there, make sure to check out the recently re-opened exhibit, "Smart Home: Green + Wired." Not only will you be able to tour the "Greenest Home in Chicago," but you'll see 40 students from Hyde Park's Bret Harte Elementary School helping to plant a sustainable garden for the home (they'll be there from 10 a.m.-noon). If that doesn't get you in the Earth Day spirit, nothing will. If you get inspired, we've found a list of ways you can do your part throughout the week.
Before Wednesday's through, be sure to take advantage of some Earth Day deals at local bars and restaurants. And make plans for another stop on the Chicago eco-tourism circuit while you're at it.
It may not feel like spring (grrrrrrrr!), but one of the season's first garden items is rarin' to go. Ramps — the stinky wild onions that gave Chicago its name — are celebrated tonight at RampFest, 7 p.m. at the Garfield Park Conservatory. Enjoy oniony dishes prepared by local celebrity chefs. Tickets are $75-125 and benefit the Land Connection.
VIVA MORRISSEY!
British singer/songwriter Morrissey, will appear at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Aragon, 1106 W. Lawrence. The Courteeners will open. Tickets are $37.50. Call (773) 561-9500; www.aragon.com.
JAZZ QUINTET EXTRAORDINAIRE
Jazz-fusion greats Chick Corea and John McLaughlin are two-fifths of the Five Peace Band, which will perform at 8 p.m. Friday at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State. Other members of the band are Christian McBride, Kenny Garrett and Brian Blade. Tickets are $35-$85. Call (312) 462-6300; www.thechicagotheatre.com.
The bicentennial birthday celebration for Illinois' ol' Abe Lincoln continues this week in Chicago — as a copy of his famed Gettysburg Address goes on display today at the Chicago History Museum. Five copies of the address are known to exist, and Chicagoist has info about this particular one. It'll be at the museum through May 3.
One of the exhibits in honor of the Day of the Dead celebration at the Mexican Fine Arts Museum in Pilsen.(Sun-Times file)
Just because the Art Institute is raising its admission prices doesn’t mean that art has been priced out of your reach.
The Mexican Fine Arts Museum (1852 W. 19th, 312-738-1503) is free year-round, as is the Smart Museum at the University of Chicago (5550 S. Greenwood, 773-702-0200).
Chicago residents with valid library cards also can also check out a Museum Passport that gets two adults and two children into one of 13 museums for free, including the Art Institute, the Shedd Aquarium and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Each library location has a limited number of passports for each of the 13 museums and only one passport can be checked out at a time.
And if that weren’t enough, just about every museum has a free general-admission day. Here's a list of times and locations ...
