Chicago offers a multitude of inviting spots to check out next week
Spring break is nearly here, a perfect chance to enjoy some of Chicago’s most renowned — and family-friendly — attractions. Here are few to consider when planning a Windy City outing.
Adler Planetarium
The year is 2096. Space tourism is booming, and you’ve signed up for a quick trip around the Solar System with Space Express Tours!
The Adler Planetarium’s Destination Solar System sky show takes visitors on board the fastest ship in the Space Express fleet, traveling hundreds of millions of miles in just seconds to see the hottest hot spots and the coldest, stormiest and most spectacular sights in the Milky Way.
Other exhibitions include Imagine the Moon, exploring how the moon has inspired human creativity, learning and exploration throughout history; and One World, One Sky in which visitors join Big Bird and Elmo on an unforgettable journey to the moon and back.
Basic admission is $19, $8 for ages 3-11; access to exhibitions is an additional cost. Parking is $25.
The planetarium, 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day but Wednesdays, when it’s open from 4 to 10 p.m. and free for Illinois residents with proof of residency.
Visit http://www.adlerplanetarium.org.
Art Institute of Chicago
During the pivotal decade of the 1930s, Salvador Dalí emerged as the inventor of his own personal brand of Surrealism.
Salvador Dalí: The Image Disappears is the first Art Institute of Chicago exhibition devoted to the Spanish surrealist and presents more than 30 paintings, drawings, photos, surrealist objects and more that reveal Dali’s desire to be visible and his urge to disappear.
Other exhibits include Kwame Brathwaite: Things Well Worth Waiting showcasing work by the man best known as the photographer of the “Black is Beautiful” movement for his images of Black fashion, music, and events in the 1960s and 1970s. His prolific career documented the visual culture of everyday and celebrity life that unfolded alongside the civil rights and Black Power movements.
Admission is $25, $19 for seniors and students, free for age 13 and younger.
The art institute, 111 S. Michigan Ave., is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays to Mondays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays. Illinois residents will be admitted free Thursday and Friday, March 23 and 24, for the final two Free Winter Weekdays.
Visit http://www.artic.edu.
Field Museum
For every living being on this planet, death is the greatest mystery of them all.
The Field Museum’s exhibit Death: Life’s Greatest Mystery considers the ways that we experience death, celebrate life and wonder about what’s next — while death is also a subject we often push aside. Explore perspectives on death and life through culture, science and art.
Other exhibitions include Underground Adventure, where visitors shrink to 1/100th of their size to take a closer look at the soil beneath our feet and meet a creepy, crawly cast of diverse characters that soil supports — and learn how every species needs soil to survive and thrive.
Admission is $27-$40, depending on the level of access, with discounts for seniors, students w/ID and kids ages 3-11. Parking in the Soldier Field lot is $25.
The museum, 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visit http://www.fieldmuseum.org.
Museum of Science and Industry
Travel back in time to the city forever preserved in Pompeii: The Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Preserved in a volcanic time capsule after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius more than 1,900 years ago, Pompeii was once a bustling commercial port and trading center. Step onto Pompeii’s amphitheater floor for a holographic gladiator display or to Mount Vesuvius for a 4D eruption simulation. Archaeological details present a unique record of Pompeii’s industrial life, and more than 150 artifacts bring to life how people lived, loved, worked, worshiped and found entertainment.
Admission that includes a timed-entry ticket for Pompeii: The Exhibition is $39.95, $26.95 for ages 3-11.
The museum, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Visit http://www.msichicago.org.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Discover why wetlands, home to nearly two-thirds of the endangered species in Illinois, are so important to our everyday lives in Mysteries of the Marsh at the Peggy Notebaert Museum
See live, local and endangered species — including Blanding’s turtles and an alligator snapping turtle — and explore interactive activities to see how scientists are working to help local wetland wildlife.
The interactive Critter Connection from 11:30 a.m. to noon reveals fascinating information about how the museum’s turtles, snakes and other animals live. At Animal Feeding from noon to 12:30 p.m., see where animals find food and how a museum diet compares to wild dining. And watch swallowtails, long-wings and others at the Butterfly Release from 2 to 2:30 p.m. Check the calendar for other spring break programs available at an additional cost.
Admission is $15, $10 for students and seniors, $8 for children and free for ages under 3.
The museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Visit http://www.naturemuseum.org.
