Chicago Living - Relocation Guide 2008 - (Page 83)

works. You (and even the kids) will recognize four of the museum’s most famous canvases: A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat, Paris Street, Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte, American Gothic by Grant Wood and Nighthawks by Edward Hopper. This year brings a range of new and exciting exhibits to the institute, including a look into the design arts; paintings by the aforementioned Hopper; and the performance art of Mario Ybarra, Jr.. The Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago features five galleries of antiquities collected by Indiana Jones’ real-life model. On the nearby Museum Campus, located just south of the Loop and nestled against Lake Michigan, you’ll find three of the country’s top museums: the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium and The Field Museum of Natural History, which, like the Art Institute, launches press-worthy exhibits with each new season. Continuing through July 6, 2008, George Washington Carver showcases more than 100 artifacts that give visitors a taste of Carver’s experiences within science and education. Travels of the Crow: Journey of an Indian Nation, on display through June 13, 2008, provides 13 objects, including headdresses, shields and photographs telling the stories of life on the plains. The museum also houses many permenant exhibits that highlight African environments and mammals, bird habitats, the art of Japan, Asian wildlife and much more. Diversity in Chicagoland’s museums comes from the smaller museums located throughout the city and suburbs, too. 2008 Chic a go L i ving The Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago features five galleries of antiquities—including several mummies—collected by Indiana Jones’ real-life model. And don’t overlook the Smart Museum, another University of Chicago favorite, this one covering the highlights of 5,000 years of visual art in a comfortable, onehour stroll. Other leading museums in Chicago include the Museum of Science and Industry—with its large-scale artifacts and large-screen Omnimax theater—and DuSable Museum of African American History, both in Hyde Park, as well as the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum in the Pilsen neighborhood. Downtown, you’ll find the Chicago Historical Society and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Major outdoor institutions are just as abundant, like the Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago), Brookfield Zoo (west suburban Brookfield), Chicago Botanic Garden (north suburban Glencoe) and the Morton A rb o re tum (west suburban Lisle). Garfield Park Conservatory on Chicago’s West Side is another can’t-miss outing, especially on gray winter days. Then, there are the truly quirky museums, such as the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidar y Art in Elmhurst and the McDonald’s No. 1 Store Museum in Des Plaines. As for Chicago, you have the International Museum of Surgical Science, the Museum of Holography and the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture. With so many choices, a strategy is in order. Newcomers to the area might try visiting one or two museums a month. Check the Web sites to find out which days are free to visit. Some, like the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Smart Museum and the Oriental Institute, are always free. Also, Chicago residents can visit one of the city’s 80-some libraries and check out a Museum Passport, which grants free admission to the major museums for a week (www.chipublib.org). Or, if you’re bursting with energy, you can purchase a CityPass, which offers discounted admission to six major attractions within a nineday period (www.citypass.com). ■ fa r L e f t : © 2 0 0 7 J . B. S p e c t o r ; r i g h t : p h o t o S ta r r i d e r t h e at e r , c o u r t e S y o f a d L e r p L a n e ta r i u m America’s first planetarium, the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, is home to two full-sized theaters. c h i c a g o l i v i n g m a g. c o m 83 http://www.chipublib.org http://www.citypass.com http://www.chicagolivingmag.com

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Chicago Living - Relocation Guide 2008

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