Illinois Travel Guide 2009 - (Page 31) Looking for family friendly activities that will thrill everyone in your group? To make the choices easier, we’ve narrowed them down to the top five in each of the state’s seven regions: Chicago, Chicagoland, Northern, Central, Western, Southern and Southwest. With a jam-packed list of ideas ranging from water parks to wildlife retreats, we guarantee that no one in your brood will be bored on their trip to Illinois. For even more ideas, including 3-Day Getaways designed just for families, log on to enjoyillinois.com. Explore the lakefront Museum Campus, home to the Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum and Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum. The Shedd houses hundreds of aquatic wonders. See an exciting display of prehistoric dinosaurs (including Sue the T. rex), along with Egyptian mummies and other natural history treasures at The Field Museum. Reach for the stars and walk with astronauts at the Adler Planetarium. Find waterfront fun at Navy Pier, home to the Chicago Children’s Museum, an IMAX Theater, a giant Ferris wheel, sightseeing and dining cruise ships and the outdoor Skyline Stage. Don’t miss Navy Pier’s spectacular fireworks on Wednesday and Saturday nights from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends. Stroll through one of the world’s most spectacular public spaces, Millennium Park. Catch an outdoor performance at the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, snap a photo in front of the reflective Cloud Gate sculpture (nicknamed “The Bean”) and let the kids splash around in the multimedia Crown Fountain, where projected faces of Chicagoans playfully spurt water. Located in the heart of the city, the free Lincoln Park Zoo features an impressive ape house, the Farm-in-the-Zoo, a charming children’s zoo, a carousel ride and paddleboats in the lagoon. Grab a snack at the organic concession stand, offering healthy locally grown foods, including veggie paninis and turkey dogs for the kids. Catch ZooLights during the holidays, when the zoo features glittering COURTESY OF ADLER PLANETARIUM ROBERT GARCIA c HICAGO light displays and seasonal family activities. Spend the day at the Museum of Science and Industry, a massive museum with more than 800 exhibits, including the U-505 Submarine and the newly rehabbed Coal Mine. Take a seat at the museum’s Omnimax Theater and watch awesome 3-D flicks on a giant screen. In early 2009, visitors can enjoy the Cabaret Mechanical Theater exhibit, a collection of 20 mechanical sculptures that guests will be able to bring to life with the touch of a button. The Omnimax Theater will show Wild Ocean, a film featuring an underwater feeding frenzy with some of the ocean’s greatest animals. Clockwise: A whirl of fun at Navy Pier, the popular reflective Cloud Gate sculpture at Millennium Park, out-of-this-world sky shows at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, kooky creations at Legoland Discovery Center 800/2CONNECT ILLINOIS. MILE AFTER MAGNIFICENT MILE. 31 http://www.enjoyillinois.com
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