What to do in Chicago

With the World Championships being held in Chicago for the first time, we thought this would be a good chance to introduce you to our city before you come and see for yourself. This may be a first time visit for some of the competitors, so we wanted to give you the first hand digs on what Chicago has to offer.

There's more to Chicago than just being the home of the former World Champion Chicago Bulls (current motto: "We'll play basketball for food.") We also are home to the MLS Champion Chicago Fire, (current motto: "They really, really like soccer in Europe, hint, hint." ) And of course, we have the Cubs and the White Sox. And oh yeah, the Bears. But wait, there's more...

We also have countless world famous museums and theaters. Scenic drives down our lakefront on Lakeshore Drive will not only give you an eyefull of picturesque lake Michigan, but also test your horn honking and hand gesture skills. Along the lakefront you'll find miles of beach activity for fun in the sun. If shopping is your bag, you can explore Michigan Avenue, also known as the "Magnificent Mile," where there are enough stores to keep you occupied for the day; and while you're there, check out Water Tower Place, Chicago's version of a shopping mall. Water Tower Place is a multilevel shopping center with all the fine stores you'd expect from a big city, elegantly located throughout the marble interior of an historic building.

Take a break from shopping and sightseeing for a bite to eat at any of our many restaurants. Make sure to check out the historic Rock and Roll McDonald's, or for a little more personality, stop in at Ed Debevic's for some 50's atmosphere and timeless attitude (Ed seems to have made a living on hiring the rudest waitstaff in all Chicago). Chicago
doesn't have a reputation for great pizza for nothin', so be sure to check out Gino's during your stay. You might wait a little bit longer, but after you take a few bites, you won't mind too much.

We also have horse drawn carriages that run throughout the city if you're in the mood for an alternative way of sightseeing; just keep in mind it's not the cheapest way to travel. And if you'd like to see more animals than a horse on the side of the road, take a trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It's not the biggest zoo you've ever been to, but it is the cheapest - it's free. If you're a more culturally-minded individual, we have more than enough museums and attractions to keep your day overflowing.

Whether it's day or night, be sure to check out Buckingham fountain, right in the middle of Grant Park. It's in the beginning of opening credits of "Married with Children" - luckily
that's not its only claim to fame, it's just the only one I can think of right now.

If you thought there was plenty to do during the day, come evening you're guaranteed entertainment. Whether your interests are in the theater, or you just want to drink 'til your eyeballs float, Chicago has the best of both worlds - world class theaters, and more bars than you have time to patronize during your time here. This is probably no surprise, since Chicago is one of the world's biggest cities, so we're definitely going to have a lot going on.

For those of you perhaps wondering just how safe the city is, I can tell you this - just use common sense. It's not a dangerous town, but you'd be better off sticking to the areas you grow to be familiar with, and try to stay with a group. You don't need to carry a handgun with you - I'm sure a really sharp knife would suffice. The saying goes that Chicago is like New York only cleaner. Since I've never been to New York I can say with no proof whatsoever, that Chicago is like New York only we're hosting the World Footbag Championships, so that makes us, approximately, infinitely better.

Attractions

The Hancock Observatory: One of the tallest buildings in the world offers a deck for you to observe Chicago from above. Including state-of-the-art technology to enhance your experience. Cost- $8.

The Sears Tower Skydeck: The tallest building in the world. Not sure what they have on this observatory, but I'm guessing it's food and a few other novelties, who cares, it's the tallest building in the world, check it out. Cost- $8.

Navy Pier: 50 acres of parks, shops, gardens, restaurants/bars, and attractions of every kind.

River Boats: There are several casion boats throughout Chicagoland, the closest is about 20 minutes south of Chicago.

Museums and Exhibits

A. Philp Randolph Pullman Porter: First African American Labor History Museum in Chicago. A collection of vintage historical photos preserving and presenting moments in time. Cost- $2.

Adler Planetarium: An amazing place to learn more about our universe. There's also an astronomy museum. Cost- $3.

Art Institute of Chicago: One of the world's finest art collections, dating from 3,000 B.C. through the 90's. Famous French impressionist paintings and drawings plus fine decrative arts from America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. Photography, textiles and archetecture works. If you're going to see only one museum here, this is the one. Cost- $8.

Chicago Architecture Foundation: Over 60 tours as well as exhibits, lectures, and special events designed to enhance the publics appreciation for Chicago's world famous architecture.
For information call: 312/ 922-TOUR.

The Chicago Athenaeum: The museum of Architecture and Design.

The Chicago Library: Alright, maybe this isn't the most enthralling idea for something to do here, but I thought maybe it would be worth a look. Lots of history in a building like this. Oh yeah, they have books too.

Cuneo Museum and Gardens: Ok I confess, what you are about to read I copied
word for word from the website I got all my museum information from. "Elegance surrounds you in this Italianate Villa. View treasured arts tapestries and European furnishings. Formal gardens accented with antique statuary and fountains." See, you'd never buy that I came up with that anyway, but it sounds fantastic.

DuSable Museum: Dedicated to the collection, preservation, and study of the history and culture of Africans and Americans of African descent. Cost- $2.

The Field Museum: One of the biggest and the best museums in the world. Whether you want to see Egyptian tombs, or the assembly of the biggest T-Rex ever, the Field Museum is another of Chicago's most famous museum. Cost- $7.

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio: An architectural genius. The only problem is that it's in Oak Park, and not Chicago. It's not too far to go for those of you who really want to see it. It is too far for those of you who don't have a car.

Irish American Heritage Center

Mexican Fine Art Center Museum

Museum of Contemporary Art: Imagine the Art Institute of Chicago, but different. Cost- $6.50.

Museum of Science and Industry: It has more than 800 hands-on interactive
exhibits. Also the Omnimax theatre. For those of you that don't know what Omnimax films are, they're these incredible 3D films that surpass anything you've ever seen with those blue and red cardboard glasses. Cost of the museum- $7. Omnimax- $12. On Thursdays the museum is free, and Omnimax is $6. National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum Peace Museum: An art and history museum dedicated to peace. Can you imagine? Shedd Aquarium/Oceanarium: It's the world's largest indoor aquarium that offers more than 6,000 aquatic animals representing more than 700 species from all parts of the world. Cost- $11. Thursdays- $6.

Sports

Bike Chicago: These guys will drop you off or pick you up. All you have to do is rent a bike or a pair of rollerblades. Chicago is a fantastic place to ride a bike or rollerblade, especially along the lakefront. You can rent either Mountain Bikes, Tandem, Cruisers, and then the inline skates. Perfect for those of you that are trying to figure out if you can get your bike here. Cost for bikes- $8/hour$30/day $49/two days $79/five days Cost for skates- $7/hour $24/day $34/two days $49/five days Locks and helmets available upon request- 800/915-BIKE

Chicago Cubs: For any of you that would like to see these guys play, don't
let an opportunity pass you by. First of all Wrigley Field is one of the
oldest baseball fields around, and in the days of rebuilt stadiums this is a
rare treat. Come see the legacy of Harry Carey live on; come see Sammy Sosa hit one out; hell, just come and sit in the bleachers and get drunk with all the other nuts. The Cubbies play Milwaukee 7/15-17, and Minnesota 7/18-20, Ticket prices vary.
Call: 312/831-CUBS

Chicago White Sox: It's our other baseball team, they have a new stadium and they have a very difficult time filling it. I'm sure that translates into cheaper ticket prices. Come see why everyone in Chicago hates Jerry Reinsdorf. The Sox play Kansas City 7/9-11
Call: 312/831-1SOX

Chicago Fire: We're not the only foot sport in town. And trust me, these guys are good. They're the reigning Major League Soccer champions. The games are exciting to watch and the fans that support them are full of energy. For those of you who are arriving in town early, catch them play the San Jose Clash on 7/10. Ticket prices are very affordable.
Call: 312/559-1212.

Theatre

**Since productions are constantly changing, I couldn't get information on exactly what was playing and where it was playing, so here are a list of theaters and their numbers.**

Auditorium Theatre: 312/922-2110 Tix: 312/902-1500

Chicago Theatre for Performing Arts: 312/266-8444

Chicago Shakespear Theatre: 312/642-2273

Chicago Theatre: 312/902-1500

Civic Opera House: 312/902-1500

Ford Center for Performing Arts: 312/855-9400

Goodman Theatre: 312/443-3800

Rosemont Theatre: 847/671-5100

Royal George Theatre: 312/988-9000

Second City: This is a club where many of Saturday Night Live greats got their start. John Belushi, Chris Farley are only two of them. This would be a great thing to check out if you wanted to see something different that only Chicago could offer.
Call: 312/337-3992

Shubert Theatre: 312/902-1500

Steppenwolf Theatre Company: 312/335-1650

The Blue Man Group:
I haven't actually seen this myself, but from what I hear it's very entertaining. Apparently these guys, who paint themselves the color blue, do interesting things with everyday and maybe not so everyday objects in a very amusing, albeit peculiar way. Ask Scot Hansen about it, he's seen it and he'll recommend it.
Call: 773/348-4000

Thanks to Aaron Dean for the content of this webpage.