Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Visit one of the many museums in the city. The interactive Shedd Aquarium allows visitors to get educational information through mini-presentations and animal encounters, marine mammal shows and the fresh and saltwater galleries. The Wild Reef exhibit showcases a variety of species of sharks and rays as well as colorful coral exhibits. Special exhibits rotate through the aquarium each year and education staff provide mini-classes on animals and the environment throughout the day in the galleries.
The Museum of Science and Industry on the city's south side provides several floors of hands-on activities such as the coal mine, YOU! The Experience, a World War II submarine, and Science Storms. YOU! The Experience is an exhibit about the human body where guests can play games geared toward teaching them about their heart, lungs and blood. Science Storms lets visitors manipulate water to create tsunamis and air to create tornadoes. Other visual activities include the space exhibit, the five-story wrap-around Omnimax Theater and special presentations in the galleries throughout the day.
Visit the Broadway in Chicago website to discover what theater productions are playing across the city of Chicago. Visitors can purchase tickets online through the website or at the theater's box office. Many of the theaters are in the Loop on the streets on and surrounding State Street. Chicago also has smaller theaters that are not part of the Broadway in Chicago program that rotate new shows each month. Check theater offerings frequently when planning a trip to Chicago.
Watch one of the city's sports teams play while you visit Chicago. The city hosts the Chicago Bears football team, the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs baseball teams, and the Chicago Bulls basketball team. Just outside the city at Allstate Arena you can find the Chicago Wolves AHL Hockey Team. The city has a women's basketball team, the Chicago Sky, which plays during the summer months. North Avenue Beach hosts volleyball tournaments during the summer months, and the city hosts the Chicago Marathon each October.
Plan a trip to visit one of the many attractions in Chicago such as Navy Pier, which offers dining, the Chicago Children's Museum, the Shakespeare Theater, live music, outdoor stage shows and special events that rotate throughout the summer. Check the pier's schedule of events calendar for the time period you plan to visit to see what's happening.
Chicago offers a Summer Dance program that runs from June through early September. Dance instruction is taught for an hour then a live band performs for two hours giving people the opportunity to dance or just enjoy the music.
Chicago in the summer has the Taste of Chicago held on Columbus Avenue in Grant Park. Attendees can sample different restaurants fare. Live music can be heard and cooking demonstrations can be seen.
Chicago also has a music festival almost every weekend from June through early September. Festivals include Country Music Festival, Gospel Music Festival, Jazz Fest, and World Music Festival held in Grant Park. Grant Park supports the Chicago Symphony Orchestra which performs most Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings throughout the summer.