The Art Institute of Chicago (artic.edu), a museum and school, has hundreds of thousands of pieces of art, including the famous painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island Of Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat. The Thorne miniature room appeals to visitors of all ages, and the family-friendly Touch Gallery and the Family Room let kids interact with the art. Check out the light-filled Renzo Piano-designed Modern wing with its outdoor sculpture terrace, garden courtyard and 20th century and contemporary art.
Lakefront Navy Pier (navypier.com) offers fun for all, with shopping, food, entertainment and nightly fireworks in summer. Ride the 150-foot-high Ferris wheel; spin on an old-fashioned carousel or watch a movie at the six-story-high IMAX Theater. See the area with a two hour Segway Experience (mysegwayexperience.com) tour, or rent a surry for the family from Bike and Roll Chicago (www.bikechicago.com). The Chicago Children's Museum (chicagochildrensmuseum.org) offers more family fun, with a huge indoor climbing structure and three floors of interactive exhibits for kids birth to age 10.
Visit the famous T Rex, Sue, at The Field Museum of Natural History (fieldmuseum.org). There, also examine precious gems and Tiffany & Co. pieces, and learn about The Ancient Americas.The museum is within walking distance of the John G. Shedd Aquarium (sheddaquarium.org) and the Adler Planetarium (adlerplanetarium.org). The family-friendly Crown Family PlayLab lets kids dig dinosaur bones, harvest corn and play in a Pueblo. Download the Audio Tour online so you know in advance what you want to see.
The 10-acre Millennium Park (no website; 201 East Randolph St., Chicago; 312-742-1168) opened in 2004 and quickly became a top Chicago attraction. The Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion houses concerts throughout the summer and the indoor Harris Theater for Music and Dance offers year-round performances. Cool off in the Crown Fountain, where 50-foot glass block towers project images of Chicago citizens spitting out water, and kids splash in the water. There is also a garden, the Cloud Gate sculpture and a winding Snake Bridge.
