Not for Tourists Guide to Chicago 2014 by Not for Tourists

Not for Tourists Guide to Chicago 2014 by Not for Tourists

Author:Not for Tourists [Not for Tourists]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781628735819
Publisher: Not For Tourists
Published: 2013-01-01T00:00:00+00:00


General Information

NFT Map: 3

Address: 600 E Grand Ave Chicago, IL 60611

Phone: 312-595-7437

Website: www.navypier.com

Pier Hours: Opens 10 am daily. Closing times of restaurants, shops, and attractions vary by season, holiday, and public exhibitions/ events.

Skyline Stage: 1,500-seat outdoor performance pavilion in Pier Park, performances are May through September; 312-595-5022

IMAX Theatre: 312-595-5629

Free Fireworks: Memorial Day to Labor Day, Wednesdays (9:30 pm) & Saturdays (10:15 pm). Free to the public.

WBEZ Radio: National Public Radio’s local station, 312-948-4600; www.wbez.org.

Exhibit Space: Festival Hall, Lakeview Terrace, Ballroom Lobby, Grand Ballroom; 36 meeting rooms

Overview

A quintessential tourist trap, Navy Pier (a.k.a. the mall on the lake) is often avoided by real Chicagoans, who scoff at its self-consciously inoffensive blandness. Save for an occasional Skyline Stage concert, speed-boat ride, or high-end nosh at Riva, a trek to the pier is best reserved for those times when you have Grandma and a bevy of nieces and nephews in town, not to mention plenty of spending cash.

Opened to the public in 1916 as a municipal wharf, the pier has also done time as a) the University of Illinois at Chicago’s campus, b) a hospital, c) a military training facility, d) a concert venue, and e) a white elephant. In 1989, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority invested $150 million to transform the crumbling pier into a peninsular entertainment-exhibition complex that attracts 8 million uninspired people a year. In addition to convention space, Navy Pier also houses two museums, the Shakespeare Theater, the Crystal Gardens, an outdoor concert pavilion, a vintage grand ballroom, a 15-story Ferris wheel, an IMAX Theatre, and, just for the hell of it, a radio station.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

The Chicago Shakespeare Theater has a 510-seat, courtyard-style theater and a 180-seat studio theater that are Chicago’s sole venues dedicated to performing wordsmith Willy’s works. In addition to the season’s plays, the theater produces Shakespeare “shorts” for younger patrons. A bookstore and teacher resource center are also on-site (312-595-5600; www.chicagoshakes.com).

Chicago Children’s Museum

The Chicago Children’s Museum features daily activities, a creative crafts studio, and 15 interactive exhibits ranging from dinosaur digs and waterworks to a toddler tree house, safety town, and construction zone. The museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, and Thursday until 8 pm. Admission is $14 for adults and children, $13 for seniors, and Target First Free Sundays allow children 15 and under in free the first Monday of every month. Thursdays 5 pm to 8 pm are Kraft Free Family Nights, which means free admission for all. Dates vary. (312-527-1000; www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org).

Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows

Smith Museum is the first stained-glass-only museum in the country. The 150 windows installed in the lower level of Festival Hall are mainly from Chicago-area buildings and the city’s renowned stained glass studios. Windows representing over a century of artistic styles include works by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, and John LaFarge. The free museum is open during Pier hours (312-595-5024).

Getting There

By Car: From the north, exit Lake Shore Drive at Grand Avenue; proceed east. From the southeast, exit Lake Shore Drive at Illinois Street; go east.



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