Here are just a few recent and upcoming Chicago happenings:
Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum
Shoot for the Moon
A new permanent exhibit, highlights the exciting stories of space exploration and America's bold plans to return to the Moon, featuring the fully-restored Gemini 12 spacecraft and the Jim Lovell Collection of personal space artifacts.
Telescopes: Through the Looking Glass
The most comprehensive telescope exhibition to date, takes you from the earliest telescopes used by Galileo 400 years ago to today’s Hubble Space Telescope and into the future with leading-edge technologies. Featuring some of the world’s most important telescopes and one-of-a-kind hands-on interactives, the exhibition explores the extraordinary beauty and technology of these amazing instruments and the objects they enable us to discover.
Adler’s Definiti Space Theater
An all digital theater with a 360º screen more than 50 feet in diameter hosts two new shows. Experience explosive collisions, witness the birth of our Moon and take a soaring journey into space like no other in Cosmic Collisions. Or, explore the night sky with your favorite friends from Sesame Street in One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure.
The Art Institute of Chicago
The Modern Wing, the much anticipated expansion of the Art Institute of Chicago, opened on May 16th. Designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, this natural light-filled 264,000-square foot addition houses the museum’s impressive collections of 20th-century European painting and sculpture, contemporary art, architecture and design, and photography. Linked directly to Millennium Park by a sleek pedestrian bridge, the Modern Wing is a beautiful state-of-the-art museum building for the 21st century. Bring a group to Chicago to see what all the buzz is about!
Apostles of Beauty: Arts and Crafts from Britain to Chicago
(November 7, 2009 - January 31, 2010)
The first Arts and Crafts exhibition mounted at the museum in more than 30 years, Apostles of Beauty: Arts and Crafts from Britain to Chicago will present designs by the movement’s most notable practitioners, from William Morris and Charles Robert Ashbee to Gustav Stickley and Frank Lloyd Wright. Highlighting a wide range of objects, including ceramics, furniture, metalwork, paintings, photographs, and textiles, the exhibition will focus on Chicago collections, featuring works from the Art Institute, the University of Chicago, the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, Crab Tree Farm, and other private collections.
Matisse and the Methods of Modern Construction
(March 20, 2010 - June 6, 2010)
Matisse’s most demanding, experimental and enigmatic works explored through 100 examples of his paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints.
Broadway in Chicago
- Jersey Boys at the Bank of America Theatre is now in its third smash year in Chicago. (Throught January 10,2010)
- The ADDAMS FAMILY will have its world premiere, pre-Broadway engagement in Chicago at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre on November 13, 2009 through January 10, 2010. Don’t miss two-time Tony Award® winners Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth in this magnificently macabre new show created by Jersey Boys authors Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice. Based on Charles Addams' cartoons in The New Yorker, it’s an Addams Family portrait you’ve never seen before. Gomez, all mad impetuosity, Morticia, equal parts fire and ice, Fester, restless and romantic, Pugsley, for whom immediate gratification can’t come soon enough and Wednesday, eighteen years old and finally feeling what it means to be a woman. A family that’s quite shockingly, and endearingly, just like yours.
- BILLY ELLIOT The Musical national tour opens in Chicago -- Billy Elliot the Musical will launch a U.S. national tour with an extended run in Chicago beginning March of 2010 at the Ford Center/Oriental Theatre. This is the first U.S. production outside of New York and features music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and direction by Stephen Daldry.
- Shrek The Musical
(July 13, 2010 - September 5, 2010)
SHREK THE MUSICAL, based on the Oscar®-winning DreamWorks film, brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life the stage. Featuring a terrific score of 19 all-new songs, big laughs, great dancing and breathtaking scenery, SHREK THE MUSICAL is part romance, part twisted fairy tale and all irreverent fun for everyone!
Chicago History Museum
200th Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s Birth
(October 10, 2009 – March 28, 2010)
The Chicago History Museum will present two exhibitions on Abraham Lincoln during this time. The first exhibition will celebrate the life and accomplishments of Lincoln. The second exhibition will examine Lincoln and one of his contemporaries, Benito Juarez, President of Mexico from 1858-1871 and how they each dealt with similar issues during their presidencies.
The Field Museum
The Nature of Diamonds (October 23, 2009 - March 28, 2010)
Prized by cultures as a symbol of strength, wealth and love, inspiring extravagant myths and incorporated into powerful tools enabling cutting-edges research,see why diamonds have a special place in our past, present and future.
Mammoths and Mastadons: Titans of the Ice Age
(March 5, 2010 - September 6, 2010)
Millions of years ago, colossal mammals roamed Europe, Asia and North America. From the gigantic mammoth to the massive mastadon, these creatures have captrured the world's fascination. Meet "Lyuba," the best-preserved baby mammoth in the world, and discover all that we've learned from her. Hands-on exciting interactive displays reveal the difference between a mammoth and a mastodon, offer what may have caused their extinction, and show how today's scientists excavate, analyze, and learn mor about these amazing creatures.
Gold: Natural Treasure, Cultural Obsession
(October 22, 2010 - March 6, 2011)
Gold tells the fascinating story of the world’s most desired metal, exploring its natural beauty, scientific value, and its power to shape history. A dramatic array of hundreds of extraordinary geological specimens and cultural objects from around the world follows the path of gold from the molten depths of Earth to glittering examples of jewelry and artifacts that captivated ancient civilizations, from gold rushes that shaped the world to the modern pop-culture baubles that continue to mesmerize us today.
The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
Opened its doors in April 2009 in suburban Skokie, IL. This 65,000 sq. ft. center is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Holocaust and its contemporary lessons, and features three permanent exhibits geared towards ages 9 and older. The museum features many artifacts, including an authentic German rail car, Nuremberg trial transcripts, a ghetto work permit and a tattered suitcase and engagement shawl, along with the stories of the people who owned them.
Million Dollar Quartet
Extends its run at the Apollo Theater in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. This high-energy show captures the infectious spirit, freewheeling excitement, and thrilling sounds of a singular moment on December 4, 1956 when four of the music industry’s most extraordinary talents - Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley - all in their creative prime, came together for one of the most memorable (but least known) nights in music history. There's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on and your group should not miss it!
Museum of Science & Industry
Smart Home Green + Wired
(Re-opened March 19, 2009 – January 3, 2010)
Look to the future of green living! The “Greenest Home in Chicago” – designed by Michelle Kaufmann Designs™ and built by All-American Homes™ - showcases the ways people can make eco-friendly living a part of their lives, with a new focus on what the future will bring to consumers. Discover the new interior, reinterpreted with the help of Chicago Home magazine, and featuring bold colors, fresh green stories, products and furniture. New and unique home technologies are also on display, courtesy of WIRED magazine. Explore the home’s updated landscape, which offers techniques for urban gardening, including vertical gardens and EarthBox planting.
YOU! The Experience
(New permanent exhibit)
This new 15,000-square-foot permanent exhibit will celebrate the body, mind and spirit and inspire us all to optimize our personal health and well-being through interactive experience that provoke questions and invite debate. Discover the Human Patient Simulator that simulates real-life medical scenarios allowing guests to diagnose and treat the conditions. Also, guests can make the giant “Heart” come alive by transmitting their pulse the Heart to make it beat in time with their own. Whether testing their physical capability with a few boxing moves with a virtual coach or playing Mind Ball, a game in which players win by controlling their brainwaves – guests will see themselves – and their health in new & fascinating ways.
Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light 2009
A Museum of Science & Industry time-honored celebration that began in 1942 as a United Nations Day salute to American allies during the war and now features more than 50 dazzling trees and displays, decorated by members of Chicago’s ethnic community, that celebrate holiday customs from around the world. Holidays of Light showcases various global holidays that celebrate light or enlightenment. Festivities include ethnic dancing and singing, storytellers and school choirs.
Navy Pier
Chicago Flower & Garden Show, Festival Hall (March 6 - 14, 2010; March 5 - 13, 2011)
Highlights include:
- Lush theme gardens spotlighting the styles of Chicago’s top landscapers and designer
- Garden Market selling garden services and products
- Garden Gourmet featuring culinary talents of 27 top chefs from Chicago and the U.S.
- Home Market featuring home improvement products and do-it-yourself (DIY) items
- Educational Seminars presenting local and national horticulture and botany experts
- Photography Garden showcasing floral/landscape images by amateur photographers.
- Tablescapes showing floral-inspired table settings for home, parties and weddings.
- A Horticulture Competition
- A Children’s Activity Garden
- Green Industry Initiative
For more information, visit chicagolandflowerandgarden.com or call 773-435-1250.
The Skydeck Chicago
(formerly the Sears Tower Skydeck)
The Ledge at the Skydeck Chicago brings the city to your feet – literally. The Ledge, a series of all glass bays that extend from the building, debuted in June 2009 as part of an updated Skydeck Chicago experience. Reaching out 4.3 feet from the building’s Skydeck on the 103rd floor, visitors will have unobstructed views of Chicago – 1,353 feet straight down. An unmatched view is not all the Skydeck Chicago offers. From the moment visitors arrive, they enjoy interactive and educational attractions that not only highlight the iconic landmark building, but also celebrate Chicago’s sports, architecture, pop-culture, history, food, music and people. Do you dare to step on The Ledge?
Tall Ships Chicago! 2010
Once again a fleet of 20-25 tall ships will return to Chicago as part of the American Sail Training Association’s Tall Ships Challenge, August 24-29, 2010. The International Parade of Sail on August 24th will be kicked off with cannon blasts and foreign anthems with the boats docking at Navy Pier! This six day festival includes international music, ship exhibits, crew challenges, arts and crafts, boat building, maritime displays, fireworks and more. There is a nominal charge for passes to board the vessels. More details.
The Oprah Store
A free-standing retail specialty store full of merchandise that represents the style and taste Oprah celebrates, including a variety of favorites chosen by Oprah! From souvenirs to loungewear and from baby products to South African arts and crafts. The store is located across the street from Harpo Studios at 37 N. Carpenter Street (between Washington and Madison) Reservations required for groups.
Shedd Aquarium & Oceanarium
Fantasea
This brand new presentation brings together for the first time beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, penguins, sea lions and birds of prey in a single show experience, combining the marine mammal’s natural behaviors with a state-of-the-art-theater experience. It is designed to connect guests to the animals and inspire guests to make a difference when it comes to being the best stewards of our planet. This is a show not to be missed!
The Oceanarium at the Shedd Aquarium re-opened in May 2009 after a nine month renovation. The new Oceanarium includes updated animal habitats, renewed life-support systems, hands-on exhibits, and exciting new dining areas. Discover the Pacific Northwest coast — expanded. More than ever, the Oceanarium immerses you in the vibrant coastal ecosystem of beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, sea otters and sea lions. You’ll also find a host of fishes and invertebrates that make their homes where freshwater flows into the ocean or where tides turn seascapes to landscapes and back again each day.