- Stay informed on what's happening in Chicago!
Here are just a few recent and upcoming Chicago happenings:
Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum A new permanent exhibit, Shoot for the Moon, 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.
The Art Institute of Chicago
- The Modern Wing- Opening May 2009
o Construction has begun on the new north wing. This new wing, designed by Italian architect, Renzo Piano, will house the collections of modern art, contemporary art, photography, and architecture and design, and will be the largest expansion in the Art Institute’s history.
o In addition to 65,000 square feet of new galleries, the Modern Wing will offer visitors stunning skyline views, an outdoor sculpture terrace, and the opportunity to experience a work of landmark architecture.
- The galleries devoted to 19th-century French paintings are undergoing major renovations. Due to construction, 92 works from the museum's collection of Impressionist and Postimpressionist paintings will be on loan to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, this summer. A selection of works, including Georges Seurat's pictured masterpiece, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte--1884, will remain on view. The loaned collection will return to the Art Institute this December, just in time for the holidays. This is a great opportunity for groups to explore the other wonderful galleries, including the newly renovated Old Masters galleries, the recently opened Galleries of American Art, and the brand new Prints and Drawings galleries, opening June 11
- Matisse and the Methods of Modern Construction (March 20 - June 6, 2010)
o Matisse’s most demanding, experimental and enigmatic works explored through 100 examples of his paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints.
- WICKED at Ford Center for the Performing Arts/ Oriental Theatre (Through January 25, 2009).
- Jersey Boys at the Bank of America Theatre just made Chicago their home (Open Run)
- Dirty Dancing will have its U.S. Premiere at the Cadillac Palace Theatre beginning September 2, 2008
- A long run of the Disney favorite, Mary Poppins, begins March 25, 2009 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre
Chicago History Museum
- Chic Chicago: Couture Treasures from the Chicago History Museum (September 27, 2008 through July 26, 2009)
o An opportunity to see 50 of the greatest couture treasures from the collection ranging from Gilded Age gowns by Worth and Pingat to modern masterpieces by Chanel and Schiaparelli. Naturally, there will also be fashions by Chicago's own great designers, Charles Hames and Mainbocher. Among the enssumbles that testify to Chicago's sense of style are Mrs. Robert McCormick Adams' Lanvin wedding dress, several lavishly embroidered Callot Soeurs dresses from the wardorbe of Mrs Potter Palmer II, and a Balenciaga evening gown worn by Clare Booth Luce.
o Curated joinlty by Timporth Long, curator of costumes at CHM, and Dr. Valeroe Steele, director and chief curator at the Museum at FIT, Chic Chicago will present outstanding examples of clothing that reflect dynamic trends in art, history, and fashion.
- 200th Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s Birth (October 3, 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 exhibitions will examine Lincoln and one of his contemporaries, Benito Juarez, Presedient of Mexico from 1858-1871 and how their each dealt with similar issues in their presidencies.
The Field Museum
o Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids (March 21- September 1, 2008)
§ Discover the fantastic creatures that spring from human imagination and investigate how preserved specimens and fossils of prehistoric animals could have inspired the development of these mythical beings. This exhibition will trace the cultural and natural history roots of these legendary beasts and help to reveal their enduring wonder, terror and appeal.
o Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters (May 23, 2008 - January 4, 2009)
§ Earthquakes. Tornadoes. Hurricanes. Volcanic eruptions. Tsunamis. These immense forces of geology and weather have shaped our planet and our world for eons. While human beings cannot stop these forces, our actions can have a strong impact on how frequently they occur, and on how damaging they are when they happen.
o Aztecs (November 1, 2008 - April 19, 2009)
§ Take a journey from the bountiful shores of Lake Teexococo to the heart of Tenochititlan, the complex and radiant capital of the Aztec world. Encounter more than 250 beautiful objects crafted from precious metals, terra cotta, obsidian, greenstone and other materials, shaped by the vaired members of Aztec society.
o Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship (March – October 2009)
§ Follow the slave ship Whydah-the most advanced vessel of her day-and her capture by Sam Bellamy and his pirate crew. In 1717 it sank off the coast of Cape Cod packed with plunder and lay undiscovered until 1984. It is the first authenticated pirate ship ever found.
o The Nature of Diamonds (October 23, 2009 - March 29, 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.
o Gold: Natural Treasure, Cultural Obsession (October 22, 2010 - April 24, 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.
Millennium Park
Chicago's must-see cultural gem includes the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate- affectionately nicknamed "The Bean," The Harris Theater for Music and Dance on East Randolph Street, along with formal gardens, sculpture parks, public art, fountains, landscaped walkways and green spaces.
Museum of Science & Industry
- The Glass Experience (March 13 - September 1, 2008)
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o Celebrating exciting new directions in sustainable living and spectacular, environmentally-friendly technology, Smart Home is a real, three-story modular and sustainable “green” home located in a park on the east side of the Museum. Smart Home offers guests guided tours of the 2,500 square-foot home and grounds. Discover the latest innovations in reusable resources; smart energy consumption; sustainable gardens and green roofs; and clean, healthy-living environments in a contemporary setting. Learn about the ways, big and small, that you can make eco-friendly living a part of your life. iew master works of glass from artists such as Dale Chihuly, Louis Comfort Tiffany and Frank Lloyd Wright as you also learn how the art, science and technology of glass influence our culture, lifestyle and economy in a multitude of ways.
- Smart Home Green + Wired (Open through January 4, 2009
o View master works of glass from artists such as Dale Chihuly, Louis Comfort Tiffany and Frank Lloyd Wright as you aslo learn the art, science, and technology of glass influence our culture, lifestyle, and economy in a multitude of ways.
The Oprah StoreA 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
Beginning September 2, 2008 through early summer 2009, the Oceanarium at the Shedd Aquarium will be closed for a $50 million renovation. This is its first major overhaul since it opened in 1991 and includes recoating the five pools, updating animal life-support systems and installing new major interactive exhibits. At the same time, they will enhance guest amenities throughout the aquarium.
During the renovation, the belugas, Pacific white-sided dolphins and other Oceanarium animals will be in the good care of several aquariums and zoos around the country that are accredited by the same organizations that accredit Shedd: the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums. Many of our trainers are accompanying the animals, and they’ll send regular updates and photos for the Web site during the nine months that they all are away.
Please note: The rest of the aquarium will remain open throughout the work on the Oceanarium. You can still visit about 25,900 animals in the Waters of the World galleries, the Caribbean Reef, Wild Reef and Amazon Rising, including such favorites as sea turtle Nickel and Australian lungfish Granddad, the oldest fish in a public aquarium in the world. And you can still experience sense-sational short features (while you rest your feet) in our popular 4-D Special FX Theater. Also look for exciting new activities: a dive presentation in the shark habitat of Wild Reef; new animal encounters; behind-the-scenes tours in the aquarium; and a new interactive program called “Aquarist for a Day.”