My son will be working in Danville Ill. for 2 weeks. He wants to visit Chicago for the weekend on a limited budget. Since none of us has ever visited Chicago (except on long layovers at ORD) can you suggest places to see and things to do for a 22 year old?

He would like to stay in an inexpensive motel where he doesn't have to pay for overnight parking ( as close in to town as possible) and then take public transportation for everything else. We will welcome suggestions where he should stay and things to do and the best way to get around.

He is a baseball fan and will probably take in a baseball game if either the Cubs or White Sox is home.

http://www.hichicago.org/ Hostel in downtown Chicago. Even though they have pay parking, the overall rate would be ~$50/night for bed & car, no curfew. Also offer some discount possiblities at local establishments.

Lincoln Park Zoo is free. Lakefront parks are full of young people, particularly Lincoln Park & Grant Park.

Museums are pretty cheap, some offer student discounts if he's still in school/has valid ID. Art Institute, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum of Natural History, Science & Industry- those are jsut the biggies. There are others less well known.

Cubs at Wrigley is a fun time - careful of scalpers. Sometimes their tickets are pretty bad/obstructed views. Don't buy right off of the L or right by the gate. Shop around, try to get a seating chart so you can tell what you are buying.

Blues clubs can be fun, with a reasonable door charge and low minimums. Excellent entertainment. Ask for recommendations at hostel for specific clubs?

Take the L to Oak Park and walk around Frank Lloyd Wright's old neighborhood for free. Tourhis home/studio for a fee.

Architectural double decker bus tour around downtown - takes you to all the significant sites/buildings. Can get off/on anywhere and back on for same fee. Excellent way to catch everything - Sears Tower, Hancock, Watertower Place, Wrigley Building, Tribune building, Art Museum, Field Museum, Daly Plaza, etc. Ride the upper deck for much better views, obviously.

Explore the 'net for info. There's an incredible amount to do in Chicago. Great city!


P.S. - will undoubtedly get the chance to meet other young people from around the world in the hostel.

Great ideas in above post.

He should also pick up copies of TIME OUT Chicago magazine for the weeks he is there. I have a subscription, but I think it must be available Wed. or Thurs. on newsstands for the following week, beginning with Friday coverage.

Of course, the Sun-Times and TRIBUNE will have a ton of stuff, too. Also the local freebie giveaway papers like NEW CITY and THE READER. And the website www.metromix.com will let him schedule out more in advance.

Another possibility for him to consider is the City Pass (http://citypass.com/city/chicago.html), which will get him into the following for a total of $49.50, 50% off the regular admission prices:

� The Hancock Observatory
� The Art Institute of Chicago
� The Field Museum
� Shedd Aquarium
� Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum
� Museum of Science and Industry

He may possibly do better with student admissions, or by carefully going on "free days." But the Shedd is now up to $23 per adult admission.

Thank you very much for the useful information. My son is on his way to Chicago at the moment and he is armed with the above info. He told me he is going to the Cubs game on Sunday for sure.

If he has not bought his ticket, as an out of town Cubbie fan, I highly recommend the experience of sitting on the benches in the outfield. A great experience. My brother and I went last year. Got there early, and got first row seats in the outfield. (THey are 1st come 1st serve). We almost cought a home run ball by Aramis Ramirez when it landed in the basket right in front of us (the proceeded to go through a hole). We were on SPortcenter and all the local sports reports because we were right behind the home run ball! Also, as a young guy who probably loves Pizza, he should try Pizzeria Uno or Due. If he is into war things, there is a war museum and historical home tour at a place called Cantigny which is in the Western Burbs. It was really interesting. Also, a trip to the Bar on the top floor of the Hancock Tower provides an awesome view of Chicago.

We call 'em the bleachers, and they are definitely the best seats in baseball! Can be a bit $$$ to get tickets sometimes though.

If he has time for only one museum, I'd recommend a quick visit to the Art Institute for a look at two really great icons of art, one French Impressionist and the other a slice of Americana:

A Sunday Afternoon on the Islanf of La Grande Jatte (George Seurat):

http://cgfa.sunsite.dk/seurat/seurat1.jpg


American Gothic (Grant Wood):

http://cgfa.sunsite.dk/w/wood2.jpg

Do they still display Wood's American Gothic and Hopper's Nighthawks side-by-side? I always found that interesting.

Enthusiastically 2nd the prioritization of the Art Institute. Great impressionist collection, the Chagall window, Wood, Hopper, Picasso.

[QUOTE=JHattery]Do they still display Wood's American Gothic and Hopper's Nighthawks side-by-side? I always found that interesting.


I was at the AIC last weekend for the Toulouse-Lautrec show, and I think I noticed that "American Gothic" has been moved from where I remember it. Hazy memory, but I recall it is now upstairs in a gallery next to the ones reserved for the special exhibitions (like T-L).

Did not note whether "Nighthawks" is there, too.

The Chagall window is no longer on display at AIC. The museum is building a new wing, and the Chagall had to be removed due to construction.

With the recent inclusion of the Terra art collection, AIC has also reinstalled their American galleries. That is why some of the favorites have been moved.

Are the miniature rooms still on display at the AIC? I'm taking my daughter to Chicago over the weekend and wanted her to see that...

Yes, the miniature rooms are still on display. I took my daughter to see them on a recent visit, and they brought a smile to her face!