Millennium Park

(Take a walking tour with the Law School on Friday, May 2)

Millennium Park was first conceived in 1997 with the original mission of creating new parkland in Grant Park to transform the unsightly railroad tracks and parking lots that had long dotted the lakefront in prime real estate in downtown Chicago. There are many exciting things to see at Millennium Park, including:

• The Cloud Gate Sculpture: A major feature of Millennium Park, the 110-ton elliptical sculpture was designed by the celebrated British artist Anish Kapoor, one of the most prolific and respected sculptors in the world.

• The Crown Fountain: Designed by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa, The Crown Fountain features two 50-foot high glass block towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers are activated with changing video images and lights, and water cascades from the top of each.

• The Jay Pritzker Pavilion: With its open-air "acoustical canopy," the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion is among the most technologically advanced outdoor concert venues in the world, with digital innovations and enhanced sound, designed to create an acoustical environment that provides an unforgettable listening experience.

Harold Washington Library

The Harold Washington Library Center is a neo-classical building, and its design uses elements of ancient Greek and Roman structures, such as columns, arches, and vaulted ceilings. The architect responsible for the design is Thomas H. Beeby, and his colleagues in the firm Hammond, Beeby and Babka. It was their design as a part of the Sebus Group that won a design/build competition in June of 1988. The 756,640 square foot library opened October 7, 1991, and appeared in The Guinness Book of Records as the largest public library building in the world.

Navy Pier

Navy Pier is Chicago's number one tourist destination, drawing more than 8 million visitors annually. Be sure to visit:

• The Family Pavillion: Home to 40,000 square feet of exciting restaurants and retail shops. Just beyond, visitors discover the Crystal Gardens, a 32,000-square-foot indoor botanical park.

• The South Arcade: Located just east of the Family Pavilion, it is home to numerous shops, restaurants, and attractions, including Time Escape, Amazing Chicago, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

• Navy Pier Park: An outdoor landscaped area which features attractions such as a permanent 150-foot-high Ferris wheel, a musical carousel, an old-fashioned swing ride and an 18-hole miniature golf course.

• The Navy Pier Beer Garden
The Chicago Children's Museum (Also at Navy Pier)The Chicago Children's Museum's primary audience is children up through the fifth grade including their families. Permanent exhibitsInventing Lab, Dinosaur Expedition, Under Construction, Artabounds Gallery, Treehouse Trails, Water Ways, Play Maze, Face to Face, Bug Backyard, Play It Safe, Climbing Schooner, and Kids on the Fly provide innovative learning experiences for children and their caregivers.

The Sears Tower

Visit The Sears Tower at 1,353 feet (412 meters) above the ground for a view of four states - Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan (on a clear day, of course). Visibility from the Skydeck is approximately 40-50 miles (65 - 80 kilometers).

The Hancock Building

Following a multi-million dollar renovation, the new Hancock Observatory is dazzling visitors with incredible 94th-floor views, high-tech features and Chicago s only open-air Skywalk 1,000 feet above the Magnificent Mile. Or, stop for a drink at the bar in the Signature Room on the 95th floor.

Arts and Culture

The Official Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise

Only the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Chicago's First Lady, and Chicago's Little Lady can showcase Chicago's world renowned city architecture with style, class and comfort. Open air and air conditioned seating is available. Learn about the architecture and design of over 50 buildings as described by trained volunteer guides.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation

The Chicago Architecture Foundation offers walking tours of Chicago neighborhoods. To see which tours the CAF is offering during Reunion weekend, visit their website.

Broadway In Chicago

Providing entertainment to the heart of Chicago's downtown theatre district.

Museums

The Art Institute of Chicago

Built on rubble from the 1871 Chicago fire, the Art Institute collection now encompasses more than 5,000 years of human expression from cultures around the world.

The Museum of Contemporary Art

One of the nation's largest facilities devoted to the art of our time, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) offers exhibitions of the most thought-provoking art created since 1945. The MCA documents contemporary visual culture through painting, sculpture, photography, video and film, and performance.

Shedd Aquarium

Shedd Aquarium is the World's Aquarium. Opened in 1929, and it is one of the oldest public aquariums in the world. A visit to Shedd's Oceanarium takes you along a lush trail through the rainforest of the Pacific Northwest Coast. At the edge of the recreated spruce forest, you'll find beluga whales and pacific white-sided dolphins swimming in nearly 3 million gallons of saltwater—the world's largest indoor marine mammal pavilion.

The Field Museum

Chicago's Field Museum is one of the world's great museums of science, environment, and culture, a focus of public learning and scholarly research. It's a treasury of more than 20 million objects, from ancient mummies, to endangered plants and animals, to Sue, the biggest and most complete T. rex ever found.

The Museum of Science and Industry

The Museum, which opened in 1933, is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, and was the first museum in North America to allow guests to touch and interact with exhibits. The Museum was named one of the top 15 museums in the world in the millennium edition of Life magazine.

The Lincoln Park Zoo

The Lincoln Park Zoo's intimate setting enables guests, young and old alike, to experience the thrill of gazing directly into the eyes of a lowland gorilla and standing toe to toe with an African elephant. Famous also for its historical structures, the zoo has succeeded at combining state-of-the-art animal and visitor facilities with beautiful architectural reflections of past times and sensibilities.

The Chicago Botanic Garden

Located in the northern suburbs of Chicago, the Chicago Botanic Garden features a total of 385 acres: 23 gardens and three native habitat areas, 81 acres of waterways, 9 islands, 6 miles of shoreline, 15 acres of prairie, and 100 acres of woods.

Golf

Jackson Park Golf Course

This historic 18-hole golf course is the pride of the Chicago Park District, and is located near the Law School s campus. Mature hardwood trees protect the fairways and greens, putting emphasis on accurate shots. Par 5 s reaching 560 yards and par 3 s extending to 200 yards require golfers to utilize every club in the bag.

Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course

Located in Lincoln Park on the North side of Chicago, Sydney R. Marovitz ranks among the most challenging of the Chicago Park District courses. It features tight greens, numerous bunkers and championship length. After teeing off on the first hole running parallel to Lake Michigan, you immediately realize that this 3,240 yard, par 36 course is a real treat.

 
Things to do in Hyde Park

The David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art

(Visit with the Law School on Saturday, May 3).

The Smart Museum houses a collection of more than 8,000 objects, spanning 5,000 years of artistic creation. Galleries and adjacent sculpture garden feature special exhibitions and highlights from the permanent collection.

The Oriental Institute Museum

(Visit with the Law School on Saturday, May 3).

The Oriental Institute Museum offers a glimpse into the University's collection of ancient Near Eastern artifacts. Exhibitions focus on the ancient cultures of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey.

Robie House

(Visit with the Law School on Saturday, May 3).

Tours of this Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece are given by trained docents who also conduct walking tours of campus and the Hyde Park neighborhood.

Court Theatre

The University is home to one of the city's best professional theaters, located right on campus.

The Renaissance Society

Established in 1915, The Renaissance Society is Chicago's oldest contemporary art museum and maintains an international reputation as one of the finest resources for contemporary art. It also sponsors concerts, performances, film and video screenings, and talks by noted artists and critics.

DuSable Museum of African American History

The DuSable Museum is devoted to the history and culture of Africans and African Americans. It is the oldest museum of its type in the country and is the only major independent institution in Chicago established to preserve and interpret the historical experiences and achievements of African-Americans.

Osaka Garden

The Osaka Garden is located on the Wooded Island located in Jackson Park, Chicago, just south of the Museum of Science and Industry.

Useful Websites
For up to date, information on entertainment, restaurants, and cultural activities, visit:http://www.visitchicago.com
http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/
http://www.chireader.com/
http://www.timeout.com/chicago/

For information on public transportation, visit:
http://www.rtachicago.com/
http://www.transitchicago.com/
http://www.metrarail.com/