Chicago trip help?

[MAJPLO]

Can you tell me more about the pizza tours?

Wow. I just typed a long response and lost it. Ugh. Anyway.... Great tour of three or four pizza places. And you eat at all of them. You meet at the first one and ride a small bus to the others. Very informative about pizza, its history in Chicago, and Chicago history and site seeing as well. The owner/guide, John, is wonderful. The tour may be a bit long for small kids but he may offer a shorter itinerary. Their website is chicagopizzatours.com

On another note, we didn't go to Navy Pier because our kids weren't with us, but everyone says it's a must do.

 

[daughtersrus]

You may want to order your tickets for Disney online. They sell out quickly. We went over Christmas break and they were sold out by 11:00 am when we got there. We didn't order online since DD's have free admission to the museum with their teacher ID and we couldn't pay just for Disney online.

Also, the parking garage was full. We parked about 6 blocks away. I have to admit that being a suburban girl, I was a little anxious walking back to the van even though it was still light out.

Garret popcorn is a must.

 

[mom2cgj]

You may want to order your tickets for Disney online. They sell out quickly. We went over Christmas break and they were sold out by 11:00 am when we got there. We didn't order online since DD's have free admission to the museum with their teacher ID and we couldn't pay just for Disney online. Also, the parking garage was full. We parked about 6 blocks away. I have to admit that being a suburban girl, I was a little anxious walking back to the van even though it was still light out. Garret popcorn is a must.

If you do this again, call the museum instead of doing online sales and you can purchase the exhibit tickets without general admission. We just did that this weekend. We have a membership to a reciprocal museum, so we didn't have to buy general tickets. My DH was able to purchase tickets for both the Disney exhibit and the Marty Sklar lecture over the phone, pay for them, and we picked them up at will call. The will call line is also much shorter, and all we had to do was give them our order number and show our Putnam museum membership card.

 

[sheetz]

Do we need reservations to eat there?

It's probably a good idea. You can do it online.

http://www.signatureroom.com/

 

[sunshine1178]

I love that all Chicago discussions boil down to parking and pizza. Seriously.

Along the lines of the pizza tour, my husband organized a hot dog crawl and went to three different locations - Hot Doug's, Portillos, and someplace else. (Lots of Portillos locations in the suburbs for those of you in the "take the METRA" camp.

 

[drinkme]

I recommend having lunch at the restaurant at the top of the John Hancock tower. It's pretty reasonably priced considering the view.

I think it's a rather expensive restaurant. Even if you have no drinks plan on spending well over $50 a person for dinner. I've never eaten there for lunch so I don't know their lunch prices. Also, keep in mind if it's cloudy out you will be in the clouds so your view is absolutely gone. We were there for dinner a couple of months ago and it looked like the blinds were closed. You couldn't see anything. They also have a dress code, so make sure you look that up online before you go.

If you are staying in the suburbs I would just drive into the MSI. The neighborhood (Hyde Park) is fine right at the museum. Just take Lake Shore Drive in from I-55 and you will be safe, even at night time.

We've been members of the MSI for years and I've only seen it crazy busy once, and that was on New Years Eve. I ended up turning right around and going back home. If the parking garage is full, then I would think it was a very busy day. When is your Spring Break? The Chicago Public Schools are off the week after Easter (I think).

If you're going to be hanging out in the downtown area, you should check out the Art Institute. A great place to go. The kids will enjoy it, too.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

IThe Chicago Public Schools are off the week after Easter (I think).

Chicago Public Schools are off the week leading up to Easter 4/12-4/20/14.

 

[Jajone]

We will be going March 22-26.

 

[Jajone]

I think it's a rather expensive restaurant. Even if you have no drinks plan on spending well over $50 a person for dinner. I've never eaten there for lunch so I don't know their lunch prices. Also, keep in mind if it's cloudy out you will be in the clouds so your view is absolutely gone. We were there for dinner a couple of months ago and it looked like the blinds were closed. You couldn't see anything. They also have a dress code, so make sure you look that up online before you go. If you are staying in the suburbs I would just drive into the MSI. The neighborhood (Hyde Park) is fine right at the museum. Just take Lake Shore Drive in from I-55 and you will be safe, even at night time. We've been members of the MSI for years and I've only seen it crazy busy once, and that was on New Years Eve. I ended up turning right around and going back home. If the parking garage is full, then I would think it was a very busy day. When is your Spring Break? The Chicago Public Schools are off the week after Easter (I think). If you're going to be hanging out in the downtown area, you should check out the Art Institute. A great place to go. The kids will enjoy it, too.

Actually, I saw a menu for the lounge, not the restaurant and it was reasonable. I have been told that the lounge is actually higher up than the restaurant. Do I need reservations for the lounge? At lunch time?

 

[sheetz]

I think it's a rather expensive restaurant. Even if you have no drinks plan on spending well over $50 a person for dinner. I've never eaten there for lunch so I don't know their lunch prices. Also, keep in mind if it's cloudy out you will be in the clouds so your view is absolutely gone. We were there for dinner a couple of months ago and it looked like the blinds were closed. You couldn't see anything. They also have a dress code, so make sure you look that up online before you go.
.

Lunch entrees are in the $20 range and when I went for lunch I'm pretty sure there was no dress code, or at least I didn't bother dressing up or anything. (Bear in mind that a ticket to the Tower observation deck alone is $18.)

 

[drinkme]

Lunch entrees are in the $20 range and when I went for lunch I'm pretty sure there was no dress code, or at least I didn't bother dressing up or anything. (Bear in mind that a ticket to the Tower observation deck alone is $18.)

I checked out their website & there is a dress code for both lunch & dinner. But they don't require a suit & tie. However, at dinner everyone there was dressed up. All the men had jackets.

We've been to the lounge, but not to eat and only in the evening. I know it really didn't seem like a kid-friendly place at night. I think no one under 21 is even allowed there after a certain time. But during the day I'm sure it's different. I just don't have any experience with that.

 

[traces7]

My 14 year old DD and I went to the lounge in John Hancock last year. We just went right up, no reservations, it wasn't crowded, but it was 2:00 on a Tuesday in April. We were just wearing jeans, not dressed up.

It was one of the coolest things we've ever done in Chicago. I would highly recommend it. We ate lunch there, but we ordered off the lounge menu and ordered "appetizers", it was a meal for us and not very expensive, I don't think it was more than $30. I can't seem to find the menu, maybe it has changed since last year.

Hope this helps!

 

[drcmk]

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[Jajone]

Ok, so we are staying near the Woodfield mall. Planning to drive into town Saturday for the museum of science and industry. Kinda thinking early supper at Ed's then Willis tower. Does that sound feasible time wise? Is there parking near the tower? Is it within walking distance of Ed's?

If we take the metro into town from the Woodfield mall area, what line do we take and where do we get off? Hoping to go to Water Tower Mall area. Where is the Hershey store in relation to this area?

 

[littlenellbell]

Subscribing to this thread for some tips. We are also going to Chicago for spring break March 25-27 We are staying downtown and purchased the CityPass to visit the various museums. We also plan on doing some shopping and kid friendly restaurants. We will not have a car because we'll be taking the Amtrak in.

 

[emksmama]

We went last year for spring break, taking Amtrak from central Indiana and used the buses to get around! I bought three day (72 hrs from first use) passes for $20/person and we loved it. CityPass was great for the museums. We stayed at Grant Park Best Western (cheap but wouldn't recommend it) and walked to the Shedd and the Field. Gino's east is the best pizza in town, we had Giordano's one night and were very disappointed.
Is there an extra charge for the Disney exhibit? I'm going to MSI on Monday for my daughter's field trip.

 

[Jajone]

Yes it's an extra fee.

 

[lazer]

Ok, so we are staying near the Woodfield mall. Planning to drive into town Saturday for the museum of science and industry. Kinda thinking early supper at Ed's then Willis tower. Does that sound feasible time wise? Is there parking near the tower? Is it within walking distance of Ed's? If we take the metro into town from the Woodfield mall area, what line do we take and where do we get off? Hoping to go to Water Tower Mall area. Where is the Hershey store in relation to this area?

You're going to spend a lot of time on transportation coming from Woodfield. Keep in mind, the museum will be packed on a Saturday, I wouldn't plan on seeing a lot if you want to have an early dinner. Ed's has a location close to Water Tower Place (not walking distance from Museum, FYI) if it's still open (heard it was closing). Not a fan of Ed's myself, just mediocre food IMO. But, I go to Chicago so often maybe it just wore off it's appeal. Hershey store is in Water Tower Place area, definitely walkable.

 

[SEA333]

As you have noticed, most suburban Chicagoans will recommend against anything in the city LOL We try to avoid it at all costs!

I second doing stuff in the suburbs. Chicago Improv at Woodfield Mall is great,and I *think* there is a LEGOLAND there, too. I highly suggest the Brookfield Zoo, but maybe because that is practically in our backyard (and literally right next to my kids' future high school) and we walk to it??!! LOL Going in the other direction, one of our family's most favorite thing to do on a weekend is go to Cantigny in Wheaton - it is absolutely amazing and is only a $5 donation per car. There is a LOT of new stuff to do near Ohare in Rosemont - The Big 10 offices/museum is there now if anyone is into college football, plus the fashion outlet mall, and I-Fly Indoor Skydiving (not sure when that is going to open though...DH passes it every day on the way to work and he says it doesn't look open yet).

Going downtown, I would say the MSI is really fun, probably my fave museum (Be aware, however, that it is not downtown - it is several miles south of downtown). I was so afraid you were going to say you wanted to got to the Aquarium and I was going to seriously have to tell you not to waste your money or 2 hours of your life waiting in a ridiculously long line waiting just to get in!!!

At the north end of Michigan Ave, you will find American Girl, which is across the street from the John Hancock. Cheesecake Factory is on the bottom floor of the JH. But it is super crowded all the time, and we actually prefer the CF in Oak Brook to the one downtown. In that area is also the water tower, Disney Store, Garretts Popcorn (about 2 blocks south and around the corner....you cannot miss the smell of caramel corn!!!), Hershey store, Ghirardelli store, Nike store, etc. It's pretty walkable. We usually take the Metra Burlington from Brookfield to Union Station, then the Water Taxi to Michigan Ave. Then you just head north! It's about 5-6 blocks or so. Not a bad walk. If you wanted to go to Navy Pier, you could stay on the water taxi and head to Navy Pier. Kids under 10 love the Children's Museum, but really the rest of the Pier is pretty much a tourist trap. I mean, $30 for a family of 5 to go on a ferris wheel for only 1 full turn??!! Ripoff!!! We don't go up in any towers LOL...$100 bucks for our family to wait in a really long line to ride in an elevator to stand at the top of a really big building is not how we spend our money. Oh, and if you want to fit in here, please, please, please just call it the Sears Tower LOL

If you wanted to take a metra train to Union Station from wherever you are staying, you can go out of Union Station on the south side of the building and catch a bus that will take you to Grant Park, then transfer to the one that takes you to the MSI. It's really not hard to navigate, and the drivers are usually pretty nice about telling you where they are going and what bus you need. You can also map your travel plans on the CTA/Metra websites.

I do find it really weird that you would travel to Chicago, then stay about an hour outside of the city in Gurnee. As a matter of fact, DS13 just brought home his 8th grade Great America trip permission slip today, which is in Gurnee, and they are taking charter busses to Great America from Brookfield! LOL I think this is a *little* over the top....seriously, it's only about an hour's drive, do these little cupcakes REALLY need charter busses to travel on??!! LOL Oh, well...

Anyway, there are much nearer and WAYYYYYY more convenient suburbs to stay in. I suggest Downers Grove, Oak Brook, LaGrange, Brookfield area for ease of metra trains, or even Schaumburg or Rosemont because of all the great attractions that are so local and much easier (and cheaper) to get to.

As for food...of course you have to have pizza!!! Lou Malnetti's is gross (IMO!), but Gioradano's (stuffed with sausage, NOT thin crust here. There are way better places to get thin crust pizza in Chicago). I'd resist the urge to go to Geno's East or West or whatever it is near Michigan Ave....crazy busy and expensive for not as good pizza. I would also rethink Ed Debevics - you ca get a bad hamburger anywhere!! I would go to Cheesecake Factory - they have the BEST small plates. I don't think we have ever had a bad meal there, but again, we go to Oak Brook rather than downtown. In the MI Ave area, the Grand Luxe Café is also pretty good, or even the Walnut Room in Macy's (Marshall Fields to true Chicago Natives!)

 

[SEA333]

Ok, so we are staying near the Woodfield mall. Planning to drive into town Saturday for the museum of science and industry. Kinda thinking early supper at Ed's then Willis tower. Does that sound feasible time wise? Is there parking near the tower? Is it within walking distance of Ed's?

If we take the metro into town from the Woodfield mall area, what line do we take and where do we get off? Hoping to go to Water Tower Mall area. Where is the Hershey store in relation to this area?

I don't think you will have time for all of that in one Saturday. You can expect to wait in line for at least an hour for the Sears Tower (yes, we still call it that here in Chicago!), at least an hours wait for Ed's (ick anyway...I highly suggest eating elsewhere!) and the museum itself is several miles south of downtown and you can easily spend 8 hours there and still not see everything. There are SOOO many cool exhibits. None of these places you want to go are within walking distance of each other, so you will be getting back in your car, driving through Chicago traffic (scary!!!) and trying to find parking at each venue, none of which will be free or easy to find.

The Sears Tower is on the west side of downtown, and I'm sure you will be able to pay premium parking at a garage near there...right across the river is Union Station, so if you can rework your schedule, I would suggest taking a Metra train from wherever you are coming from.