Chicago.com
Navy Pier is one of those places most Chicagoans only visit when friends and family are in town — When you want to show off the city and you need something tourist-y to do with your relatives. This summer, don’t put Navy Pier on the back burner. There are plenty of things to do even when you don’t need to entertain out-of-town guests (but it’s great for that too).
Navy Pier is home to the 15-story high Ferris Wheel, which is a staple for dates and a great way to shake-up a night out with friends. The Shakespare Theatre is a fantastic place to enjoy classic plays. Check the theater’s calendar for your favorites and treat yourself to a special experience. Now through August 29th, see the Emperor’s New Clothes — a silly classic tale for the whole family. Or see all the best 3D movies at the IMAX movie theater. The 60×80 foot screen makes both 2D and 3D movies come to life. Right now you can enjoy the Twilight Saga Eclipse in 3D, the Hubble 3D experience, and Inception in 3D.
For a more relaxing evening or daytime activity, take a cruise. There are many sightseeing cruises to choose from which are fun even for Chicago experts who think they’ve seen it all. Cruises occur on a day by day schedule and include architectural themes, skyline themes, historical themes, Chicago movie themes and even cruises specifically for dinning and enjoying the fireworks displays.
Speaking of fireworks — Wednesday and Saturday nights at 9:30pm enjoy spectacular displays from the pier. Watch the show while synchronized music fills the background from B96, Fresh FM and Jack FM.
For an equally sparkling experience don’t miss Cirque Shanghai’s Cloud 9. Now through September 6th, the Chinese performers amaze audiences with their acrobatics. It’s a great way to spice up a weekend when you’re tired of going out to the same bars, restaurants, music venues, and movie theaters.
August 24th – 29th you cannot miss the Tall Ships Chicago event. Over 20 historic ships from the U.S., Europe, and Canada will arrive at Navy Pier for a mile-long display. As a celebration of the history of Chicago and Navy Pier, the event will be a breathtaking experience. It all begins with a parade of ships across Lake Michigan as they enter Navy Pier. There will also be activities including: ship tours, sailing adventures, arts and crafts booths, entertainment, and fireworks displays every night.
And for when the relatives are in town, check out the Navy Pier All Day Fun Package. The package includes one Cirque Shanghai Gold Circle Ticket, one Ferris Wheel Voucher, one Shoreline Sightseeing Skyline Lake Tour Voucher, and one RIVA Restaurant Coupon Voucher for 20% off food purchase. All for the surprisingly cheap price of $35.75 — It’ll make every tourist and Chicagoan happy.
Navy Pier’s slogan “Go A Little Overboard” is quite fitting for a place with so much to indulge in. So next time, either when you’re entertaining guests or looking for a little entertainment yourself, check out Navy Pier and all it has to offer.
Like you, I am a workaholic. I can’t help myself. I find the Internet and travel industries oddly addictive. However, after spending five days cooped up in the office, I need a break from the corporate world just as much as you do. Weekends in Chicago are for letting loose and — believe me — there is never a shortage of things to do.
Although St. Patrick’s Day is over, that is no reason to stop having fun. Sure, you can’t find green beer for another year, and those crazy bar specials are now a thing of the past, but I have still managed to find the hottest spots in Chicago this weekend. Here are my top picks for March 19-21.
After spending all of that cash out on the town on Friday, I need a nice way to spend Saturday that won’t put another dent in the wallet. The Garfield Park Conservatory at 300 N Central Ave is the perfect place for that. Each year the conservatory hosts this free event where you can see flowers long before they are blooming outside. And with Spring almost here, there’s no better time to get a preview of what Chicago will look like soon than enjoying an afternoon in this historic conservatory.
On Saturday evening, I am headed to Faith & Whiskey at 1365 W. Fullerton Ave for their Whiskey Week celebration. This five day festival has already started, but I’m choosing to go on Saturday when they will be featuring rare whiskey. You can get Jack and Soco any day at any bar, but this evening will be filled with the finer brands, followed by DJ Clayton De La Chapelle leading the party until 3am.
After a long weekend of fun and partying, I’ve discovered the best way to recuperate on Sunday is to head over to Hub 51 at 51 West Hubbard St and enjoy half priced sushi from 3pm-6pm. I’m partial to their creative Rainbow Rolls, which just so happen to be the biggest bang for your buck during this special, but explore the rest of their menu and find something that suits you.
Does this loincloth make my butt look big?
James Cameron is one lucky guy because he got me to see his movie AVATAR twice. I first saw it a couple weeks ago with my girlfriend in a regular, joe-shmo movie theater, and believe me, it was a mistake. I spent $14! FOURTEEN DOLLARS! And I got stuck in the front row because we were late. (Thanks Evanston cab drivers!) The good thing about assigned seating at the IMAX at Navy Pier is you can purchase your tickets in advance and walk in as the movie starts to great seats with your name on them (including the front row). For three bucks more I finally saw it the way James Cameron had really intended me to.
The only thing that I wished they had were the previews. But other than that, IMAX is a movie theater on steroids. The 3D effects are so realistic that every time an arrow or alien ponytail flew past the screen I ducked my head. The colors were so vibrant and exciting that it was like a box of crayons exploded on the screen. Every aspect of IMAX is ten times better than your conventional movie theater experience. The premium sound system, 60’ by 80’ screen and the quality of IMAX 3D blew my mind. The movie itself I have to describe as “alienriffic.” It reminded me of a cross between Dances with Wolves and Fern Gully, although you’d never catch me going to a movie with Kevin Costner wearing a loincloth.
I’ve heard how a lot of people feel depressed about watching AVATAR because it was so visually beautiful and how they wish life on Earth was like life on the alien planet Pandora. Um… I don’t know about you, but I’d hate having to wear a mask to breathe. I may want to grow my hair out though. That braid thing was awesome… if you know what I mean. I think my favorite part was that you needed huge 3D glasses that covered half your face to watch this flick, which was great because I was able to bust out my Harry Carey impression (my girlfriend really appreciated it when I pretended to walk around sloppy drunk with giant glasses on, screaming “Holy Cow!”) The next time you are in Chicago and want to treat yourself and your family to an awesome movie experience, please think Navy Pier IMAX.