Art Institute of Chicago

It’s been a while again, but I’m here! I went on vacation in January and I miscalculated how much time I would need to finish this post, which is why there was nothing in January and almost nothing in February. Without further ado, lets wrap up the Chicago trip…

Art Institute of Chicago, located in Chicago, Illinois

The Art Institute of Chicago is open Monday from 11am to 5pm, Thursday from 11am to 8pm, and Friday and Saturday from 11am to 5pm, the museum is closed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday. General Admission to the museum is 25USD, but if you are a(n) Chicago or Illinois resident, the admission prices are slightly less. If you are visiting from elsewhere, and are interested in seeing some of Chicago’s other top attractions, consider the Chicago CityPass to save some money. (The Chicago CityPass is just for general admission, you’ll still have to pay to see any of the special exhibits at the Art Institute.)  The museum is part of the Bank of America Museums on Us program, so if you have a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit card, admission to the museum is free on the first full weekend of each month. If you are an Illinois resident, the museum is offering free admission from January 9, 2023 to March 24, 2023. The Art Institute of Chicago has many more ways to obtain free admission, so check out their website for more information. The museum is accessible by walking, driving and public transportation. The Art Institute is located in the Chicago Loop area, where a majority of the tourist attractions are, so if you are in the area, it’s an easy walk to the museum. If you are further away and choose to drive to the museum, note that the museum doesn’t have its own parking lot, but there are various parking lots nearby with different rates. If you are far and don’t have access to a car, then public transportation is a good choice. Take the CTA Brown, Green, Orange, Pink or Purple lines to the Adams and Wabash stop and walk one block to reach the museum. If none of those lines are near you, take the Red or Blue lines to the Monroe stop and walk less than five blocks to reach the museum. In addition to the subway, several buses have stops on the same block as the museum, check the CTA website for more information. The museum is right across the street from Millennium Park, so you can check out Cloud Gate, aka the Bean, or visit Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park, which is a bit farther away. The museum is steps away from Lake Michigan, so you can stroll along the waterfront and enjoy some time outside.

The Art Institute of Chicago is a three story building with an underground level, so there is a total of four floors to explore. The museum is comprised of four buildings, they are the Modern Wing Building, Michigan Avenue Building, Rice Building and Rubloff Building. The buildings are accessible to be each other from the first floor, but some aren’t connected on the other floors, so you must go back to the first floor to access a different building sometimes. I did my usual thing of heading to the top floor first, in this case, the third floor, thinking I wouldn’t have to double back. The third floor consists of the “Sculpture Terrace” and the “Modern Art” gallery, both in the Modern Wing Building, yet the two aren’t connected, so you can’t visit both exhibits without going back down to the first floor to reach the other. (I clearly didn’t consult the floor guide properly when I visited.) The “Sculpture Terrace” is accessible only by a special elevator and/or escalator located within the Modern Wing on the first floor. (I didn’t see the “Sculpture Terrace” as I didn’t have time, did I miss anything good?)  The “Modern Art” gallery displays work from the 1900s-1960s, which includes pieces by Pablo Picasso. (I don’t know much about art, but somehow I never categorized Picasso as Modern Art, so I was surprised to see his works in the Modern Art gallery. In addition, I can’t tell which art period/movement is which, but I’ve always thought I didn’t like Modern Art, but it turns out I’ve been lumping Modern and Contemporary art together, and it’s Contemporary art that I don’t like much. This is why museums are necessary, for people to learn new things.)

Moving onto the second floor of the Modern Wing Building, first up is the “Contemporary Art” gallery, which displays works from 1945 to the present. (I would like to amend that I don’t hate all Contemporary art, paintings, sculptures, anything that the artists actually make are fine. I don’t like the ones where an artist picks up any old object and places it down and calls it art. I feel those artists didn’t really do anything, they didn’t even make the piece, so why do they get the credit?)

Continuing on was a contemporary art rotating exhibit entitled “David Hockney: The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020”, which was on view from August 20, 2022 to January 9, 2023. (It just closed, I was so close to being able to say go see it.) The exhibit displayed a series of works by the aforementioned artist documenting the blossoming of spring. The exhibit has a no photography policy, hence the lack of pictures. Finishing out the Modern Wing Building on the second floor is “Architecture and Design”, which features architecture and design pieces from the 1900s to the present. (It is interesting to see the pieces people have used as furniture and design from the past to now.)

The Michigan Avenue Building, which is an oddly shaped building with three arms protruding from the main building, connects to the Modern Wing through one of these three arms on the second floor. First up is the famous “Sky above Clouds IV” by Georgia O’Keefe. (It’s hard to miss as one has to pass through the room where the painting is hung and it’s the only one in the room.) The arm of the building is essentially a big hallway and this big hallway is separated into various rooms and galleries featuring Impressionism paintings by Van Gogh, Monet and Gauguin, to name a few. (There are other painters too, but my knowledge is limited, so only pointing out those I know.) A few of the rooms are dedicated to “Art of Europe: Design from 1600-1900”, which appears to be European furniture and decorations from the 1600s-1900s.

After passing through the big hallway, I explored another one of the arms before the main building. Featured in this corridor are more “Arts of Europe: Design from 1600-1900s”, thus more furniture and design pieces, “Arts of Europe: Medieval and Renaissance”, which highlights Medieval and Renaissance art, and “Arms and Armor”, which showcases a variety of European armor and weaponry that was used for war. (The Arms and Armor collection was quite impressive, lots of weapons and armor to look at. )

The main Michigan Avenue Building focuses on “Arts of Europe: Painting and Sculptures from 1400-1900s”. (I’m not sure I can name a single artist whose work was displayed in these galleries, but I do know I liked the ones that featured mythology and the ones where the subjects appeared in a more natural state, as opposed to sitting for a portrait, since a lot of European art appears to be portraits of rich people that I’ve never heard of.) Also part of the main building is a small exhibit called “Chicago Architectural Fragments”, which showcases past Chicago architecture elements, such ornaments and grilles from demolished buildings. Also in the same vicinity as the Architecture exhibit is a big Tiffany window (I don’t know much about it either, but it’s quite beautiful to look at.)

Moving onto the first floor, starting in the Michigan Avenue Building with the Prints and Drawings gallery was a rotating exhibit called “Bridget Riley Drawings: From the Artist’s Studio” which closed January 16, 2023. The exhibit features work by mostly the named artist, but also includes works of others that have influenced her. The next few galleries in the same building focus on “Arts of China, Japan and Korea”, which includes plenty of porcelains, vases, hair pieces and other items from the the three countries. In a side arm of the Michigan Avenue Building, there are two exhibits, one focuses on the “Arts of the Americas from 4000BCE to the present”, which features works of the Native Americans and the other “Arts of Africa”, which showcases artifacts from the whole African continent. Finishing out the Michigan Avenue Building is the “Arts of Asia” exhibit, which displays items from the other countries of the Asia continent except for the aforementioned three.

The Michigan Avenue Building connects to the Rubloff Building and the Modern Wing Building on the first floor, and since I was running out of time (I had a flight to catch), I had to forego the Modern Wing galleries, which showcases “Photography” and the Rice Building galleries, which features “Arts of the Americas from 1650-1910”. (It’s unlikely I’ll go back to visit these two or anything else that I missed at the museum, so for those who went, did I miss anything exceptional?) Instead, I chose to see the Rubloff Building galleries on the “Arts of the Greet, Roman and Byzantine Worlds” on the first floor. I also managed to check out the Lower Level of the Rubloff Building, which had exhibits featuring the “Arts of Ancient Egypt” and a rotating textiles exhibit called “Fabricating Fashion”. “Fabricating Fashion” closed on January 2, 2023, and featured a variety of fabrics for clothing from around the world.

I spent about 4 hours at the museum, but that clearly wasn’t enough time to go through the whole museum; another hour and I might have managed to see everything, but as always others will spend more or less time depending on their interests. I thought 3-4 hours would have been sufficient at the museum , but it wasn’t, as I has to really speed through the lower levels to cover as much as possible. The admission is quite on par with other art museums of the same size, and since there’s lots to see, the admission is decent enough, but the museum offers many ways to go for free or cheaper, so do check out the options. Anyone who enjoys art will definitely enjoy a visit, as will most of the general public as the museum displays a variety of mediums and from various regions around the world. The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest and largest art museums, so definitely go take a look and see what piques your interest.

Lincoln Park Zoo

Happy 2023! May 2023 be as great or exceeds what 2022 has been for you! My 2022 wasn’t spectacular, but it wasn’t awful either. I hope 2023 brings lots of new adventures for me. I’m actually really pleased that I managed to get this post finished before the year ends, so that moves the scale a bit towards the spectacular end for 2022. On that note, see you all next year… 

Lincoln Park Zoo, located in Chicago, Illinois

The Lincoln Park Zoo operates on seasonal hours, so actual opening times vary, but typically the gates are open daily from 8am to 5pm and the buildings from 10am to 5pm. However, check out the zoo’s website for the exact hours before visiting as you don’t want to get there only to discover it’s not open yet or that it’s closing in an hour or two. Admission to the zoo is free. (That’s correct, free, I think this is the second free zoo I’ve visited.) The zoo is accessible by walking, driving and public transportation. The zoo is located in the Lincoln Park area, so if you’re staying nearby or doing something there, walking is a viable option. If you are further away and have access to a car, the zoo has a parking lot that is free for the first half hour and then the day rates range from 20-35USD. If you are far and don’t have access to a car or don’t wish to drive, then take public transportation as there are several buses and trains that will get you to the zoo.  Take CTA Bus# 151/156 to the Stockton and Armtiage Stop and walk a few minutes to reach the zoo. (This bus route has several stops that will lead you to the zoo, it depends where you want to start at the zoo.) If those two bus routes aren’t near you, you can try Bus# 22/36 to the Clark and Armitage stop and also walk a couple minutes to reach the zoo. If the buses aren’t near you or you wish to take the train, then take either the Purple/Brown lines to the Armitage stop or the Red line to the Fullerton stop and walk about a mile from either station to reach the zoo. You can stroll around Lincoln Park or visit the Lincoln Park Conservatory, which is also free, if you wish to stay in the area. If you want to see a museum or two, the Chicago History Museum and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum are both nearby.

The Lincoln Park Zoo is the first zoo that I’ve visited in over eight years (I’m not sure what my aversion is towards zoos, but I don’t really visit them much for some reason) and it reminds me of the other few zoos I’ve been to, with both outdoor and indoor exhibitions. The Lincoln Park Zoo seems to have a bit more indoor access compared to others, for example, the gorillas have both an indoor and outdoor portion for them to move about and for the visitors to observe them. (Possibly to account for the cold weather, so that both the animals and visitors have a place to shelter from the harsh elements.) In addition to the standard birds and reptiles typically found at zoos, the Lincoln Park Zoo has a polar bear, the afore mentioned gorillas, Japanese macaques or snow monkeys, and lions that aren’t to be missed. (I’ve never seen a polar bear, so that’s another bear off my checklist, and it was feeding time when I saw the lions, so I got see a bunch of them moving about.)

Part of the zoo is the “Nature Boardwalk”, where one can hike around a lush, prairie-style garden that is filled with native plants and wildlife such as insects, birds and frogs. The zoo also has a “Farm in the Zoo” where visitors can see domestic farm animals, such as goats, cows and pigs, and children can enjoy the hands-on activities in the Main Barn. (I visited the farm later in the day, so it might have been nap time for the animals, as I didn’t see too many of them around.)

I spent about 3 hours at the zoo, but as always, others can spend more or less time depending on their interest. The Lincoln Park Zoo is a perfect family day outing as admission is free and there is almost definitely something that will entertain each family member. Most people will enjoy a visit to the zoo as we don’t really encounter too much wildlife in our day to day activities. So put on your best walking shoes and spend a day out seeing a variety of wildlife with your friends and family at the Lincoln Park Zoo.

International Museum of Surgical Science

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! My post has nothing to do with Christmas, or any other holiday that falls around this time of year, and everything to do with the fact that I’ve been lazy. I hope to have one more post before the year ends, but it is down to the battle between motivation and procrastination. For now, let’s go with what I have…

International Museum of Surgical Science, located in Chicago, Illinois

The International Museum of Surgical Science is open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 5pm and Saturday to Sunday from 10am to 5:30pm. Admission to the museum is 18USD. If you plan to visit the museum with at least one other person, check Groupon for deals to save some money. (If you are visiting alone, like I did, it won’t hurt to try Groupon still, Groupon often sends codes to save money on top of their deals. I was able to visit the museum for 9USD by combining the two people deal and using a code to save 10USD.) The museum is accessible by walking, driving and public transportation. If you are in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago, the museum should be an easy walk, but if you are further, then driving or public transportation would be better options. If you plan to drive, the museum does not have onsite parking, but there are plenty of parking lots nearby with varying rates. If you are far and don’t plan to drive, then public transportation is your remaining option. The most direct route with the least amount of walking is to take CTA Bus#151 to the Lake Shore and North Ave stop and walk about a block to reach the museum. If Bus #151 isn’t close to where you are, you can try Bus# 9, 22, 36, 72 or 156 to reach the museum, but they all require a bit more walking, about half a mile to the museum. If taking the bus isn’t something you want to do, you can try the CTA trains, take either the Red line to the Clark and Division Stop, or the Brown or Purple Lines to the Sedgwick stop and walk a bit over half a mile to reach the museum. The Chicago History Museum is in the nearby vicinity if you would like to see another museum, or you can just explore neighborhood and look at the fancy residential houses in the area.

The International Museum of Surgical Science is housed in a four story building and uses all the floors to display a variety of artifacts. I started on the second floor and worked my way up, leaving the first floor for last.  First stop on the second floor is the “Hall of Murals”, which contains paintings that capture some of the important moments in medical history. Next is “Windows to the World: The Science of Sight and Ophthalmic Art”, which details the history of spectacles and other vision aids. The exhibit focuses not only on the science of vision aids, but also on the cultural aspects of spectacles, such as how they were fashion trends. A small exhibit on “Polio and the Iron Lung” follows, where visitors can learn about the terrifying disease that polio is, and can see an Iron Lung, which is an instrument that assists breathing. The museum has a rare book library on the second floor. (I don’t believe it’s accessible to the average visitor, probably need special permission from the museum.) Finishing out the second floor is the “Hall of Immortals”, which features several sculptures of important figures from medical history, such as Louis Pasteur, Joseph Lister and Marie Curie. (There are more, I’m only listing the few that I know.)

The museum has a special exhibit called “If/Then Contemporary Women in Stem”, which features the biographies and careers of contemporary females who are in the STEM fields, interspersed throughout the floors. The aim of the special exhibit is to inspire future generations of females in STEM fields. The museum has these fancy U-shaped stairs that have a small landing in between the floors, and on these landings, there are also displays. In between the second and third floor, the displays were on the development and use of orthopedics.  Reaching the third floor,  first is “Obstetrics and Gynecology”, which focuses on childbirth, so there are plenty of instruments relating to childbirth on display as well as some interesting paintings depicting surgeries that relate to women and pregnancy. Next is “Taiwan Hall of Fame”, which highlights Taiwan’s contributions to global health and medicine. In addition to modern medical advances in Taiwan, visitors can see displays pertaining to Chinese traditional herbal medicine and folk remedies. “Japan Hall of Fame” focuses on Japan’s contributions to health and medicine. In this exhibit, visitors can learn about notable Japanese physicians and their accomplishments, particularly their contributions to anesthetics, surgical stapling and ultrasound technology. Following is “Anatomical and Medical Illustrations”, which is the study of the human body, diseases and conditions through artwork, thus visitors are treated to a variety of fantastic artworks relating to the human body.

“X-Rays and Medical Imaging” highlights the history of X-rays and medical imagining.  Visitors can see a variety of artifacts, such as early x-ray machines and the types of gas tubes used in x-rays, and learn about the early applications of x-rays and the general population’s mania with x-rays before knowing their adverse effects. (I learned that there used to be a shoe machine that took x-rays of peoples’ foots so that they can buy the best fitting shoes, that females used to x-ray their chins and upper lips to remove hair, and that there was a device to add radioactivity to water. I feel like it’s easy for us to say that people in the past were foolish, but dangerous fads continue to exist in our times.)  Last on the third floor is “Pain and Pain Management”, which details the way people cope with physical pain through medical treatments. This exhibit features plenty of instruments, medical devices and even techniques that were developed to ease pain. In between the third and fourth floor were some more statues of people important to medical history, such as Florence Nightingale.

The fourth floors starts with a rotating exhibit called “Kintsugi: Healing through Japanese Art”, which is on view from September 30, 2022 to March 12, 2023. (It’s been so long since I’ve written something where the temporary exhibit is still on view, I can finally say, go see this if you’re interested.) Kintsugi, or gold repair, is a Japanese art form that uses gold to repair broken ceramics, thereby highlighting the break rather than erasing it. This exhibit’s goal is to illustrate the kintsugi process in humanity, that we are the ceramic vessels and the traumas we face are the cracks, and it is the breaks that make the ceramics more valuable and treasured (our experiences makes us stronger and wiser). Another temporary exhibit on view is “Today and Possibly Tomorrow” (not sure when it’s on view till), which uses medical illustration and art therapy to give shape to undiagnosed, invisible illnesses. (I don’t really understand multi-media art, so this exhibit wasn’t for me, but it is possibly for someone with better understanding.) Next is the “Spanish Mural Gallery”, which contains murals done by Spanish painters that relate to medicine. “Nursing: Care for a Changing World” is the last exhibit on the fourth floor and highlights the history of nurses. Learn about the different types of roles nurses played throughout history and see the various types of instruments that they used.  Don’t miss the “Wunderkammer” or Cabinet of Curiosities, which was an early style of museum exhibition that contained interesting items for viewing, containing animal skulls on the fourth floor.

Making my way to the first floor, first up is “Dental Office: A Checkup on Dental History”, which provides insight into the evolution of the modern dental office and developments in the field of dentistry. Next is the “Pharmacy” exhibit where visitors can learn about patent medicines, which were unregulated medications that claimed to cure everything but usually resulted in addictions, or worse, death, to homeopathy and finally to rise of pharmacies. The museum has a replica “Nineteenth Century Apothecary” for visitors to peruse, with authentic chemicals, medicines, books, and even colored show globes. Last, but not least is “How Smallpox Once Plagued America and the World”, which details the affects smallpox had on the world. The exhibit also looks at Monkey Pox, which is related to smallpox, and the possibilities of it becoming another serious pandemic.

I spent about 1.5 hours at the museum, but as usual, others can spend more or less time depending on their own interests. Since I got a discount on the admission through Groupon (I paid less than 10USD total), I felt the admission was okay, but if I had to pay full price, I’m not sure the museum is worth it. Some of the exhibits felt a bit sparse, like the few with the paintings and/or statues only, but some of the exhibits were really thorough and had lots to see, such as the ones about Obstetrics,  X-rays and Pain Management were good, and the Apothecary was great too. The museum is particularly suited for anyone studying medicine, have an interest in medical history or history in general, and perhaps someone interested in art may enjoy a visit, too. It is not often that we find ourselves thinking about medicine and surgery, but if one day we do find ourselves with questions, then our curiosities can be satisfied at the International Museum of Surgical Science.

Shedd Aquarium

I did a not very bright thing recently where I cleared my internet cache and cookies, and lost all my saved logins, which isn’t a big deal as I know most of my passwords, except the password for the gmail account that I use for the photos for this blog. I spent several hours trying to recover it and even did a system restore, which doesn’t help. The other problem was that I also never set up the recovery information, so it was pretty much a lost cause. Just as I was about to give up, I miraculously guessed the password, good thing I’m predictable, so everything is still here. Moral of the story, make sure all your important emails have the recovery info set up and don’t clear cookies/cache if you don’t know your passwords. Enough about my everyday misadventures, onto the post…

Shedd Aquarium, located in Chicago, Illinois

The Shedd Aquarium is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 6pm. However, the hours may vary, so check their website for the most up to date hours. Admission to the Shedd Aquarium varies greatly depending on if you are a resident or not, and when you get tickets. Admission for Chicago residents is 19.95USD, as for non-residents, general admission varies from about 33-40USD depending on when you get tickets and what day of the week it is. Expect to pay the most if you plan to get tickets at the aquarium on the day of the visit; if you plan ahead and book earlier, you’ll save some money. If you are visiting Chicago, check out the Chicago CityPass to see if it’s worth getting. If you are a Chicago/Illinois resident, the aquarium offers free admission days, so look into that. Finally, if you have a Bank of America or Merrill branded debit or credit card, you can visit the aquarium for free on select weekends as the aquarium is part of the Bank of America Museums on Us program. The aquarium is accessible by walking, driving and public transportation. Walking to the aquarium is easily doable if you are in the Museum Campus area, but if you are further away, driving or public transportation are better options. If you choose to drive, note that the aquarium doesn’t have its own parking lot, but there are many parking lots nearby with different rates. If you don’t own a car or prefer not to drive, then public transportation is there for you. The most direct route is to take CTA Bus#146 to the Solidarity Drive and Aquarium stop, and then walk a few minutes to reach the aquarium. If CTA Bus#146 is not near where you are, then take the Red/Green/Orange lines to the Roosevelt stop and transfer to CTA Bus#146 to reach the aquarium. Other places to visit nearby include the Field Museum and the Adler Planetarium. If the weather is nice out, you can walk around the area and enjoy the views of Lake Michigan and Chicago.

The Shedd Aquarium is a two or three level building with an underground level. I’m uncertain of the number of levels as the the layout of the aquarium is a bit confusing. (I distinctly remember taking an elevator down from the ticketing area to reach the main level of the aquarium, but the ticketing area isn’t in the aquarium visitor map, so I’m not quite sure how many floors the building actually has. There are no exhibits on the entrance level so it’s not a big deal, just that the entrance level being missing in the guide map throws me off a bit.) Once I got my bearings, I started my visit on the ground level (which is the first floor) as it is where the 4-D experience, which is part of the admission with the Chicago CityPass, is located. The 4-D experience is essentially a 3-D movie with an additional element of feeling, (where you can feel the vibrations or a breeze.) The one I saw was called “Shark” and it was about 20 mins. I learned some fun tidbits about sharks and the chair vibrations and breezes were nice. The 4-D experience is about 5USD, which isn’t too much, so if you are curious about the shows, do check it out. The ground level only has one exhibit, Shedd’s new special exhibit, “Underwater Beauty”. The exhibit highlights sea animals that use colors, patterns and rhythms to survive underwater. Moving on to Lower Level 1 (which is technically still the ground level, but you need to go down some stairs) is the Rice Amphitheater where the “Animal Spotlights” presentations occur (included with general admission). The presentation features a select few animals, dolphins, penguins, sea lions or beluga whales, that reside at the aquarium. The spotlights are fun and educational, lasts about 15-20 minutes  and was held almost every hour when I visited. (The beluga whales were spotlighted when I visited, which was a plus as I like beluga whales)

The whole Lower Level 1 (once you move beyond the amphitheater) is one exhibit called the “Abbott Oceanarium”, which immerse visitors in the coastal Pacific Northwest, thus one may encounter coastal sea animals such as the dolphins, beluga whales, sea otters and sea lions. Most of the exhibit is looking over the water, so the chances of seeing the animals poking their heads out of the water isn’t high, but the exhibit continues on Lower Level 2 (which is the underground level) for the underwater viewing. One of the indoor touch pools, where you can touch sea stars, is also located on Lower Level 2. Continuing on is the “Polar Play Zone”, where children can pretend to be a penguin or play in a submarine. Last, but not least on Lower Level 2 is the penguin exhibit, which features two different species of penguins.

Next up is the “Wild Reef” exhibit, which features sharks, sting rays and corals. The “Wild Reef” exhibit is located on a level of its own (please don’t ask me what level, the layout of this aquarium is wild, it’s a miracle I saw everything); you have to go back to the main level (which is probably the 2nd floor), look for an elevator between the “Amazon Rising” exhibit, and then take the elevator down to reach the exhibit. (I’m exaggerating a bit, the signage to get to “Wild Reef” is really clear, but with all the add-ons the aquarium offers, it would be easy to think the exhibit costs extra with all the rope barriers around the elevator, I certainly thought so for a second.) The draw of “Wild Reef” is probably the sharks, but the exhibit does a great job at highlighting the importance of coral reefs to the underwater environment. Also, don’t miss the sting rays (I love their smiley faces.)

Taking the elevator back to the main level, first up is the “Amazon Rising” exhibit. See all the animals that call the Amazon their home, such as piranhas, caimans and a variety of interesting frogs. In addition, learn how the animals adapt to the annual flooding of the Amazon river, and the new sources of food and shelter the flooding provides. Next is the “Oceans” exhibit, where visitors can see an octopus, leopard sharks, moray eels and other sea creatures that dwell in the depths of the ocean.

“At Home on the Great Lakes” focuses on the animals and plants that live in the Great Lakes region. The exhibit highlights the environmental issues that affect the animals and how visitors can help to protect the region. The other indoor touch pool, where you can touch a sturgeon, is part of the exhibit, so if you ever wanted to touch a sturgeon, here’s your chance. “Islands and Lakes” features the special animals that live on islands and lakes, such as alligators, turtles and cichlids. Learn about the different sea animals that live in the river in “Rivers” and the adaptations these creatures use to survive in the moving water. Last, but not least is the “Caribbean Reef” where you can see colorful fishes and a gigantic sea turtle swimming among the reefs.

I spent about 4 hours at the aquarium, but as always, others can spend more or less time depending on their interests. Admission-wise, I think is rather decent if you are a Chicago resident, as I seem to recall the aquariums near me costing more and having less to see, but for non-residents, the admission is quite expensive, so do plan accordingly and book tickets ahead, see if the Chicago CityPass is something you are interested in or perhaps get a Bank of America/Merrell credit card to get the benefit of free admissions. Most of the general population will enjoy a visit to the aquarium as we don’t get to see many of these sea animals often in our everyday life. From dolphins to beluga whales to sharks, the Shedd Aquarium has them all, so definitely go and enjoy a day marveling at the many sea creatures that are part of this big blue world.

Adler Planetarium

A second post in the same month, look at me go. I’m not sure I can keep this posting pace, but I really do want to try and finish the Chicago trip before the year is over, but it’s practically December already. However, I’ll try, as there’s maybe only three or four more places I want to post about. So to continue…

Adler Planetarium, located in Chicago, Illinois

The Adler Planetarium is open Monday through Sunday from 9am to 4pm, but during the school year, from October to May, it’s closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The planetarium has extended hours on Wednesdays from 4pm to 10pm. Check the planetarium’s website for the most accurate hours. General admission is 19USD; if you want to see the sky shows, admission increases to 28-35USD, depending on how many shows you wish to see. If you are interested in visiting the planetarium in addition to other Chicago attractions, check out the Chicago CityPass to save some money. (I had the Chicago CityPass, which included two sky shows in the admission.) If you are an Illinois resident, admission is free every Wednesday night. The planetarium is accessible via walking, driving and public transportation. If you are in the Museum Campus area, walking to the planetarium is a viable option. If you are further away and wish to drive, there are various parking lots with varying rates nearby; the planetarium does not have its own parking lot. If you are further and don’t have a car, public transportation is a good choice. The most straightforward way to the planetarium is taking CTA Bus#146 to the Solidarity Drive and Planetarium stop, and then walking about two minutes to reach the planetarium. If CTA Bus#146 is not anywhere near where you are staying, then take the Red/Orange/Green lines to the Roosevelt stop and transfer to CTA Bus#146 to reach the planetarium. Other places to visit in the area include the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium. The views of Chicago around the planetarium are excellent, so take a stroll nearby if you have the time.

The Adler Planetarium is a domed-shaped structure with three levels to explore. The main entrance is located on the upper level and that’s where I started as the first sky show I wanted to see was at the theater on the upper level and I didn’t want to miss it by wandering too far away. While I had some time before the first show, I saw the “Mission Moon” exhibit. The exhibit tells the story of the beginnings of America’s journey to space, from astronaut recruitment, to the various Apollo missions, and finally to the first steps on the moon. The exhibit is an interactive one, so there’s plenty to touch and do, and lots to see, definitely take a look inside the Gemini 12 spacecraft. The sky shows might be different when you visit, but I really liked the ones I saw. The first one is called “Planet Nine” and brings viewers on a hunt for the ninth planet in our solar system.  (Pluto hasn’t been the ninth planet in over a decade, has it really been that long?) The show explains why scientists believe there is a ninth planet in our solar system and why they have yet to discover it. Everything is in laymen terms, so even if you’re not an enthusiast, you’ll still be able to follow along. (I love outer space, and planets, so this sky show was right up my alley.)

Continuing on the upper level is “Our Solar System”, which focuses on all the celestial objects in our solar system, such as the planets, asteroids and the sun. The exhibit gives detailed information about each planet in our solar system and the tools that scientists use to explore our solar system. (If you look at the photos above, you might notice Saturn is missing, I didn’t even realize until I was going over my photos. A bit embarrassing since I really do like space related things, yet there goes Saturn.) There are two more areas on the upper level, “Planet Explorers” and “Community Playlab”, which are both interactive spaces for children to explore. The planetarium has three theaters for the sky shows, one on the upper level and two on the lower level. The other sky show that I saw was in one of the lower level theaters, and is called “Skywatch Live!”. The show gives viewers an in-depth look at Chicago’s night sky and shows visitors which constellations can be seen in Chicago and how to find them. (I liked the first show better, because planets, but “Skywatch Live!” was good too.  It’s just that I have never been able to make out the constellations, the only thing I can locate with certainty is Orion’s belt.)

The mid level of the planetarium isn’t really a level nor does it have exhibits, it’s more of a landing and where the bathrooms are located. First up on the lower level  is “Chicago’s Night Sky”, which focuses on humankind’s fascination with looking up at the night sky. The exhibit highlights things that people now and in the past have used to map out and describe the night sky, such as constellations, celestial globes and star maps. In addition, the exhibit emphasizes how light pollution is drowning out our abilities to see the stars and offer ways to minimize the effects of light pollution. This exhibit is another interactive one as there are several activities to try your hands at. Part of the exhibit are the “Community Star Studio”, an interactive workshop where visitors can connect to the night sky through a variety of medium, and the “Atwood Sphere”, where visitors can see the Chicago night sky as it was in 1913. (The Atwood Sphere is currently closed.) Continuing on in the lower level is “The Universe: A Walk through Space and Time” exhibit, where visitors can see how the Universe has changed over 13.8 billion years. Learn how the universe began and what its eventual fate maybe in this exhibit.

In the “Space Visualization Laboratory”, visitors can attend presentations by scientists and see new interactive and immersive visualizations. Learn how telescopes have shaped our understanding of the universe in “Telescopes: Through the Looking Glass”. Visitors can also learn how telescopes have changed over time, in addition to taking a look through the oldest functioning telescope. Last, but not least is “Astronomy in Culture”, where visitors can learn about various cultures and the tools that they used to understand the Universe.

I spent about 2.5 hours at the planetarium, but the sky shows were about 30 minutes each, so I really spent about 1.5 hours exploring the various exhibits, but as always, others may take more or less time depending on their interest. (I kind of rushed the exhibits a bit cause I had to visit the planetarium on a Wednesday evening, and being a solo traveler, I didn’t want to leave too late, but I think I could’ve have devoted another hour considering my interest in space.) The general admission price is a bit steep, considering you still have to pay to see the sky shows, but if you are an Illinois resident, admission is free every Wednesday; if you are visiting from out of state, do look for discounts. Anyone with an interest in outer space will definitely have a great time, and the general population will enjoy a visit too as the Universe is just fascinating. So gather your friends and family, and learn about our vast Universe and its celestial objects at the Alder Planetarium.

Field Museum

I finally traveled since Covid started, which means I have more stuff to post. I’m going to switch things up a bit and post the new stuff first, so that it’s relevant in case anyone wants to go see what I saw, and if I ever get around to it, cover the backlog from a while back. The backlog stuff will be even more dated, but this blog really is for me more than anything else, so it’s okay. Anyways, my still new just went on vacation was to Chicago. The previous few months, lots of things have been telling me to go to Chicago, so I went as my first solo trip ever, and I learned quite some things about myself, so try solo traveling if you haven’t. Chicago had quite some museums to see, but the one I definitely didn’t want to miss is…

Field Museum, located in Chicago, Illinois

The Field Museum is open daily, from 9am to 5pm. General admission to the museum is 29USD for out of state visitors; it is a bit cheaper for Illinois residents and for Chicago residents, check their website for accurate pricing. If you’re interested in the special exhibits and/or 3D movie, the admission price varies from 36-42USD, check their website for pricing. If you are an out of state visitor

who wants to visit the Field Museum and are interested in visiting other tourist attractions in Chicago, look into the Chicago CityPass to save some money. (I got the pass when I visited as I was interested in the other attractions included in the pass, so I got to see the available special exhibits on view at the time.) If you are a Chicago resident, look into when the museum offers free admission days to visit, as it can be quite pricey to bring the whole family for a visit. The museum is accessible via walking, driving and public transportation. If you are around the Museum Campus area, then walking to the museum is doable as it’s right there, but from further away, you’ll want to drive or take public transportation as you’ll want to save your walking to explore the museum. If you choose to drive, there are plenty of parking options around. If you don’t have a car and are far away, then public transportation is your best option. The most direct way to the museum is taking CTA Bus#146 to the Soldier Field & Field Museum stop and then walk about 2 minutes to reach the museum. If you want to the take the CTA train, take either the Red/Green/Orange lines to the Roosevelt stop (it’s the closest the train will take you) and then take Bus#146 to reach the museum. Other places to visit in the area include the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. If you’ve had enough museums for the day, take a stroll around to get some great views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline.

The Field Museum houses an impressive collection of natural history specimens in a two story building with an underground level, so a total of three levels to explore. It’s been a while since I visited a museum (over two years), but I remember my routine, so I started on the top level and worked my way down. First up is “Evolving Planet”, which details the evolution of life, starting with the single celled organism to the heyday of dinosaurs to the rise of humans to the mass extinction that is happening. Meshing seamlessly with this exhibit is the “Dinosaurs” exhibit, which showcases a variety of different dinosaurs that will certainly make the little ones pleased. (My favorite prehistoric creature is the plesiosaur, which I found out isn’t a dinosaur because it doesn’t stand upright, so my favorite dinosaur is the apatosaurus.)

The Field Museum is shaped like one of the first airplanes, with wide wings and short bodies, where the majority of the exhibits are on located on either wing.  Continuing on the same side as the “Dinosaurs” exhibit, which I will dub the east wing,  is the first of three ticketed exhibits, “Cyrus Tang Hall of China”. (There’s four ticketed exhibits altogether, but one wasn’t on view yet, if I went two days later, I would’ve caught the fourth ticketed exhibit.) This exhibit tells the story of the history of China through its collection of artifacts. There is an excellent display about Chinese shadow puppetry, which is a form of theater art; the exhibit has a small clip of what it looks like and even shows visitors a behind of the scene of how it’s done. (I think this is the first time that I’ve come across a museum display on Chinese shadow puppetry, it doesn’t seem to be highlighted often.) Taking up just a small section after the China exhibit is the “Spirit Stone Garden”, where visitors can enjoy the tranquil environment (and take a short breather before moving to the next exhibit.)

Continuing in the east wing is “Plants of the World”, which contains about every plant you can imagine; there are rows and rows of plant specimens, so if you have a special plant you want to see, it’s probably in there somewhere. The museum appears to have some temporary or maybe pop-up exhibits that don’t show up on the guide map; one such was “Looking at Ourselves: Rethinking the Sculptures of Malvina Hoffman”, which explores how understandings of race has changed over time, yet certain ideologies remain. Finally reaching the tail of the airplane-shaped building is a small exhibit on “Jades”, followed by an even smaller exhibit on “Meteorites” (it’s about two display cases, so really small.) Finishing out the tail end is one more small exhibit, “Gems”, which features many different kinds of precious stones. (Gem exhibits at museums always remind of jewelry store displays.) The first exhibit on the west wing of the second floor is about “Geology”, where one can learn all things about rocks, such as what types of rock there are, how rocks are formed, how rocks are classified and much more.

Taking up the majority of the west wing are two exhibits about the Pacific Islands; one is called “Traveling the Pacific” and the other is just “Pacific”. “Traveling the Pacific” highlights a select few islands in the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, Marshall Islands and Tahiti, and gives an overview of its geography, history and culture. “Pacific” goes into more detail of the history and cultures of the Pacific Islands. The exhibit is separated into the major cultural regions of the area and a variety of artifacts from each region are displayed.

Learn all about Tibetan culture through various clothing, religious artifacts, and pottery on display at the “Tibetan Gallery”. (I really like the Tibetan exhibit; I like seeing the various daily clothing, the religious lama clothing, and especially the religious alter displays. This might have been the most in depth Tibetan exhibit I’ve seen at a larger natural history museum.) Last, but not least, is the final exhibit on the second floor, “Restoring Earth”. The exhibit highlights the conservation efforts by the museum’s scientists.

Moving onto the first floor, starting with what I dubbed as the east wing, is the exhibit, “The Ancient Americas”, which details the diverse societies that thrived in the Western Hemisphere long before the arrival of the Europeans. The exhibit separates the various indigenous peoples based on their way of life. For instance, Native tribes that were mostly hunter gathers are highlighted in one section, those with powerful governments, such as the Mayas, in a different section, and those with large empires, the Aztecs and Incas are grouped in another.

The theme of the east wing appears to be about indigenous peoples as the next two exhibits also focused on natives. The first is “Northwest Coast & Arctic Peoples”, where visitors can learn about the environment, art, culture and economy of the tribes that resided in the Northwest Coast and Arctic regions. (I liked seeing the outfits and religious artifacts once again. I also liked the large totem pole displays.) The second exhibit is “Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories”, which shares contemporary stories of Native Americans and Indigenous peoples through words, art, music and dance.

Moving across to the west wing, as the east wing is done except for the special ticketed exhibits (which I will return to later), first up is the “What is an Animal?” exhibit. Learn what makes an animal an animal, in addition to learning about how they eat, move and reproduce. The exhibit appears to cater to the younger demographic as there was more color everywhere and the font sizes were larger and more child-friendly, but there is enough information to entertain us older folk. The west wing is mostly dedicated to exhibits about animals and nature.  Visitors can see many animal specimens in the “Reptiles & Amphibians”, ” Mammals of Africa”, “World of Mammals” and “Birds” exhibits. If dioramas are more your thing (they are mine), then “Bird Habitats”, “Mammals of Asia”,  “Nature Walk” and “Messages from the Wilderness” are the ones to go see.  The “Nature Walk” exhibit is the one you definitely don’t want to miss as not only do you get to see excellent dioramas of animal habitats, there are also sounds to hear and things to touch to make it fun and immersive. “Messages from the Wilderness” has  great dioramas in addition to informing visitors about the importance of protecting animal habitats.

Next up is “Africa”, where visitors can learn about the various cultures and environments of the African continent . The exhibit is pretty extensive as it contains artifacts and cultural displays from many of the countries that are in Africa. The exhibit also highlights the work of the scientists in Africa who help preserve the native animals and their habitats.

The last exhibit on the first floor, that is not a special exhibit, is “Inside Ancient Egypt”. A replica of an ancient Egyptian tomb is located on the first floor (it’s interesting to look at, but hard to photograph, so no pics). The majority of the exhibit is actually located in the lower underground level and provides a look into the daily lives of the ancient Egyptians. The ancient Egyptians placed special emphasis on the afterlife, so the exhibit has some displays about death and the afterlife. (I especially liked the small dioramas they had of the mummification process, so don’t miss those.) In addition, the exhibit features a model of an ancient marketplace and a shrine to the cat-goddess Bastet. Last of the general admission exhibits is another small one on “Insects”,  located on the lower level. Bushman the Gorilla, who is not part of any exhibit, is also located on the lower level.

The second ticketed exhibit that I visited was “Underground Adventures”, which is located on the lower level. The exhibit is an immersive exhibit, where visitors shrink down in size to examine the insect world and the soil beneath their feet. (I feel like this exhibit also caters to a younger audience, but I did have fun looking at the supersized insects.) The last ticketed exhibit is back on the first floor, called “Wild Color”. “Wild Color” is a look at nature through the color spectrum. The exhibit provides examples of nature from each color of the rainbow and goes on to examine ultraviolet light, which is invisible to the human eye,  and creatures that can change colors. (I really like colors, so this exhibit was interesting for me.) The museum also has a “PlayLab” in the lower level for the even younger children, between two and six years of age, to explore.

I spent almost six hours at the museum (yup, you read that right, six hours, it’s what happens when I go to a museum without company), but as always, others can spend more or less time depending on their interests. I saw every exhibit since it was part of my ticket and spent some time taking pictures, so that probably extended my visit time. If I had to estimate how long to allot for the museum, I’d say three to four hours since not everyone wants to see everything. My opinion of the Field Museum is that it’s wonderful, but I also think that the admission price is a bit expensive, not everyone can spend over a hundred dollars to bring their family for a one day outing, so definitely check for discounts and wait for the free days to visit if you’re a Chicago resident. Anyone interested in dinosaurs and natural history museums will have a great time, as will the general population as there’s lots to see. Whether it be ancient Egyptian mummies or a Tyrannosaurus Rex that you’re interested in, the Field Museum has it, so wear your most comfortable shoes and be ready to be amazed.