ML Interest Tag: train-adventures

10 Things You HAVE to do in March

by Maria Chambers

St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and the first day of Spring – could this month get any better?  Read on to hear about museum overnights, hiking and maple tapping, and holiday outings that’ll make March a month to remember. Grab your egg-gathering baskets, cover yourself head to toe in green and get out there to share giggles with the kiddos!

photo: Chicago’s St. Patty’s Day Parade

(1) Spend the Night Counting Stars
Look to the sky and be mesmerized by the stars during the Adler’s Astro-Overnight. Kiddos can explore hands-on activities, like a space-themed scavenger hunt, or do damage control on a planet covered in slime. There is also telescope observing and two sky shows to watch during the evening. There will be small snacks and a continental breakfast in the morning. You can also just partake in the activities without staying the night.

When: Mar. 4-5 & Mar. 11-12
Hours: 5:30 p.m.-8 a.m. (next morning)
Where: Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. Lake Shore Dr., Museum Campus
Cost: $60/non-members; $55/members (overnight); $30/non-members; $27.50/members (evening events only)
Online: adlerplanetarium.org

(2) Fam Jam: Sing With Your Child
Grab your friends and family to join Marsha’s Music for a Child Fam Jam. All proceeds support Marsha Music’s Scholarship Fund.

When: Mar. 12
Hours: 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Where: Greenhouse Theater Center, 257 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park
Cost: $15/family in advance; $20/family at the door
Online: marshasmusic.yourvirtuoso.com

(3) Get ShamROCKED at Hard Rock Cafe
As the city dies the river green in annual tradition, Hard Rock Cafe Chicago invites you to ring in the luck of the Irish for the eight annual Get ShamRocked bash. This free St. Patrick’s Day celebration features live music, traditional Irish eats, heated tents and your little Leprechauns will love the face painting and balloon artists.

When: Mar. 12
Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Where: Hard Rock Cafe Chicago, 63 W. Ontario, River North
Cost: Free; suggested donation of $5 at the door
Online: hardrock.com/cafes/chicago/

(4) Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Chicago’s homage to the Irish is making its way through Grant park with bagpipes, drum corps and Irish dancers taking the lead. This year’s theme is Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Easter Rising.

When: Mar. 12
Hours: noon
Where: Columbus Dr., Balboa Dr. to Monroe Dr.
Cost: Free
Online: chicagostpatsparade.com

(5) Celebrate St. Patty’s Day in South Side Style
Enjoy some good old-fashioned fun with the whole fam at the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Don’t worry about rowdy shenanigans, the parade has a strict no alcohol policy. There will be plenty of bagpipers piping, jigs from Irish dancers and flamboyant floats to make this a rockin’ party.

When: Mar. 13
Hours: noon
Where: Western Ave. from 103rd St. to 115th St.
Cost:  Free
Online:  southsideirishparade.org

(6) Take a Snooze with a T-Rex
The lights will dim as you explore the rituals of ancient Egyptian culture, guided by the light of your flashlight. Next, you prowl an African savannah with giraffes, hippos and man-eating lions. Take a break by playing games from around the world or looking at giant bugs from right in your backyard. Cap your night of exploration and adventure with cozy bedtime stories, before drifting off to an unforgettable dreamland in one of their amazing exhibits.

When: Mar. 18-19
Hours: 5:45 p.m-9 a.m. (next morning)
Where: Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., Museum Campus
Cost: $65+/person
Online: fieldmuseum.org

(7) Learn All About Maple Syrup and Munch on Brunch
Families start the Syrup Tree and Silver Dollar Brunch with a hike down to the Morton Arboretum’s tapped sugar maple tree to see how sap flows from the tree and is collected. After traveling down the trail, kids will learn how to drill into a tree and take turns practicing with a tool on a fallen log. It all ends with brunch, including pancakes, sausages, fruit, a special maple treat and beverages. Don’t forget to register!

When: Mar. 19 & Mar. 20
Hours: 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Where:  Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle
Cost: $18/members; $25/non-members
Online:  mortonarb.org

(8) Bunny Rock 5K & Egg Hunt
Join in on the 6th Annual Bunny Rock Chicago 5K and Egg Hunt. This festive race is sure to bring lots of excitement and entertainment with 80’s rock music played at the start and finish line. All participants will receive a finisher medal, bunny ears, sunglasses, a dri-fit t-shirt and a goody bag. After the race, partake in the Egg Hunt and petting zoo.

When: Mar. 26
Hours: 9 a.m.-noon
Where: Montrose Harbor, 601 W. Montrose Ave., Downtown
Cost: $30
Online: bunnyrock5k.com

(9) Easter Egg-Stravaganza at Lincoln Park Zoo
Families with kids of all ages can hop over to the zoo for an Easter weekend celebration including pancake breakfast, an egg hunt, photos with the Easter Bunny, animal viewing, complimentary rides on the AT&T Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure and more!

When: Mar. 26
Hours: 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.
Where: Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St., Lincoln Park
Cost: $19/adults; $39/ages 2-15; free for ages 1 & under
Online: lpzoo.org

(10) Groove to Schoolhouse Rock Live!
Through unforgettable songs such as Just a Bill and Conjunction Junction, a nervous schoolteacher must discover how to charm his students through imagination and music on the first day of class. Based on the entertaining and educational Emmy Award-winning animated series, Schoolhouse Rock Live! brings the treasured Saturday-morning melodies of the ‘70s back in a hip new way.

When: Various Dates in March, check the calendar
Hours: Various showtimes
Where:  Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park
Cost: $10
Online: emeraldcitytheatre.com

Big plans for March? Tell us all about it in the Comments below!

—Maria Chambers

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

10 Things You HAVE To Do in December

by Maria Chambers

We’re saying goodbye to a November to remember — unseasonably warm weather, our first snow fall and a month packed full of family fun — and saying a happy hello to an equally fabulous December. This month, take in the final presentation of Robert Joffrey’s Nutcracker, hit up Christkindlmarket or take to the skies for an unforgettable lights tour. Check out our Editor’s picks for wintry family fun in the Windy City.

photo: Museum of Science’s Small World of Christmas Magic

(1) It’s a Small World of Christmas Magic
It’s an international winter wonderland at Christmas Around the World. Your family will be enchanted by the trees and displays that are decorated to represent the rich multicultural heritage of Chicago. Of course, the crown jewel will be the The Grand Tree with 30,000 twinkling lights, sparkly ornaments and all of the trimmings. The kiddos can get into the holiday spirit while they sing along to holiday classics and play in flurries of snow that fall every half hour.

When: Through Jan. 3
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: Museum of Science, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr., Hyde Park
Cost: free with admission (non-residents: $18/adults, $11/children 3-11; residents: $15/adults, $10/children 3-11)
Online: msichicago.org

(2) Up, Up, Up! Get a Birds-Eye View of Holiday Lights
Buckle up and take your holiday lights enjoyment to all new heights with a birds-eye view from 1,200 feet above the crowd. New this year, Chicago Helicopter Experience, a helicopter touring company with a heliport in Bridgeport, is offering guests sky-high views of Chicago’s magnificent light displays. The pilot gives a guided-tour of the lights at Lincoln Park Zoo, Navy Pier, Millennium Park and the Chicago skyline, which is breathtaking no matter the time of year but exponentially so during the holidays.

When: Through Jan. 3
Hours: 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Where: Chicago Helicopter Experience Heliport, 2420 S. Halsted, Bridgeport
Cost: $178/person
Online: chetours.com or tinybeans.go-vip.net

(3) Chriskindlmarket
Bundle up for this outdoor market that brings the cherished German and European tradition of the Christkindesmarkt in Germany to Chicago and adds a heap of local charm. Head to Daley Plaza, where you’ll see the market’s signature wooden cabins topped with festive red-and-white-striped canopies, each packed with handmade gifts, food and drinks from around the world and many are run by native German speakers. Shop, eat, enjoy free entertainment, repeat – and be sure to say “guten tag” to Santa Claus.

When: Through Dec. 24
Hours: Sun.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Where: On Daley Plaza, Between Dearborn, Washington & Clark St., The Loop
Cost: Free
Online: christkindlmarket.com

(4) Mrs. Claus! A Holiday Musical
Chicago Kids Company – Theater for Children (CKC) presents Mrs. Claus! A Holiday Musical. This holiday classic and audience favorite returns for its 17th consecutive year. CKC’s biggest and most colorful show will put children and adults alike in the holiday spirit. Join Mrs. Claus as she teams up with the new Elf Class of 2015 to find Santa’s missing list in time for Christmas. Can Mrs. Claus and the elves save the holidays?

When: Dec. 3-Dec. 23
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Where: Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St., Beverly
Cost: $12
Online: chicagokidscompany.com

(5) Let the Joffrey Ballet Take Your Breath Away
The question isn’t if you are going to see the 28th annual, and final, presentation of Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker. It’s when. This epic smash replaces the traditional European setting with a 19th-century American home. It features the acclaimed Joffrey Ballet dancers, elegant costumes, an extravagant set by Oliver Smith, local children’s choruses, 118 young dancers and a giant Mother Ginger puppet by Kermit Love. They all weave together in a story of Clara and the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer, who embark on an incredible adventure.

When: Dec. 4-Dec. 27
Hours:  Varies (see website for times)
Where: The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Pkwy., The Loop
Cost: $32-$136
Online: joffrey.org

(6) A Dazzling Holiday Trolley Ride
The coolest way to watch the winking and blinking of holiday lights is by trolley. Hook up with Chicago Trolley Co. for its annual Holiday Lights Tour. The lightly narrated two-and-a-half-hour adventure shows the best of Chicago’s holiday lights and stops at Lincoln Park Zoo’s Zoolights show. Sights on the tour include The Magnificent Mile, Macy’s holiday windows, Christkindlmarket, the John Hancock and Daley Plaza trees, Millennium Park and more.

When: Through Jan. 3
Hours: Varies
Where: Tour departs from the John Hancock Observatory, 875 N. Michigan Ave., Magnificent Mile
Cost: Adults, $29; children, $19
Online: coachusa.com

(7) Watch Zoolights Illuminate the Night Sky
One of the nation’s only free-admission zoos flips the holiday switch with ZooLights. With the light displays throughout the grounds your fam can stroll through for holiday crafts, take photos with Santa, enjoy food and drinks, watch ice carving demos, partake in carousel rides and go-’rounds on the new Lionel Train Adventure, all while admiring the explosion of multi-colored lights.

When: Dec. 4-6, Dec. 11-23, Dec. 26-Dec. 31
Hours: 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
Where: Lincoln Park Zoo, Fullerton Pkwy. & Cannon Dr., Lincoln Park
Cost: Free
Online: lpzoo.org

(8) A Winter Thrill Fill at Navy Pier
Get your thrill fill at Navy Pier’s Winter WonderFest, which has rides for all ages. New attractions this year include the Polar Extreme, a double-sided inflatable slide and obstacle course, interactive Arctic Peaks Climbing Walls and an expanded, more challenging Winter Rules mini golf course sure to offer an additional layer of friendly competition and frozen holiday fun.

When: Dec. 5-Jan. 10
Hours: Varies
Where: 600 E. Grand Ave. Navy Pier
Cost: General admission is $9 online & $10 walk-up. Activity ticket $23 online & $25 walk-up
Online: navypier.com

(9) Enjoy Lights, Ice Carving and Magic at Holiday Magic
Celebrate Holiday Magic at Chicagoland’s largest lights festival featuring one million twinkling LED lights illuminating Brookfield Zoo’s walkways. This year’s festival will feature nearly 550 trees decorated by local community organizations and corporations, singing to the animals, professional ice carving demonstrations, Zoo Chats, photo opps with animals, live entertainment, a model railroad display, a 41-foot talking tree and more! New this year: Polar Lights, an interactive light extravaganza with accompanying music which allows zoogoers to activate and control the color and shape of 30 moving lights.

When: Sat. & Sun. in December & Dec. 28-31
Hours: Zoo is open 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; festivities start at 4 p.m.
Where: Brookfield Zoo, 8400 W. 31st St., Brookfield
Cost: free with admission ($16.95/adults; $11.95/children 3-11 & seniors 65 & over; free for ages 2 & under)
Online: czs.org

(10) Jingle Bell Jamboree
Enter a world of holiday magic at the Jingle Bell Jamboree! Bring the whole family and be charmed with live holiday music by the Chicago Sinfonetta, enjoy the sugar and spice of decorating cookies in Mrs. Claus’s Bakery and prepare to summon Santa’s reindeer with a magical treat and tradition. Don’t forget to leave a letter for Santa Claus, too! Registrations recommended.

When:  Dec. 19
Hours: 3 p.m.-9 p.m.
Where: Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville
Cost: $7/adult (ages 13+), $5/youth, Settlement-6 members and above
Online: napersettlement.org

Big plans for December? Tell us all about it in the Comments below!

—Maria Chambers

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

6 Whistle Stops for San Diego Train Enthusiasts

by rtamyroost

If names like Thomas, James and Percy are more like your kiddo’s BFFs than characters for a show, it’s time to turn off the television and check out some actual locomotives. San Diego is home to several model railroads that will leave kids entertained for hours. If your kiddo has a one-track love of trains, click through the slideshow to check out these San Diego hot spots for train enthusiasts.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

In addition to four enormous displays of railroads, this 28,000-square-foot space features a Thomas and Friends mini-gallery, a toy train gallery, and rotating exhibit cases. The location of the Model Railroad Museum also can't be beat since it's located in the middle of beautiful Balboa Park. Be sure to allocate at least 30-60 minutes to have fun and take pictures here. Cost: $9/adult; free/kids 14 and under with paid adult (senior and military discounts available)

Balboa Park
1649 El Prado
San Diego, Ca 92101
(619) 696-0199
Online: sdmrm.org

Photo credit: Amy Roost

What’s your favorite train adventure? Tell us in the comments below! 

— Amy Roost

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Just Opened: Lincoln Park Zoo’s New Kiddie Train

by Kelly Aiglon

You’ve watched your kiddos scramble to get a good look at the animals at Lincoln Park Zoo. But sometimes, they might just want to sit back and enjoy the ride. Good news: Now they can! The zoo’s new kiddie train, the Lionel Train Adventure, has just opened. The track-less locomotive “chugs” around a scenic loop, giving excited tykes a break from the monkeys, lions and bears. Here’s what you need to know before you go.

Do the Loop
The train is best suited for little ones ages 2-6, but anybody (including parents) can hop onboard. Each compartment has small benches and open windows to view the landscape. While riders won’t see any animal exhibits up-close as they circle ’round, they’ll cross pretty terrain that will make them feel like they’re rambling through the countryside.

Choo-choo! Swerve past a craggy canyon where you can see faux T.rex fossils. Cross a bridge over a dry river bed. And sweep into a mini forest before you stop back at the red-brick station. The train goes around twice and the ride lasts a few minutes.

Bells & Whistles
The 28-passenger train was created through a collaboration with the iconic model train company, Lionel, which has been around since 1900. Any toot-toot enthusiast will love going for a ride — especially because there are piped-in engine noises and happy-go-lucky music playing in the background. If you want to do your own whistle blowing, buy a wooden train whistle in the pavilion next to the station. It also sells Zoo holiday ornaments, and Thomas the Train and Lionel gift sets.

The train experience was designed to be fun for kids and easy for parents. There is stroller parking at the station and the entire area is fenced off, so you’ll always be able to keep an eye on your child. Important to note: the train does not run during inclement weather.

While You’re There
If your kids need to cut loose, let them burn off energy at the Treetop Canopy Climbing Adventure. This maze of sturdy ropes and tunnels looks like something out of Swiss Family Robinson and is located in the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo.

Lincoln Park Zoo
Open April-May & September-October, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
November-March, from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
General admission is free; parking for 30 minutes or more is $20; train costs $3/person
Main entrance at Fullerton Parkway & Cannon Drive
312-742-2000
Online: lpzoo.org

What is your favorite thing to do at Lincoln Park Zoo? Let us know in the Comments!

— Kelly Aiglon

 

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Save the Date! Fall Happenings to Plan For Now

by Natasha Davis

Autumn will soon be here — so make like a tree and leaf the house. (Tell that joke to your kids.) There are so many places you can go, from a fairy tale play to a children’s film festival to a symphony for the whole family. Take a peek at our must-do’s and save the dates!

photo: Story Pirates

Theater 

Story Pirates
The Story Pirates are on stage, but the kids in the audience are the stars. Stories are collected from young viewers and become fodder for an original sketch comedy musical created on the spot. Kids can watch their imaginings (anything from tickle monsters and gravity-defying pets) come to life with sweet tunes and gut-busting jokes. These pirates “steal” material all the time, which means you’ll never hear the same story twice.

McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage
Fawell & Park Boulevards
Glen Ellyn
630-942-4000
Online: atthemac.org
Date: October 4, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Cost: $16/adults; $14/kids
Ages: 5-13

Goldilocks & the Three Bears
Your favorite childhood fairy tale pops up on stage to delight your own kiddos. You know the story: When Goldilocks goes frolicking in the woods, she encounters a bear home, makes herself at home and learns about respect. Expect big, Broadway-style songs and lots of giggle fits when Mama Bear asks, “Who’s been eating my porridge?”

Emerald City Theater at Apollo Theater
2540 N Lincoln Ave.
Lincoln Park
773-529-2690
Online: emeraldcitytheatre.com
Date: October 4-January 3; times vary (check website for details)
Cost: starting at $15/person
Ages: 3 & up

photo: Leo Lionni’s “Frederick”  / Al Zayed

Leo Lionni’s “Frederick”
Leo Lionni’s much loved book, Frederick, is getting a musical makeover by Chicago Children’s Theater. Most mice are concerned about storing enough munchies for the winter, but Frederick is no ordinary rodent. He spends long summer days relaxing, but has something special up his sleeve for the next polar vortex. Let six talented actors, who also happen to be skilled musicians, take you on a journey with their special blend of folksy blues. Everyone can enjoy this show with American Sign Language performances and an autism friendly show in early November.

Ruth Page Center for the Arts
1016 N. Dearborn St.
Gold Coast
872-222-9555
Online: chicagochildrenstheatre.org
Date: October 15-November 16; times vary (check website for details)
Cost: $38/adults; $28/children
Ages: 3 & up

Princess and the Pea
It’s time to find out if Penelope has what it take to be a princess. Discover what happens when you combine a would-be princess, a pea and stack of mattresses. The little ones are going to love, and probably be pretty jealous of, the 12-foot-high bed and its 20 colorful mattresses. Laugh until it hurts on this journey to princess-hood with Penelope and her friends, staged by Chicago Kids Company.

Beverly Arts Center
2407 W. 111th St.
Beverly
773-205-9600
Online: app.arts-people.com
Date: October 16-November 26; 10:30 a.m. weekdays & Nov. 8, 1 p.m.
Cost: $12/person
Ages: 2-12

photo: Emerald City Theater

Hansel & Gretel: A Wickedly Delicious Musical Treat
You may think you know this story, but you’ve never heard it like this before. Rock out with Hansel & Gretel as they trounce through the Forbidden Forest to find their mother, discover a candy cottage and learn about the power of love. In a story full of dreaming, thieving and candy, what more could a fairy tale fan want? The wicked tunes of Grimm Brother’s Band, of course! Under the guidance of kindie rock hero, Justin Roberts, and his partner in crime, Eric Nolan, you can’t go wrong with this new spin on a kiddie classic from Emerald City Theater and Broadway in Chicago.

Broadway Playhouse
175 E. Chestnut St.
Downtown
773-529-2690
Online: broadwayinchicago.com
Date: November 22-January 4; times vary (see website for details)
Cost: Varies

Museums & Attractions

The Lionel Train Adventure
It’s time to see Lincoln Park Zoo at a totally different speed. Take a break from giraffes, lions and gorillas, and pop over to the old-fashioned brick train station. Zip over a country bridge, through the evergreen woods and down into a precarious canyon. This electric train is complete with a coal car, passenger cars with room for 28 adventurers, and even a caboose. Choo-choo, everyone!

Lincoln Park Zoo
2001 N. Clark St.
Lincoln Park
312-742-2000
Online: lpzoo.org
Date: Opens October 2; daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: $3/ride; free for zoo members from Oct. 2-5

Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze
Discover how naturally fun math can be in a maze filled with mirrors that will help kiddies unlock the beautiful symmetry of the natural world. Kick things off with a film that presents how fractals, spirals and “golden ratio” are woven into our lives. Then take a whirlwind trip through the mirrored maze of triangles, and race to find a secret room with even more math-tacular secrets inside.

Museum of Science and Industry
5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.
Hyde Park
773-684-1414
Online: msichicago.org
Date: Opens October 8, daily from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Cost: Free with general museum admission ($18/adults; $11/children 3-11; $17/seniors 65 & up)

Vodou: Sacred Powers of Haiti
You might think you know what Vodou is, but the truth will be revealed at this new exhibit. Practitioners will share personal stories about the spiritual pursuit, while kids experience what really happens during a ritual possession ceremony and even take a peek inside the workroom of a Vodou secret society. Let the “Lwa” (spirits) of love, warriors and everything in between guide you on a journey of faith and understanding.

The Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.
Museum Campus
312-922-9410
Online: fieldmuseum.org
Date: October 24-April 26, daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: Free with general museum admission ($31 adults; $21child; $25students & seniors)

photo: Chicago International Children’s Film Festival / Anatole’s Little Saucepan

Events

Chicago International Children’s Film Festival
It’s a week of amazing movies aimed at mini cinephiles! Whether you’re into animated adventures, documentaries with a message, cool bite-sized short films or even pieces produced by other kids, this is the place to be. Stick around after the shows for special Q&A sessions and stop by educational workshops throughout the week. You might even run into special celebrity guests!

Facets Multimedia
1517 W. Fullerton Ave.
Lincoln Park
773-281-9075
Online: facets.org
Date: October 24-November 2 (see website for complete schedule)
Cost: $6/children (2-18); $9/adults

Cantigny Park Civil War Re-enactment
Hang out with Honest Abe and Mary Todd when the whole fam takes a trip back in time. The Civil War is alive and kicking in Cantigny Park, and your little history buffs get to be part of the action. Experience a dramatic battle between the Union and Confederate soldiers, period music from the Battlefield Balladeers, and activities reflective of the times.

1S151 Winfield Rd.
Wheaton
630-668-5161
Online: cantigny.org
Date: October 4 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. & October 5 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Cost: Free

photo: Chicago World Music Festival / Boban & Marko Markovic Orkestar

Concerts & Performances

Chicago World Music Festival
So many sounds from across the globe converge at this annual free jubilee. More than 80 countries represent a variety of styles, whisking you from Nigeria to Mali to Costa Rica to India to Hawaii. The lineup includes the best brass band out of the Balkans, Boban & Marko Markovic Orkestar, on Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Thalia Hall. Needless to say, your gang is going to be grooving non-stop.

Held at various locations throughout Chicago; check website for details
Online: cityofchicago.org
Date: September 11-21
Cost: Free

Downtown Sounds Family Concert
Let your kiddo’s imagination wander to far off places with the help of some pretty famous names. You’ll trot from one composer’s favorite city to the next via the musical stylings of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Travel to Paris with Gershwin and Ibert, listen to the gushing water of the Trevi Fountain with Respighi, and walk with Smetana along rivers in Bohemia.

Symphony Center
220 S. Michigan Ave.
The Loop
312-294-3000
Online: cso.org
Date: November 22, 12:45 p.m.
Cost: Varies

photo: UniverSoul Circus

UniverSoul Circus
A global circus explosion is coming to town! Your host, Lucky, keeps the party rockin’ and gets everyone on their feet. Bend, flip and fly with the Zhen Jiang Acrobatic Troupe from China, giggle with the prancing fluffies of Chile’s own Olate Dogs, go on a crazy ride with the Globe of Death from Columbia, enjoy the magic of the Caribbean with Soul Illusions, and so much more.

Washington Park
5531 Martin Luther King Dr.
South Side
Online: universoulcircus.com
Date: September 24-October 19
Cost: $19-$31/person

Which of these events are you MOST looking forward to? Let us know in the Comments!

— Natasha Davis

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Calling All LEGO Lovers: See the Art of the Brick

by rtjenniferwolfe

Let’s face it. We live in a LEGO world.  They are piled high in multi-colored mountains around the kids’ rooms, slowly but surely encroaching on every living space in our homes: hidden plastic pellets, laying in wait for hapless feet. Brick by brick our budding builders have erected interlocking worlds inhabited by space ships, robots, pirates, castles, cars n’ creatures –only to destroy and rebuild, destroy and rebuild.  We’ve spent a small fortune feeding the dragon but still they WANT. MORE. LEGO.

Before heading back to the LEGO store (where you inevitably will drop beaucoup bucks), detour over to The Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale which is currently hosting The Art of the Brick®, an exhibition featuring more than 30 astonishing sculptures crafted solely from LEGO bricks and rated by CNN as “one of the top twelve must-see exhibitions in the world.”  We’re talking life-size LEGO-people, towering crayons, and heady creations  that will blow minds and drop jaws, young and old.  This is LEGO art that will amaze you as much as your kiddo (and required neither the drive nor the money that a trip to Carlsbad will run you…).

The Ultimate Brick Master
The artist, New York based Nathan Sawaya, started out just like your little brickmaster, spending endless childhood hours in the LEGO land of his own room. Today he uses nearly one million standard LEGO bricks to construct his plastic masterpieces (try fitting that in the toy box at home) and spends six figures annually on supplies.

Interlocking Ingenuity
We love that Sawaya has abandoned the old LEGO stand-bys. You won’t find Starfighter vehicles or Hogwarts Castles here. (Although there is a castle of another sort…) These whimsical brick creations will no doubt inspire your kiddos to think outside the cardboard box they came in.

One of  Sawaya’s best-known sculpures, Yellow, features a, well, yellow man ripping open his torso as yellow plastic bricks tumble out.

Another one, Green, is a life-size man lifting his head off of his body. Gray (anyone else noticing a theme here?) depicts a man pulling aside curtains for a peek at the world.

Along with mind-bending pieces of an avant-garde flavor, there are also more familiar images that will stun and surprise with their precision. Check out a national monument….

…or imagine a world, like, more peaceful, man.

Kiddos thinking of trying this at home? Clear their schedules and a large room: they’ll need about a month and nearly 25,000 bricks for just one of these life-size LEGO-fellas.

But here’s a little secret: plans are in the works to bring your little brick artists their own mini-Yellows to build at home. Click here for more information.

Wanna make a day of it? 
The Art of Brick exhibit will only take a short time to walk through. But while you’re at the museum, check out the permanent displays, and enjoy the sweeping views and serenity from the gorgeous terraces outside.  You won’t find this at the LEGO store.

Forest Lawn is also a hop, skip and jump away from Travel Town and LA Live Steamers (should you happen to visit on a Sunday), so couple your LEGO adventure with a train adventure and you’ll have one happy little kiddo.  (Just remember to pack snacks, as none of those places have choice comestibles!  And nothing but nothing ruins an outing faster than starving kiddos.)

Nuts n’ Bolts
The Art of the Brick is on view now at the Forest Lawn Museum through July 21st, 2013. The museum is open every day except Monday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Admission and parking are always free.

Forest Lawn Museum
1712 S. Glendale Avenue,
Glendale, Ca 91205
323-340-4921
online: forestlawn.com  
 

Do you have any LEGO hot spots that we don’t know about? Tell us about it here! 

–Jennifer Wolfe

Art of Brick photos (in order of appearance): Think, Erica Ann, Yellow, Gray, Rushmore, Peace By Pieces, Xray by artist Nathan Sawaya, courtesy of www.brickartist.com; additional photos by Jennifer Wolfe and floodllama via Creative Commons

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement