The first trip to Chicago is quite overwhelming for any visitor, especially a high school student. I myself have lived in a small town my whole life, a town with a population of about 17,000 and buildings that are no bigger than two-stories. So naturally the moment I walked out of the station and stepped into Chicago it felt like I had stepped into entirely different surroundings. I could tell that this busy city had plenty to teach me.
One of my favorite parts about Chicago was its architectural and sculptural design. You could be riding down Michigan Ave. and see old brick buildings and the next thing you know, you’re surrounded by skyscrapers. The best places to find the sculptural design are in two of the main parks; Grant Park and Millennium Park. These parks sit next to each other and are separated by a long wooden bridge that cuts through a beautiful garden.
If you want to see even more involving art, Chicago is home to one of the best art museums in America. The Art Institute is a three-level art museum that holds so many different styles of art. One of my favorite exhibits was Thorne Miniature Rooms, which holds about 68 displays of miniature dollhouse rooms that were built by Mrs. Thorne and donated to the institute. The house's scales are 1 inch to 1 foot. The styles in these dollhouses range from Victorian, Japanese, African, Modern, Medieval, and so many more! The details involved in these rooms are something that you would have to see in order to believe how amazing it is.
Of course, art is not the only thing that Chicago has to offer. The Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry are two places that I would strongly recommend anyone to spend some time exploring.
The Field Museum is great for all ancient times learning. They have an incredible Egyptian exhibit that allows you to walk through a pyramid and see actual hieroglyphs that were drawn onto walls. And of course, the dinosaurs! When you first walk in you will see Sue, the T-Rex, standing right in front of you.
If you want a more interactive experience, head down the block to the Museum of Science and Industry. Here you will learn about everything that has to do with nature and technology. Every exhibit that you walk into here has something for your group to do. There is never a boring moment in this museum! This is a place that you may want to spend most of the day at. There is so much to see and do; it is hard to finish it all in a few hours.
One really fun spot we went to at night is the Navy Pier. This was the perfect place to go and see all of the city lights near the water. One of the best views of the city, in my opinion, would be from the top of the Ferris wheel; If you don’t mind heights or waiting in line for a while, the view at the top is spectacular. During the summer, Navy Pier has a fireworks display every Wednesday and Saturday night. Many people brought a blanket and sat out on the grassy area to watch the fireworks. However, it is fairly easy to see them almost anywhere on the pier.
Navy Pier Ferris Wheel 2008 Credit Danielle Bopp
The things I learned and the memories I made in Chicago won’t be forgotten anytime soon!
