Free
Support
SKYDECK CHICAGO At 1,353 feet and 110 stories above the streets of downtown Chicago, The Ledge at the Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower) Skydeck will transform any visitor's--or local's for that matter--experience with the Windy City. In January 2009, Willis Tower owners began a major renovation of the beloved Skydeck, which originally opened in 1974, and served as a premier tourist attraction throughout the skyscraper's tenure as the Sears Tower. When ownership changed hands, the fresh blood added a fresh look--and adrenaline rush--to the 103rd floor in the form of retractable glass balconies extending about 4 feet over Wacker Drive and the Chicago River below. Still the 8th tallest building in the world, and the absolute tallest in the Western Hemisphere, Willis Tower's Skydeck draws 1.5 million people a year who are eager to ascend the 110-story, 1,454 foot (443 meter) building for awesome panoramic views of the city and surrounding countryside. Your journey to the top of the Willis Tower starts with a walk through an airport-style metal detector, followed by a slow elevator ride down to the waiting area where visitors queue for tickets. A sign will tell you how long you'll have to wait to get up high; this is a good time to confirm the visibility. Even days that seem sunny can have upper-level haze that limits the view. On good days, however, you can see for 40 to 50 miles (64 to 80 kilometers), as far as the states of Indiana, Michigan. Iowa, and Wisconsin. While you wait, you can watch a film about Willis Tower factoids. Then you'll wait a little longer before the ear-popping, 70 second elevator ride up to the 103rd floor deck. From here, the entire city stretches below, and you can see exactly how Chicago is laid out. Willis Tower, Skydeck, and The Ledge Fast Facts The hundreds of forehead prints visitors left behind each week on Skydeck windows served as this inspiration for The Ledge. The Ledge boxes can each bear about 4-1/2 metric tons of weight, and adventurers who trust that statistic enough to prove it can often be found jumping and bounding around the entirely translucent enclosures as Chicago's heavy traffic and infrastructure bustle below. The Ledge’s glass panels weight 1,500 pounds apiece, and each box is comprised of three layers of half-inch thick glass laminated into one seamless unit. In addition to serving 1.3 million tourists per year in its 4.5+ million square feet of space, Willis Tower is home to more than 100 companies, including prominent law, insurance, transportation, and financial services. The Ledge's glass boxes retract into the Skydeck main floor for easy maintenance, probably mostly cleaning off the 974 dead birds that must fly into them every month. The Moonwalk is the most popular dance performed on The Ledge, followed closely by the Running Man. Riverdance clocks in at a distant third. Bringing people who are afraid of heights to The Ledge is not recommended, unless you are mean-spirited or really don't like them. In which case, you should probably just take them here. Willis Tower was known as Sears Tower for decades, until the 30th anniversary of Diff'rent Strokes, at which point it was rightfully renamed SHEDD AQUARIUM EXHIBITS AMPHIBIANS! Get ready for a toadally ribbiting experience! Shedd’s new special exhibit, Amphibians, hops into the aquarium May 16 and is included with admission. In Amphibians, you’ll meet 40 species of frogs, salamanders and rarely seen caecilians. Learn how amphibians’ lives are full of change, from their life cycles to their adaptations to live in nearly every environment on Earth. Find out how too much change can spell trouble for amphibians — and how you can help them cope with big changes in our world today! Waters of the World Travel the world in 80 habitats. Dive into Oceans, from coastal kelp forests to the seafloor. Explore the self-contained ecosystems of Islands and Lakes. Visit Rivers—big and small—and learn more about our local waters in the new At Home on the Great Lakes exhibit. Meet hundreds of amazing animals, from tiny mantella frogsto a a giant octopus, from a Grand Cayman blue iguana to Nile knifefish, and from moon jellies to sea stars. We even have map turtles, in case you get lost. Caribbean Reef Take a 360-degree tour of an underwater reef community. Follow a green sea turtle. Peek at a moray eel in a rocky crevice. Watch regal rays glide by. Get eye-to-eye with parrot fish and sharks. Visit Caribbean Reef, Shedd’s award-winning 90,000-gallon circular habitat in the grand rotunda. Amazon Rising Take an exotic journey in the Amazon, home to one-third of all living things. Watch out for anacondas and piranhas, spiders, rays and a camouflaged caiman. In churning river channels, still lakes and even flooded treetops look for tetras, turtles and fruit-eating fish called tambaqui. See how the region’s animals, plants and people adapt to the water’s dramatic annual rise and fall. Abbott Oceanarium The Abbott Oceanarium immerses you in the vibrant coastal ecosystem of beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, sea otters and sea lions. You’ll also find a host of fishes and invertebrates that make their homes where freshwater flows into the ocean or where tides turn seascapes to landscapes and back again each day. Use our self-guided map to discover how animals are linked to each other, their homes and you. Polar Play Zone Kids have a place at Shedd that they can call their own—Polar Play Zone. It’s cool as ice and twice as nice! The penguins think so, too. Play! Splash! Pretend! What would you like to be? A sleek sliding penguin? A deep-sea explorer? How about both? In Polar Play Zone, you can slip into a penguin suit and try being a bird in the Icy South play area. From there, head to the Icy North to explore the belugas’ Arctic waters in a kid-sized submarine. Don’t forget to shake hands—or is it arms?—with colorful sea stars in the touch pools. In Polar Play Zone, you’ll learn about polar opposites—big and small, fast and slow, shallow and deep, even north and south—while you play. The Oceanarium Aquatic Presentation is included however based on available seating and remaining show times at the time of guest arrival. (2018 Aquatic Presentation Schedule) Stingray Touch (seasonal experience) is included. Open late May through October. 4D Experience is not included however the 4D experience tickets may be purchased at the theatre for $3.00 per -person
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY Come experience these unique and amazing Exhibits: Explore the power of play with giant Lego built structures and building challenges. Coal Mine - Descend the mine shaft, take a ride on the rails and learn the technology of coal mining. U-505 Submarine - Experience the real U-505, the only German submarine in the United States. Future Energy Chicago - Collaborate in a fast-paced simulation to create a more sustainable city. Genetics and the Baby chick Hatchery - Discover the complex interplay between genes and environmental cues that produce new life. Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze -0 Discover the mathematical patterns that abound in the natural world. Science Storms: Feel the physics and consider the chemistry of nature phenomena like tornados and avalanches. The Great Train Story: Travel from Chicago to Seattle in intricate detail on this massive model railroad. YOU! The Experience: Examine the experience of life itself and the connection between mind, body and spirit. All Aboard the Silver Streak: Pioneer Zephyr: Step aboard one of America's first diesel-electric streamlined passenger trains. Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle: Experience the enchantment of fairy's dream home in Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle. DARPA: Redefining Possible: (through Sept. 6): Meet the agency behind some of our favorite technologies. The Idea Factory: Young children can splash, stack and spin their way to testing scientific principles. Transportation Gallery: Explore how humankind has flown, soared, sped and chugged throughout the years. Farm Tech: Step into a modern farm and explore the innovations that bring food to your table. Fast Forward Inventing the Future: Immerse yourself in a world of tomorrow's inventions and today's visionaries. Henry Crown Space Center: Recapture the excitement of the Space Race and learn about the future of space exploration. The Art of the Bicycle: See the art and function of rarely displayed historic bikes alongside new cutting-edge bicycles. Earth Revealed: Get an up-close and near "real-time" view of our planet Earth. Materials Science: Explore the history and future of materials that impact our lives every day. Ships through the Ages: Follow the store of man's quest to travel the seas with the Museum's collection of model ships. Swiss Jolly Ball: See the world's largest pinball machine right before your eyes. ToyMaker 3000: An Adventure in Automation: This assembly line of robots manufactures fun while assembling custom toy tops before your eyes. Whispering Gallery: Investigate the reflection and focus of sound by sending the tiniest whisper across the room. Yesterday's Main Street: Journey back in time and experience America in the early 1900s. The following additional experiences can be purchased at the Museum. They require an additional timed-entry ticket: $12 Adult, $9 Child (ages 3-11). Subject to availability. Coal Mine The WOW! Tour U505 Submarine On-board Tour Skydeck Chicago At 1,353 feet and 110 stories above the streets of downtown Chicago, The Ledge at Willis Tower's Skydeck will transform any visitor's--or local's for that matter--experience with the Windy City. In January 2009, Willis Tower owners began a major renovation of the beloved Skydeck, which originally opened in 1974, and served as a premier tourist attraction throughout the skyscraper's tenure as the Sears Tower. When ownership changed hands, the fresh blood added a fresh look--and adrenaline rush--to the 103rd floor in the form of retractable glass balconies extending about 4 feet over Wacker Drive and the Chicago River below. Still the 8th tallest building in the world, and the absolute tallest in the Western Hemisphere, Willis Tower's Skydeck will reward anyone brave enough to step onto its Ledge with unparalleled views of Illinois' enthralling metropolis. Willis Tower, Skydeck, and The Ledge Fast Facts The hundreds of forehead prints visitors left behind each week on Skydeck windows served as this inspiration for The Ledge. The Ledge boxes can each bear about 4-1/2 metric tons of weight, and adventurers who trust that statistic enough to prove it can often be found jumping and bounding around the entirely translucent enclosures as Chicago's heavy traffic and infrastructure bustle below. The Ledge’s glass panels weight 1,500 pounds apiece, and each box is comprised of three layers of half-inch thick glass laminated into one seamless unit. In addition to serving 1.3 million tourists per year in its 4.5+ million square feet of space, Willis Tower is home to more than 100 companies, including prominent law, insurance, transportation, and financial services. The Ledge's glass boxes retract into the Skydeck main floor for easy maintenance, probably mostly cleaning off the 974 dead birds that must fly into them every month. The Moonwalk is the most popular dance performed on The Ledge, followed closely by the Running Man. Riverdance clocks in at a distant third. Bringing people who are afraid of heights to The Ledge is not recommended, unless you are mean-spirited or really don't like them. In which case, you should probably just take them here. Willis Tower was known as Sears Tower for decades, until the 30th anniversary of Diff'rent Strokes, at which point it was rightfully renamed.
RED LOOP The official tour of the National Mall, authorized by the National Park Service and National Mall and Memorial Parks. Take in all the places that are synonymous with the nation’s Capital; The White House, U.S. Capitol, Air and Space Museum, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial are just some of the iconic landmarks. Commentary provided in live guided commentary and in a choice of 8 pre-recorded languages. BLUE LOOP The Heroes tour travels to the sites and memorials honoring American heroes. Travel over the Potomac River leaving Washington, DC behind and visiting Virginia. The tour’s main features are Arlington National Cemetery, the Pentagon, the Pentagon City Fashion Center, and the US Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima Statue.) Other highlights include the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial, WWII Memorial and Air Force Memorial. Tour is available with live-guided commentary. YELLOW LOOP Travel through the city's historic center, passing the White House and Dupont Circle before heading out to discover Adams Morgan, the National Zoo, and the old world charm of Georgetown. Recorded commentary is available in your choice of 8 languages (French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese and English available). Commentary The multi lingual tours provide a personal commentary in a choice of eight languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese and Portuguese
The AquaDom & SEA LIFE Berlin gives you exciting insights into the wonderful world of oceans in a unique way. From the source of the Spree River to the depths of the Atlantic and finally to the colorful world of the Tropics. Discover a fascinating array of seahorses, rays and other sea creatures. Our experts take you on a journey through the underwater world and create an unforgettable experience with background information, entertaining lectures and daily feedings. Jurassic Seas – Explore the primeval times Discover a spectacular skeleton of a plesiosaur and some of the world’s best marine fossils from extinct primeval creatures. You are exploring still living creatures like horse shoe crabs, nautilus and other primeval dwellers. Find out how the sea dinosaurs lived with our interactive video wall. - More than 5,000 dazzling creatures in 35 lifelike designed displays on 1.500 sqm - Get close views of humble starfish to gracious seahorses, fascinating rays and elegant sharks - Unique! A breathtaking ride through the AquaDom tank in a glass elevator with 1 million litres of water and 1500 stunning fish! - Walk through Neptun’s mirror maze - Interactive Rockpool: Hold crabs shells & see starfish - Daily feeding demonstrations & talks
Come aboard the Patriot Jet Boat for an unforgettable San Diego experience. Zip and zoom around the bay on an entertaining tour of the waterfront's most scenic spots—past military ships, along the downtown skyline, and under the iconic Coronado Bridge. The 70-foot Patriot comfortably seats 129 and offers fantastic views in every direction. With rock music pumping, your highly skilled captain will narrate and navigate while executing 360-degree turns and reaching speeds upwards of 50 mph. Propelled by two 1,400 horsepower jet engines, it's the adrenaline adventure of a lifetime! Feel the wind, the motion and the refreshing spray, and experience the beauty of San Diego from a whole new perspective. There's nothing like it!
The Clipper City Daytime Sail offered by Manhattan by Sail is a fun-filled voyage around New York Harbor in a 158-foot-long schooner, whose massive sails hearken back to the bygone era of the 1800s. With a capacity of up to 150 people, the Clipper City provides plenty of room for passengers to take in the sights comfortably, whether mixing and mingling by the lively bar area or lounging on the raised quarter deck at the rear of the sailboat. The majestic Clipper City Daytime Sail departs from Pier 17 at the bustling South Street Seaport, whose location along the East River makes for great photo ops of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge before the vessel even sets sail. The Clipper City's leisurely, 90-minute journey around New York Harbor offers plenty of photo-worthy sights, as the schooner slowly glides past the towering buildings that comprise the Lower Manhattan and New Jersey skylines, the former immigration station on Ellis Island, the greenery of Governor's Island and the iconic Statue of Liberty. Another fantastic moment to capture with your camera occurs when the crew hoists the Clipper City's massive sails, working with masts and rigging that rise 120 feet off the deck. This occasion also presents a wonderful opportunity to experience the thrill of sailing first-hand, as you can volunteer to help the crew with this exciting task. The crew themselves add to the festive spirit aboard the Clipper City, as they are happy to engage with the passengers and answer questions from sailing aficionados and novices alike. Another highlight for some adults will be the fully stocked bar, which features a steady stream of music and a variety of drinks for sale – including wine, beer, soda, juice and nautical-inspired cocktails like the Monkey's Fist. Passengers looking for a quieter ride can head to the raised quarter deck, where they can watch the captain steer the boat or simply soak in the beautiful sights around them. The Clipper City sails from late April until early October, twice a day at 2:15pm and 4:30pm.
