Chicago > Senior Trip > 4 Day Sampler
Day 1: Willis Tower offers a wonderful experience on the Skydeck. You will see an amazing view by stepping into the glass box extruding from the 103rd floor! This box can support up to five tons so don’t fret! Unless your educational tour group is comprised of strong stomachs, don’t visit on a windy day as the building does sway! The Art Institute of Chicago will offer your group a variety of art to view. In fact, there are over 260,000 things to see! Ranging from Japanese prints to pointillist works of art, this one million square foot museum offers a vast array of artists to inspire each of you! There are critical thinking exercises available for student tours that encourage discussion and further exploration into the purpose behind certain works, as well as concepts introduced to boost art appreciation! Stop by and check out the impressive 200 jet Buckingham Fountain, it has the capacity to hold 1.5 million gallons of water, plenty for you to play in should the urge arise. From April to October there are water shows and colored light displays as well as festival lights in the winter time. Buckingham Fountain is modeled to represent Lake Michigan including sea horse sculptures to represent the four states along Lake Michigan’s shore.
Day 2: The Field Museum has many exhibits to offer ranging from Africa’s inhabitants to the great T-Rex and gems to tsavo lions. Students may travel back in time to the beginning of our planet’s creatures from birth to disaster and the cycles they follow as evolution separates the old from the new. Discover the stories of indigenous cultures or explore the process of gem mining and DNA. Adler Planetarium is a great attraction for your students interested in the solar system, but will be curious for all. The oldest planetarium in existence takes your students to meet the bronze sculpture of Polish astronomer Copernicus, to the spiral galaxy arranged in stone in America’s Courtyard, the Grainger Sky Theater where shows are put on, a lobby comprised of rainbows put off by reflections from prismatic doors, the practices involved with astronomy through the ages, an exhibit on moon exploration, the history of telescopes and even more! Your group may enjoy a tour of Wrigley Field where they will be able to view the home of the Chicago Cubs and the hand-turned scoreboard! Tours cover the clubhouses, the indoor batting cage, friendly confines, the dugout, field, bleachers, press box, seating bowl, even choose a Living Legend tour led by a former Cubs player!
Day 3: Visit the amazing aquatic creatures from all the waters of the world at Shedd Aquarium! 80 habitats lead your students from the Nile to the Great Lakes. Encounter beluga whales, penguins and sting rays or step behind the scenes to whip up feeding session meals for five dozen animals. The 4-D theater in Phelps Auditorium goes beyond sight and sound to touch too! During the video you will experience surprise sensations like smells, wind and more! The Navy Pier will offer your group the opportunity to shop or enjoy amusement rides! Catch a dining cruise or Cirque Shanghai performance, marvel at the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows or see a firework display if you stay for the evening! BIGart outdoor art exhibition features giant displays of creatively joined aluminum boats, steel, asphalt and other unusual sculptures. The John Hancock Building is another good location for photo opportunities. The observatory offers a 360° view of the city and lake! The Lavazza Espression cafe allows you to dine in style at 1,000 feet up while the open air sky walk takes you right outside at the same elevation! Swing by the 94th floor for souvenirs!
Day 4: Spend your last day at Six Flags theme park! The thrill rides include BATMAN The Ride Backwards complete with outside looping coaster, the Dare Devil Dive which drops you free fall from 12 and a half stories up, the Giant Drop which is just what it sounds like: An ascent to 200 feet before behind dropped straight down at high speeds, the Dive Bomber takes the floor out from underneath you sending you into a five foot story tall water slide falling at a rate of 40mph, yikes! But these aren’t even half the rides, the water park has it’s own selections that have earned it the vote of Best Water Park in the Nation! Arrange a meet and greet with some of your favorite cartoon characters like Scooby Doo or Bugs Bunny! Witness a blazing gun fight at Six Flags Corral, enjoy shopping at nearly 20 stores and dine at 50 locations! 304 acres take you from twirling balloon rides to bumper cars and beyond at Six Flags Great America!