It used to be called the Second City, but Chicago is becoming Numero Uno in tourism with its highly innovative string of programs intended to lure travelers to the place. (It was called the Windy City for its bloviating politicians, by the way, not for thermal drafts.) But get a load of these two programs, lasting through the end of summer:
From now through May 31, 2003, there's the "Spring Training" promotion, rounding up a host of exhibits, activities, parades and more, many of which will cost you nothing. More than 50 hotels are offering special rates, with some as low as $69 per room. Through July 20, 2003, "Baseball as America" is the exhibit at The Field Museum, with 500 treasures from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. For more information, phone 312/922-9410. From March 29, 2003 through January 25, 2004, the Chicago Historical Society presents the "Chicago Sports!" exhibition (more information at 312/642-4600). From May through July, "Kids & Kites 2003" works with, well, kids and kites. Participants meet in Lincoln Park to create a kite of their own design. For more information, phone 312/744-3315.
The Loop Train Tour will ride the rails again from May 3 through September 27, 2003. One of the city's most popular ways to tour the downtown Loop district, this train, free, by the way, runs its route for approximately 40 minutes and departs every Saturday at 11:35 AM, at 12:15 PM and 1:35 PM from the Randolph and Wabash CTA elevated station.
Narrated by Chicago Architecture Foundation docents, this unique tour offers a history of the downtown area, its unusual architecture and the elevated train system. Aboard the "El," passengers can enjoy a unique vantage point for digging the town.
Loop Tour Train tickets are free and may be obtained in advance at the Chicago Office of Tourism Visitor Center on the first floor of the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 East Randolph Street (at Michigan Avenue). They are available on the day of the tour on a first-come, first-served basis and may only be used on Saturday afternoons at the time indicated on the tickets. The Center opens at 10 AM on Saturdays. It's just one block east of the Randolph and Wabash CTA Station, where the tours originate. For wheel chair accessibility, guests can make arrangements when picking up tour tickets. (The train will then be scheduled to stop at the fully accessible Clark/Lake CTA Station.) If you need elevator access to board the train, make arrangements to do so when you pick up your tickets.
For more information on the train tour and the spring training promotion, contact the Visitors Bureau at 877/CHICAGO (same as 877/244-2246) or visit www.877CHICAGO.com. The TTY for the hearing impaired is 866/710-0284. More information is available also on www.cityofchicago.org/tourism.
