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Discovering
Chiccrgo
PAUL S. COHEN
BRENDAH. COHEN Trenton State College Trenton. NJ
The Illinois Indians called this land Chimugou, most commonly considered to mean "powerful, strong or great." The word shegahg in the Chippewa dialect means "wild onion" and refers to the regional abundance of this wild vegetable. In any case, the Americanized version is Chicago. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 completely destroyed the core of this major, vita< industrial city. In an attempt to build a bigger and better iity, arehitects flocked here. Among them was Frank Lloyd Wright, who made his home and studio in suburban Oak Park for 20 vears. which is now open to the public: Tours of the downtown architectural sites as well as Wright's complex and the Historic House Museums are available. This sophisticated midwest- A section of the reactor ring seen on the tour of the Fermilab in Batavia Illinois. Displays also includes a em city rests along 26 miles of scale model of the laboratory and a full-scalemodel of a half-section of the main accelerator. sand beaches and arks on the shore of one of the'world's largWest of Grant Park est freshwater lakes, Lake Michigan. Science and technology touring opportunities abound. Just west of Grant Park is the Museum of Broadcast Communication. This repository of historic television and radio programs offers a look at the history of broadAround Grant Park and Along Lake Michgan casting. We begin just south of Grant Park along Lake Michigan, On Printer's Row is the Printer's Row Printing Muwhere three superb facilities are within walking distance seum. A working nineteenth century print shop offers exof each other. The Field Museum of Natural I&tory fohibits and demonstrations of its presses. cuses on the divenitv of human cultures of the world. The The Museum of Holography displays new and interexhibits are divided& three levels: introductory; major esting photographic image presentations. thematic exhibits that combine sciences and provide insights; and advanced exhibits or resource centers where in Lincoln Park and Vicinity d e ~ t studv h can be undertaken with libramlike references. One of the most complete international medicine collecSome of the naturalistic dioramas created by famed taxitions, tracing surgery and related sciences from Neolithic dermist Carl Akley, with the help of his wife Dalia, are still times to present day techniques, is the International displayed. ~om~rehensive exhibits explore ancient Egypt, Museum of Surgical Science, located just south of LinPacific Islands. and Arctic and Northwest Coast maritime coln Park. Exhibits include a 2,000 year old skull treated by trepanning and the tools used to perfonn this proceb include gems and earth history. peoples. ~ e o l o exhibits dure, a scale model of the University of Padua operating Nearby is the J o h n G. Shedd Aquarium,possibly the theater of 1594, a Chippendale convalescent wheelchair c. world's largest indoor aquarium. The octagonal building 1780, and Rene Theophile Laennec's stethoscope, invented houses six galleries and five additional areas that display in 1816, and made to fit into a top hat. salt and freshwater exhibits from the cold northern waters Housed in a neoclassic 1893 building, the Chicago to the tropics. The highlights include a 90,000-gallon Academy of Sciences, specializes in wildlife of the area, "Coral Reef Exhibit" and an Oceanarium, which displays natural science, consewation, and cument environmental the rocky coastline of the Pacific Northwest and Southeast issues. Dioramas recreate the pre-urban Chicago using the Alaska. museum's extensive collection of plant and animal life, A short walk from the Shedd is the Adler Planetarium gathered from this area in later part of the 19th century with one of the finest collections of early astronomical inand the early 20th century. This collection is a unique struments dating from the 12th century to the present. baseline for the study of rare and extinct species. Take time to enjoy the planetarium presentation and to Linwln Park contains the city's oldest zoo. It houses tour the Doane Observatory. animals from all over the world and includes endangered (Continued on next page) Volume 70 Number 7 July 1993 A175
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Chicago
species in its collection. The zoo is well known for its ape collection. Among the interesting exhibits is the rain forest for primates and the penguin and seabird house. A fiveacre recreation of a farm is a delight for city dwellers. The 3.5 acres of The Conservatory i n Lincoln Park contains 19 propagation houses. Flower are on display year around and seasonal shows are of interest. Jackson .-. .. Park Jackson Park contams the Museum of Science a n d Indushy, whch claims to be the world's largest museum of contemporary eclence and technology. Industry has been heavilv mvolved m funding the museum and m creahng its k interactive. Exhibits, such as exhibits, many of which a a reproduction of a coal mine, a walk-through replica of a human heart, "Food for Life," and "Learning and Learning Disabilitiesn,provide unique opportunities for the visitor. The museum has an OMNIMAX Theater. Chicago is home to one of the world largest conservatories under one roof, The G d e l d P a r k Conservatory. Eight exhibit houses display over 5000 varieties of flora from all over the world. Seasonal shows are on view. The Suburbs For those wishing to go a little fiarther afield there are several sights in the suburban area that are of interest. Designed in 1935, the BrooMeld Zoo continues to have wild animal families in natural habitats. A wide array of formal plantings and natural woodlands surround over 400 animal species housed in four major exhibits. "Tropic World" contains three tropical rain forests in one enormous building that is barless and naturalistic, with mixed species from South America, Asia, and Africa."The Fragile Kingdom" is a naturalistic African and Asian mixed species exhibit illustrating environmental interdependence. The Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art in Elmhurst displays a n extensive collection of oriental jade and hardstone carvings. In addition, gemstones, dioramas, and earth science exhibits are available. In Lisle, the Morton Arboretum contains 1500 acres of trails, with collections of cultivated trees, shrubs, and woody vines from all over the world forming an enjoyable outdoor museum. The Chicago Botanic Garden is in Glencoe. A narrated tram ride takes visitors through a variety of gardens, nature trails, and prairie. Indoor facilities include greenhouses, an exhibition hall, a library, and a museum. The Fermilab, located in Batavia, explores the basic structure of matter by researching high-energy particle physics. Wilson Hall exhibits explain what this facility does and how they go about that work. Displays includesDivC a scale model of the laboratory and a fd-%ale model of a half-section of the main accelerator. Upper floor viewing areas provide a spectacular view of the~&ounds, the entire four-mile circumference of the main accelerator, and moling ponds for the magnets. A self-guided tour pamphlet, available in the lobby, includes a driving tour of the Prairie Restoration Project, complete with a bison herd. Further Afleld About two hours north and west of Chicago, is the Clock Tower Resort a n d Conferance Center, in Rockford, ~~~
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Journal of Chemical Education
which is the home of the Time Museum. This extensive world-wide collection of original timekeeping devices is supplemented by a few restorations and reconstructions. Exhibits illustrate the most important technical developments in the history of time measurement and the scientific and technological influences on their development from the earliest to the most modem pieces. On display are sundials, astrolabes, noctumals, compendiums, calendars, chronometers, and navigational instruments. Industrial Tours There are many industrial tours in and around the Chicago area. Two such tours are the chemical treatment and filtration plant of the Jam- W. J a r d i n e Water Purification Plant and the Chicago Wibune production plant tour.
Where To Find It Chicago Officeof Tourism, 163East Pearson Chicago IL 60616; (312)567-8500 Adlor Planetarium, 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive. Chicago IL 60605; (312)322-0300 Brwkfleld Zoo. 8400 W. 31 St.. Brookfield IL 60513-0719: (708)485-2200 Chicago Academy of Sclenca, 2001 N. Clark St., Chicago IL 606iA' I-.-,-.-
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Chicago Botanical Gar&n, Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe IL
600W (708)835-5440 llma Museum, 7801 E. State St., Rockford IL 61125-0285; (800)358-7666 FermlLab, P.O. Box 500 MS206, Batavia IL 60510; (708)840-3351 Field Museum of Natural History, 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL 60605; (312)922-9410 Fnnk Lloyd Wrlght Home and Studio, 951 Chicago Ave.. Oak Park IL60302: 1708M48-1500 ..,. ~. Garflald Park Conservatory, 300 North Central Park Blvd., Chicago 11 60624; (312)533-1281 InternaUonal Muswm of Surglcal Sclence, 1524 N Lake Shore Dr., Chicago IL 60610; (312)642-6502 Jardlne Watar Purlffcatlon Plant, 1000 E. Ohio St., Chicago ll 60611; (312)744-3697 Llncoln Park Conwwatow. 2400 North Stockton Dr., Chicago 1~60614; (31z)a4-i470 Llncoln Park Zoo,2200 N Stockton Dr., Chicago 11 60614; (312)294-4660 Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, 220 Conage Hill- Wilder Park, Elmhurst IL60126; (708)833-1616 Morton Arboretum, Rt. 53 and Rt. 5, Lisle IL 60532; (708)968-0074 Museum of Bmadcastlng Communlcations, Michigan Ave. at Washington St.. Chicago IL 60602; (312)629-6000 Museum of Holography, 1134 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago IL60607; (312)22€-1007 Museum of W n w and Industry, 57th and South Lake Shore Drive. Chicaao IL 60637-2093: 1312M84-1414 ~
