Filed under: family travel, top-feature
A Visit To Walt’s Hometown, Chicago
Being one of the most influential people of the 20th century, a lot has been written about Walt Disney. Some accurate and some not so much. It was on a recent family excursion to Chicago that some of these inaccuracies surfaced.
Walter E. Disney was born on December 5, 1901 on the second floor of the family home in Chicago, Illinois. The home, which was built by his father, was modest and still stands today. Unsuccessful efforts have been made to declare this home a Historic Landmark. While the birthplace of an international icon is indeed historical, many changes have taken place to the home, now housing several apartments, thus breaking the rules for landmark status.
Unlike Walt’s modest Chicago dwelling, our family home away from home for the weekend would be the luxurious Conrad Chicago (map). A sophisticated hotel located in Downtown Chicago, just off Michigan Avenue, I was a bit apprehensive if my children would be welcome.
The Conrad 
In the elevator ride up to the lobby, I reminded them, or should I say lectured them, about having good manners. It was as the elevator doors opened to the marble floors and over-sized windows revealing the fabulous Chicago skyline, that I took a deep breath and whispered, once again, “good manners”.
Any trepidation was quickly dissolved as my family was warmly greeted, with even a welcoming gift of a small stuffed cow for each child, that included a tag explaining about Mrs. O’Leary, her cow and the infamous Chicago Fire. My youngest was thrilled with this gift as just the week prior she had learned a fun camp song that recalled the event. It seems that even young guests are welcome at the Conrad.
Since our room was not quite ready, we instead were off to explore the Art Institute of Chicago (map), within walking distance of the hotel. Many sources declare that Walt Disney was a student at the Art Institute, however this is one of inaccuracies, as he in fact, attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, which no longer exists.
While the Art Institute holds several Walt Disney sketches in their collection, none are currently on exhibit. Our family was thrilled instead to walk among the works of masters like Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, O’Keefe and Chagall. No trip to the Art Institute is complete without a visit to the Thorne Minature Room.
Encouraging young art lovers, admission to the museum is free for children under 14. Be sure to visit the Art Institute’s website for helpful suggestions for a family visit.
A text message from the Conrad alerted that our room was now ready and on the walk back we enjoyed crossing the Chicago River and exploring the exterior walls of the Wrigley Building (map). Featuring stones from historical structures including the Alamo, the Great Wall of China, Notre Dame Cathedral and a piece of twisted metal from the former twin towers in Manhattan a walk passed the Wrigley Building is like a walk through history.
Stops to discover the fountains and sculptures of Millennium Park (map) was also enjoyable. It was especially fun to people watch and soak up the diverse cultures that call Chicago their home. Although the building no longer exists, it is interesting to note that the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts where Walt Disney took evening classes, once stood across the street from Millennium Park.
It goes without saying that after all this walking, the luxury of our guest room, including the pillow top mattresses was extremely comforting. A complimentary pillow menu held a delightful array of pillows designed for additional relief and comfort.
While my older daughter was anxious to try all the pillows on the menu, I had to draw the line at the restful lavender infused pillow, and the gigantic body pillow that was large enough to cradle her body in a U-shape, as there was no more room in the plush bed.
A second day of exploration led us to the John G. Shedd Aquarium (map) and Field Museum (map). The close proximity of the two attractions make it easy to visit both in one day. A helpful suggestion would be to take time for a leisurely lunch or snack break before tackling the second attraction. It is worth noting that the lines for entrance to the Aquarium became extremely long in the afternoon, so perhaps this should be your first stop.
It is also worth noting that although cars parked at the Conrad are allowed in and out privileges, a cab ride to the museum campus was only slightly higher than the museum parking fees and the additional fare was definitely worth eliminating the headache of driving in a large, unfamiliar city.
A trip through the Shedd Aquarium is like a trip through the waters of the world. From the Great Lakes to the Amazon River to Caribbean Reef there is much to see from the aquatic world. An aquatic show, Fantasea with whales, dolphins, penguins and more is featured numerous times a day and requires an additional ticket, a fact we somehow missed out on and therefore missed the show.
One of my favorite spots was the Oceanarium where the playful penguins spend their days. The beluga whales and white sided Dolphins are located in this spot as well as a Polar Play area for the younger aquarium visitors. Although we did not stay to check it out for ourselves, a guest mentioned it is also a great spot for an underwater view of Fantasea.
The Field Museum is perhaps most recognizable as the home of SUE , the largest, most complete and best preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex ever discovered. I was surprised to learn that a major sponsor of the exhibit is Walt Disney World Resort. This year marks a special celebration as it marks the 10th anniversary of SUE’s discovery and as such additional exhibits for museum guests to enjoy for an additional fee.
With floor after floor and room after room of items to explore, discover and learn, I think it is impossible to uncover it all in one day. From the meteor that crashed through a garage and became lodged in a car, to Egyptian mummies, to the lions that terrorized an African village to magnificent SUE, herself, each of us had a favorite exhibit.
After two packed days of exploring Chicago, I haven’t even mentioned the shopping or our many amazing meals, there was so much we had yet to discover. Walt, you have a great hometown and I can’t wait for a return trip.
Photo Selections: Conrad Chicago Hotel, flickr Art Institute , SUE
While I received a discounted rate for our stay at Conrad Chicago, the opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author.
