Sprinkled among the skyscrapers, farm fields and Main Street communities of Illinois are cultural oases that appeal to a wide range of interests. Some museums celebrate art or dig into the prehistoric past. Others recall pioneer life or pay homage to famous people. At Illinois museums your tour members can learn about Civil War heroes like Ulysses S. Grant or fictional heroes like Superman.
Following is just a sampling of what groups will find when traveling the Magnificent Miles of Illinois:
Museum Campus, Chicago. The downtown lakefront features three major museums within walking distance, on what is known as Museum Campus. The Field Museum offers exhibits on natural and human history, including a large collection of Egyptian mummies and the most complete T-Rex skeleton ever discovered. Nearby the Shedd Aquarium holds some 25,000 fish and other aquatic creatures, including beluga whales and penguins. Dolphins star in the Oceanarium’s aquatic show. The other museum in the lakefront trifecta is the Adler Planetarium, the oldest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. It is particularly known for the high-tech sky shows in its theaters and exhibitions on space-related topics.
