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8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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If you're a fan of Shakespeare, you should attend the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier. This professional theater company was founded in 1986 by Barbara Gaines and is the third largest in the Midwest. They produce works from the Shakespeare canon and other theatrical performances, with over six hundred performances annually at the Courtyard Theater and the Upstairs space. The theater has won numerous awards, including 36 Joseph Jefferson Awards, three Laurence Olivier Awards, and a Regional Theatre Tony Award. The theater also has a family series for younger audiences and special student pricing.
Celebrate the holiday season with the nationally televised Chicago Thanksgiving Parade, which has been ranked the second-best Thanksgiving Parade in the country by Time Out Magazine. Witness the excitement as talented marching bands, majestic equestrian units, national celebrities, and spectacular performance groups march through downtown Chicago. Why settle for watching a parade meander through New York City on TV when you can see giant cartoon-character balloons, marching bands, and dancers on the streets of Chicago? If you are in the city on Thanksgiving, you can catch the annual procession before indulging in your turkey. The Parade moves down State Street between Ida B. Wells Drive and Randolph Street and ends by 11 am, providing you with ample time to return home and assist with the cooking. The event commemorates Thanksgiving with a three-hour procession of giant balloons, marching bands, dancers, and more.
The Adler Planetarium is a must-visit spot for astronomy enthusiasts and those interested in space exploration. Founded by philanthropist Max Adler in 1930, it was the first planetarium built in the Western Hemisphere and remains the oldest. The planetarium boasts three full-size theaters, including the Sky Theater planetarium, where visitors can enjoy various shows and presentations about the night sky. The Sky Theater projector can recreate every aspect and movement of the night sky, giving visitors an incredibly realistic experience. The Definiti Space Theater, an addition made in 1999, comes equipped with a digital full-dome video environment for an immersive experience. Visitors can also enjoy sculptures outside the planetarium, such as the "Man Enters the Cosmos" sundial and a statue of renowned astronomer Nicholas Copernicus. The lobby's dedication plaque is also a work of art, depicting the gods and goddesses that represent each planet, except for Pluto, which had yet to be discovered at the time of the plaque's creation.