Chicago, IL: Places to Visit with Disabled Children - 2

Oldies But Goodies

The Navy Pier is a year-round family fest. The entire complex is wheelchair accessible, and accessible parking is available in the east and west garages. Be sure to visit the Chicago Children’s Museum, jam-packed with interactive exhibits (the first Monday of every month is free admission day, so avoid it if you don’t want crowds). Check out the Navy Pier Web site (www.navypier.com) for more information and to see what family events are planned during your visit.

Chicago is blessed with two zoos—Brookfield Zoo, located in suburban Brookfield, 14 miles west of downtown. It received an award in 1999 from the American Association of Museums for its accessibility. Lincoln Park Zoo is the smaller of the two, but that also means that it’s more approachable for kids and manageable for you. 

The Art Institute of Chicago is fully-accessible, from the ramp at the Michigan Avenue entrance to sign language interpreters for gallery talks. Recently, they’ve added TacTiles—paintings like Joan Miro’s “Personages With Star” and other works of art from the collection have been translated to hand-held tiles with a Braille description of each piece. The kits are available through the Escorts for the Blind Tours (call 312-443-3929 for reservations). Also at the museum, the Touch Gallery (below the grand staircase), has five portrait busts from the collection. (Call the Department of Museum Education for more information and specific programs for visitors with disabilities, tel. 312-443-3680, TTY 312-443-3890)

• A little red wagon can provide a lot of help when getting around becomes too tiresome for this boy with cerebral palsy.
• Paul Eisenberg

Chances are, someone in your family wants to see Sue, the largest and most complete T-Rex skeleton. The Field Museum, and all its natural history exhibits are wheelchair accessible (accessible parking and entrance are on the east side of the building). Visit the Web site (www.fieldmuseum.org) to plan your visit, and check out the free days (or not, if you don’t want to be mobbed).

The Shedd Aquarium, from shark reef to dolphin show, is a must-see with kids. The Shedd recommends coming first thing on Sunday morning for the most relaxed experience. The building’s accessible entrance is south of the main entrance, parking is in the North Garage at Soldier Field. Plan two weeks ahead, and the Shedd will arrange for a sign language interpreter for you (tel. 312-939-2438, or TTY 800-526-0857).