Chicago: Things to do

The "Windy City" offers a host of museums, shopping and cultural diversions for attendees at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2006.

Museums

For families, the "Faces, Places, and Inner Spaces" exhibit features interactive opportunities with art from Europe, Asia and the Americas, and the institute's Touch Gallery allows visitors to explore the texture and composition of five sculptures. The Art Institute of Chicago is open Monday to Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours on Thursday until 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission for adults is $12, with free admission from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday.

Contemporary art lovers should visit the Museum of Contemporary Art (220 E. Chicago Ave.; (312) 280-2660), which houses more than 6,000 works of art dating after 1945. Featured exhibits include "Massive Change: The Future of Global Design," and "Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll Since 1967." The museum is open Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (free admission all day) and Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Mondays. Admission is $10 for adults.

Learn more about Chicago's architecture and neighborhoods with a visit to the ArchiCenter of the Chicago Architecture Foundation (224 S. Michigan Ave.). This free center features rotating exhibits, original exhibitions on new design and Chicago architecture, a lecture hall for slide lectures and panel discussions by world-renowned architects, a restored studio for youth and adult education, and the ArchiCenter Shop and Tour Center. Many downtown tours start here. The ArchiCenter exhibits are open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its shop is open from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.