10 Things You Don’t Want To Miss In Chicago: January 13

Happy Friday Chicago!

Secret Chicago wants to help you make the most of your free time and keep you informed! We’ll be putting out “Don’t miss” and “ICYMI” plans and news for you each week, so you’ll always catch an incredible event or story. Here are some of them that you may have missed over the last week.

1. Chicago’s Field Museum Will Be Free For Illinois Residents Every Wednesday Of January & February

Chicago has one of the best collections of museums and attractions on the planet. Visiting all of them can get a little costly, especially if you’re taking the family. So it’s understandable why free admission days generate quite a lot of hype! Luckily for us, the wonderful variety of museums and attractions in the Windy City love to announce random free days throughout the year offering locals the chance to see some of the world’s most awe-inspiring wonders regularly, for absolutely zero cost.

One of the latest to do so is The Field Museum who will offer free admission every Wednesday of January AND February in 2022! From Wednesday, January 5th, Illinois residents can enter the popular natural history museum completely free. According to the Field Museum website, “tickets for Free Days are only available to Illinois residents onsite and cannot be reserved in advance. Please ask a Guest Relations staff member when you arrive at the museum and be ready to show your Illinois proof of residency.”

More information can be found here.

2. Shedd Aquarium Is Offering Free Admission For Illinois Residents From Today Through Monday

Another place offering free admission this winter is Chicago’s beloved Shedd Aquarium. Last year the aquarium continuously treated Illinois residents to free admission days and they’re starting off 2022 with more of the same. According to an official press release on the Shedd Aquarium website, “from Jan. 13 – Jan. 17 Illinois residents can enjoy free admission with all-inclusive access to the aquarium.”

The announcement also revealed that weeks beginning Monday, February 7th, and Monday, February 14th will also be free weeks offering free admission from Monday to Friday including Valentine’s Day!

More information can be found here.

3. Shedd Aquarium Has Announced A $500 Million Renovation Plan Involving A 40-Foot Underwater Glass Tunnel

Shedd Aquarium has announced a transformational ‘Centennial Commitment’. With the aquarium’s 100th anniversary in 2030, it is launching a $500 million 8 year project that will “prepare Shedd for the next 100 years, transforming the aquarium’s historic galleries, accelerating aquatic science and research, and equitably expanding access to nature for all.”

In addition to more immersive and science-rich galleries, improved facilities for the animals, a state-of-the-art Science Hub, and an expansive new experiential hub and curiosity incubator there will be four acres of new and reinvigorated green space around the building. The headline news for many, however, will likely be the installation of a 40-foot-long glass tunnel that will immerse visitors in the rich, bustling community of an expansive new Caribbean coral reef habitat.

More information can be found here.

4. An Enormous New Multi-Level Climbing Gym Has Opened In Lincoln Park

Movement gyms, the largest community of indoor climbing gyms in the United States, has opened a brand-new facility in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The exciting new 41,000 square foot gym climbing utopia has more than 200 routes on walls topping out at 55-feet high. As well as state-of-the-art bouldering, top-roping, and lead climbing the center offers an array of amenities like yoga studios, a full-service gym, and a gear store complete with climbing equipment and expert advice.

Now open at 1460 N Dayton Street, Movement Lincoln Park is the brand’s second Illinois climbing gym after a similar-sized center opened in Wrigleyville right across the street from Wrigley Field last year.

More information can be found here.

5. An Extravagant New Mini-Golf Cocktail Bar Is Coming To Fulton Market

An exciting new mini-golf concept bar has announced its imminent arrival in Chicago. Puttery from Drive Shack Inc., was originally planned to come to Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood in 2020 but plans were scrapped and it will now instead take up residence on Randolph Restaurant Row later this year.

Dubbed an “immersive experience unlike any other”, the new mini-golf bar prides itself on its unique courses which are designed to be “a visceral, intricately detailed experience that transports guests to a wholly unexpected location.” The lavishly decorated courses seen in other Puttery locations range from rooftops to libraries and are unlike any other mini-golf courses we’ve seen in the Midwest. With an emphasis on its specialty cocktails and chef-driven menu, the new bar hopes to be recognized for its fine dining as much as it is for its competitive socializing and elegant putting courses.

Puttery will comprise two different uniquely themed mini-golf courses across two levels in addition to two indoor bars and a rooftop patio bar.

More information can be found here.

6. Snowtube Down Wilmot Mountain With Chicago’s Snow Tubing & Brewery Bus

While skiing and snowboarding are more challenging winter activities to learn, snow tubing has quickly become one of the fastest-growing recreational winter activities and it is easy to see why. All you have to do is grab a tube, have a seat, and let gravity be your friend.

Thanks to Sourced Adventures’ Chicago Snow Tubing & Brewery Bus, Chicagoans can now escape the downtown monotony and embrace the chill up at Wilmot Mountain with a 2-hour snow tubing session followed by a visit to a local brewery with dinner and round-trip transportation!

More information can be found here.

7. Morton Arboretum’s Breathtaking ‘Human+Nature’ Exhibition Has Been Extended Through May 2023

After pandemic-related shipping delays postponed its opening, the Morton Arboretum finally unveiled an exciting new arbor-inspired exhibition entitled Human + Nature in May of 2021. Featuring five massive natural sculptures by renowned South African artist crafted especially for Arboretum visitors, Daniel Popper, it is the largest exhibition of Popper’s work to date.

This year the Morton Arboretum will celebrate its 100 year anniversary. To celebrate such an occasion, the 1,700-acre tree museum and research center is kicking off a yearlong centennial celebration building up to its 100th birthday in December including an extension of its popular Human + Nature exhibition. Already an incredible place to visit any season of any year, the enormous arbor-inspired sculptures will now be on show through May 2023.

More information can be found here.

8. 7 Natural Wonders Of Illinois: The Most Amazing Natural Spectacles Near Chicago

With so much going on in the city it can be nice to escape to the quiet of Illinois’ natural beauty especially with the winter wonderland now on offer. Though our state may not boast wonders with the universal magnitude of the Grand Canyon nor the grandiose reputation of Niagra Falls, Illinois is teeming with diverse ecological landscapes that transform into incredible winter wonderlands this time of the year. From monolithic marvels covered in snow to cascading waterfalls frozen in time, here are 7 natural wonders of Illinois that you can visit while they’re a different beast in winter:

• Garden Of The Gods: Saline County
• Wildcat Canyon In Starved Rock State Park: La Salle County
• Cache River State Natural Area: Johnson County
• Cave-In-Rock: Hardin County
• The Pomona Natural Bridge: Jackson County
• Cascade Falls In Matthiessen State Park: La Salle County
• Bork Falls In Ferne Clyffe State Park: Johnson County

More information can be found here.

9. 25 Things That Are Considered Totally Normal In Chicago… But Nowhere Else

You already know Chicago is like no other city or place… a unique world of its own. And because of that, there are some things we’ve become accustomed to that are strange to others, sometimes hilarious, and at other times shocking.

We asked our audiences which things they think of as uniquely Chicagoan. So here are your responses for things that are considered totally normal in Chicago… but would not be acceptable anywhere else. The good, the bad, and everything in between.

Head here to find out.

10. 10 Essential Chicago Bucket List Experiences For 2022

2021 will, like 2020, go down as one of the most turbulent years in recent history. It was another year plagued with negative superlatives, unprecedented events, and months of turmoil. At the same time, it was undoubtedly an eye-opening year for millions. It taught us about ourselves, what we cherish most, and the people and places we turn to in times of hardship. Most of all, it reminded us that we should never take our health and our freedom for granted.

Without dealing in clichés and overused proverbials like ‘life is short’ and ‘carpe diem’, the last two years have reminded us to make the most of every minute going forward. We spent enough time with our great city brought to its knees to realize that now we should enjoy it to its absolute maximum with the time afforded to us.

Whether you’re a seasoned local or a thrill-seeking visitor, here’s a list of the best ways to experience Chicago and the must-do activities around the city this year.

You can read the full list of essential Chicago bucket list experiences for 2022 here.

[Featured image from Unsplash]

See more: 10 Essential Chicago Bucket List Experiences For 2021