Cernan Earth and Space Center
Triton College, 2000 5th Ave., River Grove; 708-456-0300, http://www.triton.edu/cernan
Explore the wonders of the universe and the latest discoveries in astronomy, space exploration and Earth science at this space-age facility that combines education and entertainment for people of all ages. Open all year, the Cernan Center houses a 100-seat dome theater that features star-filled planetarium shows, wraparound films, children’s shows and laser light shows, along with a Space Hall and Star Store gift shop.
Ongoing: “Apollo/Mars Landscape Diorama”: The two-part exhibit commemorates the successful Apollo missions to the moon with models of the lunar module and lunar rover as part of the display while also celebrating present and future exploration of Mars with re-creations of the rocky and sandy Martian landscape, complete with a scale model of the Sojourner probe.
Ongoing: “Earth View”: The computer-generated video exhibit updates every five minutes and displays a map that shows the current day and night hemispheres, along with the locations on Earth that have the sun directly overhead and the moon directly overhead.
Chicago Architecture Foundation
224 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-922-3432, architecture.org
The foundation entertains nearly 500,000 people a year on more than 85 architecture tours, with free exhibitions and programs and a retail store.
Ongoing: “Chicago Model City”: A large-scale, 400-block representation of the Loop includes 1,000 highly detailed buildings. City photographs, maps and videos complement the display.
Ongoing: “Stories Behind the Skylines” tours: Walking, boat and bus tours highlight Chicago’s architectural landscape, including historic residencies, lakefront parks and modern skyscrapers.
Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington St.; 312-744-6630, chicagoculturalcenter.org
The Chicago Cultural Center, a building that once housed the main branch of the Chicago Public Library, is one of the splendid structures found downtown, a neoclassical masterpiece that features art-glass domes and glittering mosaic walls. Free daytime concerts are often staged in Preston Bradley Hall. Many galleries in the Cultural Center exhibit contemporary art from around town and around the world. Live musical, dance and cultural arts performances (Most exhibits and events are of them free.) take place year-round.
Through July 8: “Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection”: One of the largest exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center comes from the Richard Harris Collection, which features more than 1,000 artifacts, installations and decorative objects, with many pieces by some of the most famous artists (Rembrandt, Mapplethorpe, Durer, Goya, Jasper Johns sound familiar?). For this exhibit, the Exhibit Hall and the Sidney R. Yates Gallery will house artwork by various artists exploring the iconography of death from 2000 B.C. to the present. “At the age of 74, I believe it is incumbent upon me to make my collection a paean to death in all its many visages,” Richard Harris said about the exhibit.
Clarke House Museum
1827 S. Indiana Ave.; 312-326-1480, clarkehousemuseum.org
The historic Clarke House, considered the oldest surviving building in Chicago’s original city limits. , was built for Henry Brown Clarke and his wife, Caroline Palmer Clarke, and is an example of Greek revival style architecture.
Ongoing: Tours: Explore the Clarke House and see what life was like in Chicago before the Civil War, when the city received its charter and was still mostly undeveloped prairie. Noon and 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Garfield Park
Conservatory
300 N. Central Park Ave.; 773-638-1766, garfieldconservatory.org
Opened in 1908, and nestled in the northern section of Garfield Park, the conservatory features exotic plants, flowers, cacti, trees and other flora from several regions in 41/2 acres of indoor landscaping. The conservatory, designed by landscape architect Jens Jensen, is one of the world’s largest gardens under glass. Fountains and small waterfalls make for a pleasant and serene indoor environment. Rooms and outside gardens previously not accessible to the public due to severe damage from the June 30 hailstorm have now been reopened.
Ongoing: Guided tours: Learn historical facts and more about the collection of plants and trees at the Jens Jensen-designed conservatory, opened in 1908, from a guide. $12, adults only (self-guided tours also available).
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
9603 Woods Drive, Skokie; 847-967-4800, ilholocaustmuseum.org
The museum preserves the legacy of the Holocaust through exhibitions, educational programs and other initiatives that look at the subject of combating hatred, prejudice and indifference and the promotion of human rights and elimination of genocide.
Ongoing: “Zev and Shifra Karkomi Permanent Exhibition”: Artifacts, photographs, testimonials and more tell a story of the Holocaust, from life in Germany before the war, to ghettos and concentrations camps, and then post-war resettlement, with a focus on life in Skokie.
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
3001 Central St., Evanston; 847-475-1030, mitchellmuseum.org
The museum was founded after John and Betty Mitchell donated their personal collection of 3,000 Native American artifacts to Evanston’s Kendall College in 1977, before becoming an independent nonprofit institution in 2006. Since the initial donation of artifacts, the museum’s collection has grown to approximately 10,000 pieces, and it is one of only a handful of museums in the nation that focuses exclusively on the art, history and culture of American Indian and First Nation peoples from throughout the United States and Canada.
Through Aug. 5: “Carving a Tradition: Inuit Carvings”: On display are carvings by Inuit artists of Canada, some from the mid-20th century. The artists used materials from Walrus tusk, ivory and whale bone to soapstone and serpentine for pieces that depict family life, music and dancing, recreation and hunting.
Swedish American
Museum
5211 N. Clark St.; 773-728-8111, swedishamericanmuseum.org
A nonprofit museum and cultural center for the education, celebration and interpretation of celebrating Swedish-American history and culture in Chicago, the museum hosts annual exhibits featuring the works of Scandinavian artists, folk dancing, genealogy and Swedish language classes, concerts, films and lectures.
Ongoing: “A Dream of America — Swedish Immigration to Chicago”: Learn about the struggles and triumphs of Swedish immigrants as they journeyed to the New World to build a life and community in Chicago.
Submit information to ctc-ent-events@tribune.com.
