Yesterday I went with my brother and my boyfriend to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. This was my second time going since 2007 when my mother took me and both my brothers on a Chicago trip. This second time around was fun, but I figured I should make a list of what and what not to do when you make one of these trips.
1. Buy all tickets in advance. There are ticketed exhibits and special traveling exhibits, and unfortunately many of them are timed-entry with no-reentry afterwards, not to mention that the prices are very high. So you either get tickets for the special exhibit or for the timed-tour, but not both.
2. Use the parking garage instead of the outside parking lot. The parking lot outside has a parking meter that puts you on a time-limit. The parking garage fee rates increase for every hour you're at the museum, but at the same time it's not on a time limit like the parking meter. Alternatively you can park at one of the L stations and take the subway and buses.
3. Plan on having lunch either before or after the 12:00 hour, because everyone wants to have lunch at noon, and so the lines are very long. And we all know how annoying it is to stand for fifteen to twenty minutes in line to get lunch when you don't have much time. So wait until crowd thins out before grabbing lunch. Also, be mindful of portion sizes (and any preexisting jaw problems* that you or someone in your group may have, but I digress).
4. Make sure that you and your buddies are all on the same page. Before you even leave on your trip, make sure you all agree on what you want to see. Don't be in a hurry as it affects not only your enjoyment but the enjoyment of everyone in your group.
5. Go during the spring and fall. I generally recommend going on a weekday when the museums aren't so busy, but with people's schedule this is often easier said than done. So if you have go on a weekend, that's fine. However, avoid going to the museums in Chicago during the summer as everyone and his kid brother will want to do the same thing and you will be thus unable to get in. You can go in winter, but that will greatly depend on how much snow there is.
6. Keep track of your possessions so that you don't lose anything or leave stuff behind.
Effectively what it all boils down to is good planning and organization.
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*I had a double root canal the day before our trip and didn't take the Ibuprofen soon enough when I had lunch. So eating was a chore.
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