Late summer and early autumn are among the best times to visit the beautiful city of Chicago. The weather is still pleasant, but not too hot or cold, and you can enjoy walking around in comfort. There are lots of great activities for lovers of art and culture as well as sports and fine dining. Here are some of the best hearing loss-friendly activities in the Windy City.
Shedd Aquarium
Completed in 1930, the Shedd Aquarium is one of the best in the nation. Not only is it home to a diverse number of sea animals, it is responsible for some of this century’s top breakthroughs in veterinary science. Top professionals in the field work here to learn about marine life and how to conserve animal populations in the wild. According to the aquarium’s official website, the institution is also at the forefront of sustainability measures. For instance, a rainwater capture system feeds one of the cooling towers used to regulate the temperatures of the exhibits. Visitors who have hearing loss can request a sign language interpreter two weeks in advance.
Wrigley Field
Baseball fans shouldn’t miss Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. The stadium is the second oldest in the country, built in 1914. Here you can see where Babe Ruth famously called his home run shot in the 1932 World Series. Tours are available on certain game days and assistive listening devices are available free of charge. On game day, captioning is available on your smartphone by visiting caption.chcubs.com and entering the ID WrigleyField.
Willis Tower
Now the second tallest building in the U.S. after One World Trade Center in New York, Willis Tower offers the best view of Chicago. The Skydeck has a glassed-in enclosure known as “The Ledge” which extends 4.3 feet beyond the side of the building and is 1,353 feet above the ground. The official website notes that the Skydeck is open every day of the year, so no matter when you visit you’ll get a chance to see Chicago as you’ve never seen it before! In addition to Skydeck, there are theater presentations. Assistive listening devices are available free of charge for the theater presentation.
The Art Institute of Chicago
Art lovers should definitely consider checking out The Art Institute of Chicago, one of the oldest art museums in the country. Founded in 1879, the museum holds over 300,000 works of art. Visitors can view sculptures from the ancient world and masterpieces from modern artists. Such world-renowned pieces as Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” and Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks” reside in the building. The museum offers several options for those with hearing loss including assistive listening devices, audio tours and sign language interpreters.
