Dec. 23--A line from a pop song by the British duo Everything But the Girl sums up the post-holiday letdown for some of us: "Every day's like Christmas day without you -- it's cold and there's nothing to do."
But the week between Christmas and New Year's offers plenty of chances to catch up with cultural events -- seasonal and otherwise. Whether you're looking for family outings while the kids are home from school, or playing concierge to out-of-town visitors, consider the following a partial guide to ideas to keep cabin fever at bay for the last week of the year. Unless otherwise noted, all of the museums listed are closed on Christmas Day.
DuSable Museum of African American History
Kwanzaa always falls in this week, and there is no better place to reconnect with the guiding principles behind the first specifically African-American holiday (conceived 50 years ago) than at the DuSable. The museum offers special Kwanzaa-themed celebrations beginning Dec. 26 that focus on unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. It's also a good time to catch up with the DuSable's new permanent exhibit, "Freedom, Resistance and the Journey Toward Equality," which highlight's Chicago's role in the Great Migration and the struggle for civil rights. And for those who are feeling tapped out financially after the holidays, the DuSable also has some of the most pocket-friendly admission prices in town.
740 E. 56th Place. Holiday hours Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m., closed Monday. Kwanzaa events are scheduled in Ames Auditorium on Dec. 26-27 and 29-30, noon-1:30 p.m. All Kwanzaa events free; admission to museum is $10 adults ($8 Chicago residents); $7 students and seniors ($5 Chicago residents); $3 children 6-11 ($2 Chicago residents); children 5 and under free. Sundays free. Contact 773-947-0600 and dusablemuseum.org.
Chicago Architecture Foundation
The inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial winds down Jan. 3 (chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org), but you can satisfy your taste for holiday glitz and intellectual treasure with an educational stroll through the city's greatest architectural treasures, courtesy of the Chicago Architecture Foundation's generous menu of walking tours. If you prefer to ride, the nearly two-hour "Holiday Lights, City Lights" tour takes you by heated trolley down Michigan Avenue for the splendors of the season and background on the Magnificent Mile's buildings. ("Holiday Lights, City Lights" Dec. 26-30, 4:15 and 6:15 p.m., Dec. 31, 4:15 p.m. only, $30).
224 S. Michigan Ave., contact 312-922-3432 or architecture.org.
Morton Arboretum
You may already have checked out ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo (through Jan. 3, 4:30-9 p.m.; lpzoo.org) or the raft of "Holiday Magic" events at Brookfield Zoo (Dec. 25-26 and Dec. 28-31, open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily, festivities begin at 4 p.m.; czs.org). But if you want to enjoy something a bit quieter, then the Morton Arboretum and Chicago Botanic Garden both offer seasonal blends of the wonders of nature and technology. "Illumination: Tree Lights at the Morton Arboretum" (through Jan. 2) gives you a mile-long tour of trees that come to life with light and sound. You can literally be a "tree hugger" and be rewarded with breathtaking colors, projections and music as the plants respond to your touch and sound. As an added bonus, the Arboretum has live entertainment in the Gingko Room at the end of the "Iluminations" trail Dec. 26-27 and Jan. 1-2.
4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle; open daily (including Christmas Day) 7 a.m.-sunset. (Visitor center closed Christmas). "Illuminations" 5-9:30 p.m. (last admission 8:30 p.m.); $17-$20 adults, $11-$13 children 2-17, under 2 free, advance tickets required at 630-725-2066 or mortonarb.org. Regular admission $9 adults 18-64; $8 seniors 65+; $6 2-17; children 1 and younger free. Contact 630-968-0074 and mortonarb.org.
Chicago Botanic Garden
At the Botanic Garden, the annual "Wonderland Express" model train runs through Jan. 3, with a focus this year on Chicago landmarks old and new (including Glencoe's under-construction Writers Theatre) set against a backdrop of miniature live plant landscapes. And like the Arboretum, the Botanic Garden (though not Wonderland Express) is also open on Christmas Day for those who need to recharge their batteries in the reflective quiet of the great outdoors.
1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe; grounds open daily 8 a.m.-7 p.m. (closing 5 p.m. Dec. 24-25). Tickets for Wonderland Express $12; seniors 62+ and children 3-12 $10; children 2 and under free. Admission to grounds free, but parking fees $25-$65 per vehicle apply. Contact 847-835-5440 and chicagobotanic.org.
The Field Museum
Do you want to keep it classic for the end of the year? The Field's current marquee exhibit, "The Greeks: Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" (presented in association with the National Hellenic Museum), should satisfy visitors with a jones for epic literature, archaeology and ancient art with over 500 artifacts. And the Field gift shop also provides a great place to play catch-up for belated Christmas gifts -- or ones that are right on time for your Orthodox friends.
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive; open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily (closed Christmas); "The Greeks" available with All-Access or Discovery pass admission, but not basic admission. All-Access (all exhibitions plus one 3-D movie) $31 adults, $25 students and seniors 65+, $21 children 3-11; Discovery (includes single ticketed exhibition or 3-D movie) $25 adults, $20 students and seniors 65+, $18 children 3-11; basic admission (no ticketed exhibitions or movies) $18 adults, $15 students and seniors 65+ $13 children 3-11. Contact 312-922-9410 and fieldmuseum.org.
Art Institute
From the holiday-themed Thorne Rooms to the 18th-century Neapolitan Creche, the Art Institute puts on its seasonal apparel. Several exhibits are also saying goodbye at the beginning of the year, including "Gates of the Lord: The Tradition of Krishna Paintings" and "Making Place: The Architecture of David Adjaye," which highlights the contemporary African-born architect's concerns with community, diversity and difference. (Both exhibits close Jan. 3.)
111 S. Michigan Ave.; holiday hours 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Christmas and New Year's Day. General admission $25 adults, $19 students and seniors 65+; Illinois residents $22 adults, $16 students and seniors 65+; Chicago residents $20 adults, students and seniors 65+ $14; children under 14 always free. Contact 312-443-3600 and artic.edu.
Kerry Reid is a freelance critic.
ctc-arts@tribpub.com
