Visit Chicago (downtown) with teenage girls in winter - what to do? (Washington: spring break)

[trailz]

In lieu of heading out of town for Spring Break, I'm thinking of treating my teenage girls to a few days downtown.

Willis Tower Sky Deck
Neighborhood businesses (North and Division, Armitage and Halsted, Clark and Belmont areas)

Any other ideas?

We've been to all the museums, and I'm thinking about the fun activities (not the lessons;-)

[pvande55]

chicago architectural foundation - Yahoo Search Results
Check out some tours. Harold Washington Library? Of course, Navy Pier.

[chet everett]

Honestly given the likelihood of continued cold weather I would probably give serious thought to someplace that is likely not just warmer but also far cheaper...

That said if you are 100% set on spending a few days / nights downtown I would absolutely try to get a hotel that has a nice indoor pool, budget for that alone would be several hundred a night.

Depending on what your idea of "fun" is during the day there are frankly NOT a whole lot of great options that do not involve the possibility of fairly large expenditures -- heading over to the museums will like involve at least an entrance fee if not also some transportation costs (and most kids will want to spend time & money in the "gift shops" not to mention the over priced concessions areas...). That said the interactive type displays even at the Museum of Science & Industry (which tends to be the most hands-on...) are very likely to trigger the "this is boring" buttons in most teens (not to mention the fact that spring break tends to have a bad combination of large crowds that often overwhelm staff ability to "keep stuff working".

[oakparkdude]

Downtown Chicago hotels are pretty cheap during the winter. The Intercontinental Chicago has an amazing indoor pool with rates well under $200/night.

[calvin338]

Seems like you're from the area, and so you're relatively aware of the normal tourist things to do in the city.

Here's a crazy idea: how about the same trip, but to Milwaukee?