Chicago's a famously family-friendly town, but many of the top attractions, like Navy Pier and the Shedd Aquarium, are best for school-age kids and lack the "cool" factor that commits something to a teen's memory banks. Here are ten things to do with teens in Chicago that they a) can't do anywhere else b) won't be able to call bo-o-o-r-r-r-ing and c) can use to impress their friends and post conversation-starting Facebook pix.
1. Climb some wacky statues.
Chicago has a lot of them, popping up at strange intervals all over the city. Some are grand or just grandiose, others simply odd, but what we noticed is that they are by and large available for climbing — or, at least, there are rarely signs posted saying it's not okay to climb them.
2. Go up in a hot air balloon.
Experience the Chicago skyline as it can only be seen from the sky. Rides in a tethered helium-powered balloon are now offered from Navy Pier. Even better, go up during the fireworks, which happen every Wednesday and Saturday all summer long.
Chicago is a world-famous theater town – and not just for big Broadway-style shows, though there are plenty of those. Chicago is where actors like the Cusack sibs got their start at the renowned Steppenwolf Theatre, and where famous comedians and actors like Alan Arkin honed their improv skills at The Second City. These companies are still going strong, but for a real taste of edgy, risk-taking theater, there's nothing quite like a scrappy group called the Neofuturists. Operating out of a funky hall above a funeral parlor in the northern neighborhood of Andersonville, the Neofuturists take improv to a new level with their long-running show Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, in which they attempt to do "30 plays in 60 minutes" by letting the audience select from a menu of skits and sketches. The actors in the ensemble don't look to be far out of their teens themselves, and the spontaneity, audience participation, and general zaniness make this show a hit with teens and twenty-somethings. Parents, be prepared to be the only people over 30 in the audience and miss half the topical jokes.
4. Take the water taxi.
A bargain at $2.00 a person, the water taxi is the perfect way to get from Navy Pier to the Magnificent Mile to Willis (formerly Sears) Tower without having to…
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