While every attempt has been made to ensure the greatest degree of accuracy of the contents within, 20 States on Wheels makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of this book and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of this book. No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of non-infringement of third party rights, title, contents of this book or its URLs to other Internet resources. Reference in this the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by 20 States on Wheels. Many of the photographs used in this book were taken directly by team members of 20 States on Wheels. All photographs not taken by our team members were posted online under Creative Commons 2.0 copyright licensing, and an attribution to the photographer is listed.
for Haley Rue, fellow adventurer, whose spirit lives on.
Chicago, IL by Brad
I was doing some reading on the bed when I heard Kunho cry out from the bathroom, “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!” He kept mourning for many seconds before opening the door and telling us what it was. His laptop was soaking wet! He had taken it into the bathroom to do some work before he took a shower and had put it on the ground. It turned out that the shower drain was not
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was a lot of work on that laptop, and it was a genuine nightmare. We deWe circled around the city center for almost an hour, struggling from one parking garage and one-way street to the next in search of a price slightly less than highway robbery. Finally we just settled for what we could get. It turned out that we couldn’t save anything off the laptop, and we were very sad.
but it still took more than an hour of waiting to get to the top! Finally, we got up there and waited to see the sunset and night coming over the city. It was so beautiful. We saved ourselves a spot by the corner so we could
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Basics Weather lake take the edge off a hot summer, but can make for a brutal winter. Spring card, and can feel like winter through mid spring or like summer toward the end; average highs in the Bring a jacket and umbrella. Summer humidity.
Autumn Early fall sees highs in the cooler temperatures later in the season. Bring a light jacket in early fall or a sweater in late fall. Winter with lows in the teens, though the wind off the lake can often make it feel far colder. Bring heavy winter gear.
Parking with a Disability Placard Illinois DOES recognize disabled parking placards from other states.
tered parking fees and time limits. ONLY a special state-issued meter-exempt permanent placard allows you to park in metered spaces for free and park for special placard is by application only and requires an Illinois state driver’s license.
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Chicago, IL
Accessible Taxi A centralized dispatch service operated by the following company coordinates accessible taxi pickup from more
-
accessible taxi. Open Doors Organization (855) 928-1010 www.opendoorsnfp.org
Accessible Van Rental C H I Wheelers of Illinois - O’Hare International Airport
Wheelers of Illinois has six accessible vans, one of which is equipped weeks in advance to reserve this vehicle. Mobility Works of Chicago
vehicles with hand controls.
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Basics Public Transportation Illinois residents with disabilities currently enrolled in the Illinois
rtachicago.org/rider-resources/reduced-fare/ride-free-permits Bus
ramps and lifts. ‘L’ Train
trains include accessible rail cars. Accessible stops are marked with the international handicap symbol on the map to the right.
Tours City Tour
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Attractions John Hancock Tower and Chicago 360 601 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210 (888) 875-8439 www.360chicago.com Entrance Bathroom Parking Price Hours
main entrance to basement level not accessible; accessible entrances on Delaware Street and viewpoint lot with designated handicap parking avilable inside building
p.m.
offers a spectacular view of the entire observatory is located on the basebasement level is not accessible due to stairs. Enter through the street level entrance on Delaware Street for the nearest entrance to the elevator; take the elevator down to the basement level, where a separate elevator to the observatory level is located. You may also enter through the accessithat entrance is farther from the elevators. In addition to the view, there are a couple of great restaurants in The John Hancock Center, nicknamed “Big John,� was completed in 1968. 222
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available inside the building, though it is expensive; drive in through the back entrance.
Chicago, IL A tourist looks down at the street from the Skydeck.
The Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower, as viewed from the street.
Willis Tower 233 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606 (312) 875-0066 www.willistower.com Entrance Bathroom Parking Map Price
fully accessible main entrance on W Jackson Blvd. Staff may give assistance entering the building. accessible restroom on the south side of Skydeck
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map does not indicate accessibility
Hours
building, wheelchair users can ask for assistance from staff to get into the buildpurchasing a citypass ticket or fastpass to avoid a wait of more than one to two hours; even with the fast pass, the waiting time can be as long as an hour. Everywhere in the Skydeck is wheelchair accessible, though there is a slight incline on -
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Attractions Navy Pier 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 595-5283 www.navypier.com Bathroom
accessible restrooms inside complex by main entrance and next to Funhouse, Festival Hall B,
Parking
lot with designated handicap parking at West
Price Hours
Free
Firework Display Hours:
If you’re up for a nice drink, a lakefront breeze and a perfect view allows wheelchair users who are able to transfer to enter the gondola for -
Navy Pier is a classic Chicago destination. 224
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Chicago, IL
(888) 345-3880 Navy Pier Seadog Seadog Cruises Price
Tour
Architectural tour: Standard speedboat tour:
cessible. If you are not able to transfer to a seat on the boat, the staff will remove one of the seats to make space for your chair. Schedules varies daily by tour.
(312) 222-9328 Navy Pier Shoreline Shoreline Sightseeing Price
Tour
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Lakefront tour:
Architectural tour:
boats are accessible for manual wheelchairs but not accessible for sible as they are on the lower level, but a few boats are single-level and do have accessible bathrooms. Shoreline Sightseeing recommends single-level boats will leave. Schedule varies daily by tour.
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Cloud Gate, more commonly known as “the Bean,� is a 110-ton stainless steel sculpture that cost $23 million to make.
Millennium Park 201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 742-1168 www.millenniumpark.org Bathroom Parking
Map Price Hours
map indicates accessibility Free
accessible, with ramps at strategic locations to provide access for wheelchair Drive. Brochures about accessible features of the park are available at the visitor
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Attractions
Chicago, IL
Art Institute of Chicago 111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603 (312) 443-3600 www.artic.edu Entrance Bathroom Parking
accessible by ramp lots with designated handicap parking available at the
Price
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The main entrance on Michigan Avenue is actually accessible by a ramp to the left.
Located only a street away from lection from many parts of the world. Although the Institute is fully accessible and bathrooms; make sure to pick up a map at the information desk. Block out even with this amount of time, you will not be able to see everything there. If you do not have a lot of time, just look at the map and go to the sections that you are really interested in. 20 States on Wheels Chicago, IL
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Attractions Field Museum of Natural History 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605 Entrances Bathroom Parking Map Price
main entrance not accessible; East and West Entrances accessible accessible restrooms at ground, main and upper levels lots with designated handicap parking available at map indicates accessibility
Hours A sign at the main entrance directs wheelchair users to the accessible side entrance.
is famous for having one of the most extencheck out Sue, one of the largest and most will need to enter through either the east or west entrance. Inside, the museum might
Meet Sue, one of the largest T-Rex skeletons ever discovered! 228
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equipped with elevators. One dining place is inaccessible due to stairs, but there are plenty of other accessible dining spaces. Designated handicap parking is available in the east and west lots by the accessible entrances. Across the street, there is additional handicap parking in the Soldier Field North parking garage.
Chicago, IL
Courtesy of Gerald Farinas
The main entrance is not accessible due to stairs.
Courtesy of Eric Chan
The Cathedral’s beautiful interior attracts many visitors.
Holy Name Cathedral 735 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610 (312) 787-8040 www.holynamecathedral.org
Entrance Bathroom Parking Price Mass Schedule
main entrances not accessible; accessible entrance at the corner of State St and Superior St accessible restrooms available on lower level street parking Free
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Tours
have to go to the accessible entrance at the corner of State Street and Superior wheelchair users. An accessible bathroom in the basement is reachable by the elevator near the entrance.
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Attractions Shedd Aquarium 1200 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605 (312) 939-2438 www.sheddaquarium.org Entrance Bathroom
main entrance not accessible;
accessible
Fountain Bubble Net food court Wild Reef
Parking Map Price
designated handicap parking available at East map indicates accessibility
Hours
Penguins! 230
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Chicago, IL Shedd Aquarium’s main entrance is not accessible.
Shedd Aquarium has many different types of world and offers informative daily presentations on the aquarium’s marine life. Shedd was opened in wheelchair users will have to go to the accessible entrance on the south side of the aquarium, which is more commonly known as the Fish Fountain entrance. Insible seats with adjacent companion seatings available at performance spaces.
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due to stairs.
Michigan Avenue, also known as the shopping destination “The Mag Mile.”
N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL
restaurants, and hotels; attractions here include the largest Ralph Lauren store in the of the tallest buildings in the United States, be easy for wheelchair users to maneuver.
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Hotels
in Chicago
Hotel Name
Star Rating
Extended Stay America Chicago - Skokie Super 8 Chicago/Rosemont/Ohare/SE Red Roof Inn Chicago DownCandlewood Suites Chicago-O`Hare Days Inn Chicago Travelodge Hotel Downtown Chicago Hampton Inn Chicago/ Westchester Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago West-O’Hare Arpt Area Hampton Inn and Suites Chicago Illinois South Loop Hotel Chicago Chicago Marriott at Medical District/UIC Best Western Plus Hawthorne Terrace Hotel Inn of Chicago Courtyard Chicago O'Hare Fairmont Chicago Millenium Park Chicago Marriott DownSheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers Four Seasons Hotel Chicago 232
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5
Address
Phone
# Accessible # with Roll-in Shower Designated Distance to Rooms Showers Accommodations Handicap Parking Downtown (miles) 7
5
built-in bench and chair by request
yes
chair by request
yes
built-in bench
valet parking
built-in bench
yes
built-in bench
valet parking
built-in bench
valet parking
chair by request
yes
built-in bench
yes
built-in bench
valet parking
chair by request
yes
built-in bench and chair by request
yes
chair by request
valet parking
chair by request
parking not included
chair by request
yes
chair by request
yes
built-in bench
yes
chair by request
valet parking
chair by request
valet parking
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5.8
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