It can be a challenge to get teens and tweens to agree to go to a museum much less actually enjoy their time there. But that just might change when you bring them to The Chicago Sports Museum. This is a truly great destination for middle and upper school kids.
Located on the 7th floor of the Water Tower, this museum is packed with cool interactive exhibits celebrating Chicago’s sports stars. The first series of exhibits allow visitors to test their strength, agility and size against that of many of the Chicago greats.
Test your vertical leap against his Airness:
Compare your wingspan to Scotty Pippin’s:
Measure your hand against that of the greats:
Test your reaction time on an interactive wall:
And then try on Super Bowl championship rings:
Did you know that the Super Bowl ring made for former Chicago Bear William “the Refrigerator” Perry is reportedly the largest ever produced — a size 25! The ring size for the average adult male is between 10 and 12. Crazy!
You can also sit in a replica of the Wrigley Field broadcast booth and test your knowledge with the giant interactive trivia game.
Then make your way into the next area and try out one of the many simulated games where you can block goals, throw a football or shoot some hoops.
Throughout the museum, there is tons of memorabilia and game artifacts like Sammy Sosa’s corked bat and the infamous Foul Ball.
Adjacent to the museum, is Harry Caray’s 7th inning stretch where you can grab a solid bite to eat. The restaurant is expansive with beautiful views of the city. (I would strongly encourage you to make reservations). It’s walls are lined with wonderful old photos like Jordan’s foray into baseball, memorabilia and screens with live sports games.
For a city that lives and breathes sports, the Chicago Sports Museum is a wonderful tribute to our many hometown legends. Kids and adults will love spending time reliving some of the great sports moments in Chicago.
This article first appeared on Chicago Parent where I am a contributing blogger.