Q-Tips Reviews

Chicago Botanic Gardens –  1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL  (847) 835-5440,   http://chicagobotanic.org    $25 per car on weekdays; $30 per car on weekends and federal holidays (includes tax).  Admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden is free. On Tues. parking for Seniors is $10.00.  They also have Trams tours and complimentary wheelchairs. Bike rentals.

Q-tips say:  Went a  beautiful weather day-  warm, sunny, no humidity and a slight breeze. Walked though the Asian Gardens, saw the Carillon Bells, visited the workshop. The park is 385 acres.  So much to see, waterfalls, rose gardens, fruit/veggie gardens and an outdoor model railroad exhibit. During the colder months and the Christmas holiday they decorate. Decorate with lighted trees, an indoor model railroad exhibit.  Bring you own food for snacking or visit their shops. A great way to spend outdoors on a lovely weather day.

Museum of Science & Industry – a behind the scene exhibit for members.  

5700 S Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60637, Hyde Park,  (773) 684-1414,  emsichicago.org

Q-tips say: Yes, an enjoyable visit. Saw things that are stored and they had their own personnel talking about these items and answering questions. A lot of activities for the “kids.”    Drawings, free cup of ice cream for everyone, balloon animals, make your own toy  kits, etc.

Mrs. Q’s favorite item: An old fashion TV that had a round window like a magnifying glass.  She never saw a TV like that and neither did the Mr.  Thanks to the young man who answered all my questions & the stories he told.  Do you think they will ever bring back “Paul Bunyan” or the original “Heart exhibit”?  Hope so.

Halim Time & Stained Glass Museum– 1560 Oak Ave., Evanston, IL     http://halimmuseum.org

Q-tips say:  See it and enjoy the beauty. We and our friends did enjoy.  It is two floors and there is an elevator and a handicap entrance.   Downstairs are the restrooms, tables/chairs for eating their snacks/drinks  from the vending machine. They offer guided tours at 1:00.   They are working on the third floor to have rotating exhibits which they intend to have completed by the end of this year. 

Mrs. Q says: The heart of this collection is the clocks. When climbing the stairs, look up: the building’s topped with a zodiac-themed stained glass dome.  Left at the top of the stairs is a reproduction of the large mechanical clock.  The oldest clocks here mostly date back to about 1500, though there is a sundial from Egyptian times.  The Japanese clocks (beautiful and apparently with 9 hours instead of 12) were fascinating; the French industrial clocks (shaped like trains; steam engines; automobiles) very interesting; and there’s a giant collection of paste-encrusted Chinese clocks with automata and one plain automaton (a boy pulling a fish out of a net), in addition to a collection of navigational tools (clock-ish; another stained glass dome); “skeleton” clocks with the works exposed; and the sort of fancy porcelain bisque clocks one might expect.  There aren’t a lot of “mystere” clocks (where one is left wondering where on earth the mechanism is hidden.   Pocket watches from various local factories (Elgin!)  and some interesting old advertisements praising the watches’ durability. Yes, they have videos showing how many of the clocks work in action.

A fine collection of Tiffany windows; John LaFarge; Frederick Lamb, and an artist I’d never heard of, Mary Tillinghast, with wonderful deep colors.  There’s one Prairie School window and a few skylights from the old Auditorium theater downtown.  There’s also a giant Tiffany window of a Madonna and child with the painting it’s based on and the original photographs, and another giant Tillinghast.  There is a small display window of arts-and-crafts furniture designed by Tiffany as part of the furnishings for an entire house (including two lamps); some of his watercolors; a few mosaics; a sample panel traveling salesmen used to sell the famous lamps; and even a setting of silver flatware by the other Tiffany.