INDOOR DESTINATIONS | MUSEUMS | OUTDOOR RECREATION

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If you know of a family-friendly destination in Northwest Indiana, and you would like it to be considered for inclusion in NWI Parent, please send a detailed description of the destination—with complete contact information—to kmacneil@nwitimes.com.

Indoor Destinations

Blade N Skate Roller Skating Rink, all ages skate: 6:30-8:30pm Wed, 4:30-6:30pm Fri, 2-5pm, 7:30-9:30pm Sat, 2-5pm Sun; adult skate ages 18+: 10am-noon Fri; skate lessons: 1-2pm Sat; teen skate ages 12+: 7-11pm Fri, 221 US Hwy 41, Schererville. 219.865.1662. This indoor rink offers adult and youth inline/roller hockey leagues and public skating sessions. The facility is also available for parties.

Challenger Learning Center, 8am-4:30pm Mon-Fri, Sat and Sun evenings available upon request, Purdue University Calumet, 2300 173rd St, Hammond. 219.989.3250. clcnwi.com. This center nurtures excitement about space through missions, voyages and other creative programs.

The Courts of Northwest Indiana, 9am-9pm Mon-Thu, 9am-10pm Fri, 9am-9pm Sat, 12:30-9pm Sun, 127 E US Hwy 6, Valparaiso. 219.465.1111. thecourtsofnwi.com. This 60,000-square-foot sports complex features four basketball courts and three tennis courts. It is open to the public and offers youth and adult leagues, camps and programs.

Crown Point Family Fun Center, 11am-10pm Sun-Thu, 11am-11pm Fri-Sat, 1301 Merrillville Rd, Crown Point. 219.663.3663. cpfun.com. This Mardi Gras themed family fun center features go-karts, mini golf, batting and soccer cages outside and an arcade inside, with new games such as Deal or No Deal and classic games like Skee Ball and basketball. Also, coming in the fall is a 55-foot-tall air dome that may be configured for soccer, baseball, softball or golf team training.

Fair Oaks Farms, 856 N 600 E, Fair Oaks. 877.536.1194. fofarms.com. Families can visit this family-owned, heartland dairy to take a tour of the dairy barn, the Birthing Barn, and the cheese factory. Other fun features include a 4-D theater, a Dairy Fun Room with interactive activities, and more.

Inman’s Fun and Party Center, call for hours, 3201 E Evans Ave, Valparaiso. 219.462.1300. inmansfunandpartycenter.com. Visitors can enjoy bowling, billiards, bean bags, an arcade and food from Panhandler’s Pizza.

Jean Shepherd Community Center, 3031 J. F. Mahoney Dr, Hammond. 219.554.0155. gohammond.com. Covering 30,000 square feet, this center features three full basketball courts and an indoor track. Volleyball may be played in the center court. Soccer is also a popular sport at this center, and a variety of other activities are offered.

Zao Island, call for hours, 1050 Horse Prairie Ave, Valparaiso. 219.462.1194. zaoisland.net. Filled with fun, this location offers a game room, and Oceans Dance Club, a safe environment for the older crowd (ages 13 to 17) to experience a club-like atmosphere on Friday nights.

Museums

Adler Planetarium, 9:30am-5pm daily, 9:30am-10pm first Fri of every month, 1300 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, Ill. 312.922.STAR. adlerplanetarium.org. Children will love Fly Me to the Moon, a 3-D space show in the planetarium’s recently renovated Universe Theater. After the film, families can visit the Adler’s most popular permanent exhibition, Shoot for the Moon, which features the fully restored Gemini 12 spacecraft. On the first Friday of every month, families can enjoy even more activities during Far Out Fridays. Through Dec 31: Telescopes—Through the Looking Glass.

Albanese Candy Factory and Outlet Store, 9am-8pm Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm Sun, 5441 E Lincoln Hwy, Merrillville. 219.947.3070. albaneseconfectionery.com. At this factory, families have the opportunity to watch the creation of gummis and chocolates and admire a tall chocolate waterfall. An immense selection of unique and tasty treats is also available for purchase.

Chicago Children’s Museum, 10am-5pm Mon-Wed, Fri-Sun, 10am-8pm Thu, 700 E Grand Ave, #127, Chicago, Ill. 312.527.1000. chicagochildrensmuseum.org. The museum provides an outlet where children can learn and play at the same time. Children gain physical, social and emotional development, further linguistic abilities and exercise creativity.

Curious Kids Museum, fall-spring: 10am-5pm Wed-Sat, noon-5pm Sun, 415 Lake Blvd, St. Joseph, Mich. 269.983.CKID. curiouskidsmuseum.org. This museum is an interactive, hands-on discovery center dedicated to stimulating curiosity and awareness in the areas of science and technology, history, culture and human perception. Exhibits include Awesome Apple Orchard, Body Works and Simple Machines. The museum also offers workshops and camps. For children of all ages.

DuPage Children’s Museum, 9am-1pm Mon, 9am-5pm Tue-Wed, Sat, 9am-8pm Thu-Fri, noon-5pm Sun. 301 N Washington St, Naperville, Ill. 630.637.8000. dupagechildrensmuseum.org. This interactive three-floor museum offers fun and hands-on activities, and encourages children and adults to play and learn together with exhibits, creative activities and special events.

The Field Museum, 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun, 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, Ill. 312.922.9410. fieldmuseum.org. The museum offers a permanent exhibit about nature, cultures, Africa and the ancient Americas. For children, the museum now provides the Crown Family Play Lab. Children may dig up dinosaur bones, wear an animal costume and more. Through Oct 25: Real Pirates—The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship.

Kohl Children’s Museum, 9:30am-noon Mon, 9:30am-5pm Tue-Sat, noon-5pm Sun, 2001 Patriot Blvd, Glenview, Ill. 847.832.6600. kohlchildrensmuseum.org. Because they believe that young children learn best through play, Kohl Children’s Museum’s mission is to “create exemplary, developmentally appropriate hands-on educational experiences for young children in a fun, intimate environment.” Designed for children ages birth to 8, exhibits range in themes from art to pets, to groceries and music. Through Sep 6: Color Play—Exploring the Art and Science of Color.

Museum of Science and Industry, 9:30am-4pm Mon-Sat, 11am-4pm Sun, 57th St & Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, Ill. 773.684.1414. msichicago.org. Visitors may enjoy the following exhibits: The Great Train Story, Ships through the Ages, Farm Tech and much more. The museum also features online and new exhibits and Omnimax and 3-D theatres. Through Jan 3, 2010: Smart Home—Green + Wired ’09; through Sep 7: Harry Potter—The Exhibition.

Shedd Aquarium, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat-Sun. 1200 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, Ill. 312.939.2438. sheddaquarium.org. With more than 8,000 aquatic animals, the Shedd Aquarium is the largest indoor aquarium in the world. The public may now see six exhibits featuring sharks, penguins, dolphins, anacondas, turtles, lizards and more.

Outdoor Recreation

ICE SKATING

Deep River Waterpark, 9001 E US Hwy 30, Crown Point. 219.947.7850. deepriverwaterpark.com. The warm days of waterslides and wave pools may be but a distant memory by the time December and January roll around, but this sprawling aquatic playground still manages to put all that H2O to good use in the bleak midwinter for “Ice-Skating on the Plaza” on its expansive 14,500-square-foot rink.

Harrison Park, Waltham and Hohman, Hammond. 219.853.6378. The City of Hammond is something of a skater’s paradise, with seasonal rinks at a half-dozen neighborhood parks—including Forsythe, Pulaski, Irving, Wolf Lake, Hessville, and Riverside—but this downtown spread usually feels like the place to be.

Lost Marsh, 1001 129th St, Hammond. 219.932.4653. While best known for its garbage-to-greens reclamation golf course, the surrounding nature and recreation preserve on this former slag heap—which includes cross-country skiing, sledding and a skating area—is equally impressive, with plenty of opportunities to spot winter wildlife during an afternoon on the ice.

Midwest Training and Ice Center, 10600 White Oak, Dyer. 219.558.8811. midwesttrainingandice.com. You can’t beat the cold-weather authenticity of an outdoor rink, but when an unforgiving wind chill makes for more misery than memories, there’s no shame in retreating to the relative comfort of an open skate in the cool confines of this bustling arena.

Millennium Park, Michigan Ave and Madison St, Chicago. 312.742.1168. millenniumpark.org/parkevents. If you’re looking for a quiet, back-to-nature kind of skating experience, keep looking. But for a busy, urban, center-of-it-all trip around the ice, the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink nestles you and crowds of fellow skaters right between the glistening skyscraper wall of Michigan Avenue and the brilliant reflected glory of Cloud Gate (aka “The Bean”). Need a break from the masses? Amble a few blocks down Randolph to the all-but-forgotten Daley Bicentennial Plaza rink.

Washington Park, 115 Lakeshore Dr, Michigan City. 219.873.1510. Given its proximity to the chilly waters of Lake Michigan, this rink is often best suited for milder days or hardier souls.

SLEDDING

Hidden Lake Park, 6355 Broadway, Merrillville. 219.769.2111. rosstownship.org/hlp.htm. The off-season crowds may pale in comparison to those that turn out during the summer months, but passionate sledding enthusiasts know a “hidden” treasure when they find one.

Kesling Park, 18th and A Sts, LaPorte. If the kids can ignore its proximity to nearby Kesling Middle School—a particularly chilling prospect when trying to enjoy a weekend or holiday break—the sled hill at this 90-acre parcel can be a great way to unwind from the rigors of elementary academia.

Lemon Lake, 6322 W 133rd Ave, Crown Point . 219.663.7627. lakecountyparks.com/lemonlake.html. This warm-weather playground has its winter charms as well, with cross-country ski and snowshoe trails to complement a solid sled hill that’s suitable for most ages.

Oak Ridge Prairie, 301 S Colfax, Griffith. 219.884.7238. lakecountyparks.com/oakridge.html. For parents who’d prefer to get their exercise from something other than countless trips up the sled hill, a few laps on the cross-country ski loop might be a good option while the kids indulge in the gravitational pull.

Pokagon State Park, 450 Lane 100 Lake James, Angola. 260.833.2012. stateparks.com/pokagon.html. Like the drive-in movie or the unassuming amusement park, the classic toboggan run is well on its way to becoming a forgotten cultural relic in the face of increasing economic pressures and persistent liability concerns. But for those parents hoping to give their kids a high-speed taste of their own childhood days, there’s still one remaining bastion of good old-fashioned winter fun in the area. You’ll likely spend more time in the car than you will actually zooming down these lightning-fast toboggan slides, but the warm family memories for the ride home will be more than ample compensation for the journey.

MORE OUTDOOR FUN

Buckley Homestead, 7am-sunset daily, 3606 Belshaw Rd, Lowell. 219.769.PARK. lakecountyparks.com. Settled by the Buckley family in the mid 1850s, the homestead is now a source of historical learning. Visitors may tour the farmstead, schoolhouse, barnyard and museum. They may also enjoy barbeque facilities, hiking and cross-country trails, picnic areas and open play fields.

Chellberg Farm and Bailly Homestead, 7am-dusk daily, Mineral Springs Rd between US 12 & 20, Porter. 219.926.7561. nps.gov/indu. Visitors can explore the Bailly Homestead and Cemetery and Chellberg Farm and help the farmer feed the animals every Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. in the summer and 3 p.m. in the winter. The Chellberg Farm is also home to the Annual Maple Sugar Time Festival.

Deep River County Park, call for hours and locations. 219.945.0543. lakecountyparks.com. The park features a historic mill, visitor center and water park. The park covers more than 1,200 acres on both the south and north side of U.S. Highway 30. The park offers barbeque facilities, historical buildings, art exhibits and more.

Gibson Woods Nature Preserve, 9am-5pm daily, 6201 Parrish Ave, Hammond. 219.945.0543. lakecountyparks.com. Once a sand dune ecosystem created by Lake Michigan, this nature preserve is now a strip of wooded sand dunes and small wetlands. Visitors may enjoy the hiking trails, environmental awareness center and gift shop.

Hammond Lakefront Park and Bird Sanctuary, call for hours, between the Hammond Marina and Commonwealth Edison Power Plant, 219.945.0543. hammondindiana.com/lakefront.html. Known as the “migrant trap,” this sanctuary attracts a variety of different birds during migration. Viewers have sighted Le Conte’s sparrows, Connecticut warblers and northern goshawks among other species. Mid-August through October is ideal for viewing rare birds.

The Shrine of Christ’s Passion, 10600 Wicker Ave, St. John. 219.365.6010. shrineofchristspassion.org. Visitors will experience the Passion of Christ as never before along this interactive half mile winding pathway that features 40 life-size bronze statues.

Three Rivers County Park, 7am-sunset daily, 2600 Nevada St, Lake Station. 219.945.0543. lakecountyparks.com. Located on the Gary/Lake Station border, this park provides a setting for both recreational and educational opportunities. The park includes a Discovery Play Center, barbeque facilities, jogging trails, open play fields, and more. Visitors can enjoy ice fishing when conditions allow in the winter.