Northerly Island — otherwise known as the former Meigs Field — hosts three Family Polar Adventure days every winter; this year’s dates are Dec 12, Jan 23, and Feb 20. While it’s best to show up when there’s actually snow on the ground, most of the activities don’t need powder to pack a punch, including:

• ice sculpture carving by Nadeau’s Ice Sculpture;
• arctic dog sled team demonstrations;
• meet-and-greet sessions with live animals and birds of prey;
• nature-themed arts & crafts sessions;
• arctic camping demos;
• wild winter tales from professional storytellers; and
• snowshoe hiking (with free snowshoe rentals, if there’s snow).

Recommendation: Get there early, as the first 500 visitors every day get a free Polar Adventure Day mug filled with hot cocoa. You don’t want to miss that, do you?

Polar Adventure Days are held at Northerly Island, 1400 S Lynn White Dr (on the Museum Campus) on Dec 12, Jan 23, and Feb 20 from 12n to 4pm. Limited free parking is available at the Visitor Center, or take the #146 bus on the CTA.

Popularity: 5% [?]