Nancy Maes

When Mayor Daley and other city officials sent out an open invitation, in the new Park District Directory, to come out and play in the Chicago parks, they announced "a...

Strange bird: Nineteenth century artist and naturalist John James Audubon was a strange bird of sorts himself. He left his wife and children behind for long periods of time to...

Survival instincts: Visitors will find out why some creatures thrive and others fail to survive in an exhibit called "Our Weakening Web: The Story of Extinction," which travels back as...

Children's museums are the crossroads where make-believe and reality intersect. The fun and games have always had a hidden educational agenda, but now more and more, museums dedicted to young...

Wings: Volunteers of all ages (children must be accompanied by an adult) can help take the planet's pulse to see how pesticides and loss of habitat have affected the proliferation...

Blaze of glory: Fireworks fanatics can find displays to "Oooh" and "Aahh" over all weekend. Here is a brief sampling of some traditional favorites: After the 7:30 p.m. Sunday Grant...

Berry good: It's a strawberry orgy-strawberry pie, strawberry-flavored lemonade, grilled chicken with strawberry barbecue sauce, strawberry-pear soup, strawberry bread and plain fresh strawberries all will be on sale at the...

Once, in his native Columbia, sculptor Fernando Botero saw a group of midgets who performed together as toreros. To fight the bull, one of them would balance on the shoulders...

When Willy Wonka appears in public to encourage children to read, he tells them there are some really hot books that have been released this summer. He then raises a...

"Getting to Know Your Graveyard" might make for polite dinner conversation if you were dining with the Addams Family. However, its just one of the many grave subjects that will...