Take a winter vacation in Chicago — seriously

"Northerly Island takes advantage of the cold weather there," said Amy Hayden, the Chicago editor of gocitykids.com, a Web site aimed at families.

At the same time, the city has a lot to do for families who do not want to brave the weather. There is the Field Museum, the Adler Planetarium and the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier. And there is the Museum of Science and Industry, which sounds like something out of the old Soviet Union but is really a fascinating museum with lots of interactive exhibits.

"These attractions are probably even more appealing in the winter when the crowds are thinner," Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, editor-in-chief of WeJustGotBack.com, a Web site for those planning family trips, said in an e-mail.

Some are more appealing still because they're free. Both the Field Museum and the Art Institute have waived their general admission fees between Feb. 1-29. And on Feb. 16, two exhibitions will open at the Art Institute — one of the paintings of Edward Hopper and the other of Winslow Homer watercolors. Both can be seen for $10 until the end of the month, when the price doubles.

Hotels around the city are much cheaper than they are in the spring and the summer.

At the Homewood Suites Chicago Downtown, for example, a night's stay in February can be as low as $139 — or about a third what the same room can cost during the summer.

Some of the city's priciest hotels have also cut prices, and offer special winter packages.

At The Peninsula Chicago, the cost of a room can be as low as $395 a night, or about $150 less than the starting price once the city thaws out. The hotel's "Winter Escapes" package also includes such things as complimentary breakfast for two and a night of free parking.

And The Ritz-Carlton, where rooms start at $515 a night during the spring and summer, is now offering for $355 Family Fun Slumber Party Package that includes complimentary in-room meals for children, who also get to decorate their own cookies.

As for those who still think vacationing in Chicago in the middle of winter sounds crazy, Paul Morrison has this to say: "Peoole go skiing and it's cold up in the mountains. This is perfect for me."

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