Where you can go to beat the heat this summer
Editor's note: The story has been edited to include the correct spelling of Wheeling Park District Executive Director Jan Buchs' name.
With the sun blazing and temperatures rising, you may be tempted to draw the shades, strip down and not leave the house until fall.
Climbing into an ice-filled bathtub might seem tempting, too.
But really, neither idea is very practical. Or social.
So we'd like to offer some of our favorite places to beat the heat.
Water parks
What says summer fun more than swooshing waterslides, smooth lazy rivers, refreshing splash pads and cool pools?
The suburbs are packed with water parks. Some are privately owned and operated, while others are park district facilities.
Wheeling Park District Executive Director Jan Buchs insists her agency's Family Aquatic Center, 105 Community Blvd., is the best place to cool off this summer.
"The aquatic center includes many exciting features, such as the Volcano Valley tube and body slides, Paradise Falls drop slides, a zero-depth pool, swim lap lanes, and Tsunami Splash with water play structures for all ages," Buchs said.
The indoor water park at Great Wolf Lodge, 1700 Nations Drive in Gurnee, stands out for being weatherproof.
"It's always 84 degrees in our indoor water park, and you don't need to worry about applying sunscreen, or having your day rained out," Great Wolf spokesman Jason Lasecki said.
Other popular parks include: Santa's Village Amusement and Water Park, 601 Dundee Ave., East Dundee; Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags Great America, 1 Great America Parkway, Gurnee; Rainbow Falls Waterpark, 200 Rev Morrison Blvd., Elk Grove Village; the Barefoot Bay Family Aquatic Center, 1461 N. Midlothian Road, Mundelein; the Oasis Water Park, 170 S. Circle Ave., Bloomingdale; and Raging Waves, 4000 N. Bridge St., Yorkville.
Ice cream shops
Is there anything better on a hot day than a heaping scoop of ice cream pressed into a cone? Aside from two scoops, of course?
Ice cream - and its cousins sherbet, frozen custard and frozen yogurt - have been cooling people off for centuries.
According to the International Dairy Foods Association. July is the busiest month for ice cream production. More than half of all the ice cream produced in a year is manufactured that month, followed by June and May.
But ice cream isn't just a cool treat. It's part of an industry with nearly 30,000 jobs that pumps $13.1 billion into the U.S. economy annually, the association states.
"America's love for ice cream knows no bounds," association President and CEO Michael Dykes says on the group's website.
Fortunately for us, some spectacular shops operate in the suburbs. They include: The Spot Ice Cream Shop, 1403 E. Palatine Road, Arlington Heights; Graham's Fine Chocolates & Ice Cream, 302 S. Third St., Geneva; River bottom Ice Cream Co., 301 S. Main St., Algonquin; and the Original Rainbow Cone, 498 E. Roosevelt Road, Lombard.
Indoor pools
If you love to exercise outdoors but worry about the possible effects of extreme heat in the summer, consider trading your running shorts and sneakers for a swimsuit and goggles and heading to one of the many indoor swimming pools in the suburbs.
Privately owned gyms and park districts throughout the region have temperature-controlled natatoriums for your swimming pleasure.
You can find them at places including: the Arlington Ridge Center, 660 N. Ridge Ave., Arlington Heights; Midtown Athletic Club, 1760 N. Hicks Road, Palatine; the RecPlex, 420 Dempster St., Mount Prospect; the Mundelein Park & Recreation District's main facility, 1401 N. Midlothian Road; and LA Fitness facilities across the area, including the one at 345 E. Palatine Road in Arlington Heights.
Movie theaters
As long as directors have been yelling "Action," folks have sought shelter from summer heat waves at the movies.
Not only are theaters dark and air-conditioned, but they're stocked with a bevy of cold drinks and snacks.
It's mental and physical escapism.
Some theaters offer deals during the summer. The Cinemark Century at 21600 W. Field Parkway in Deer Park, for example, runs a program called Summer Movie Clubhouse on Wednesdays through Aug. 10. Tickets to 9:30 a.m. showings are just $1.50, and discounts are available on snacks.
And at the Hollywood Palms Cinema, 352 S. Route 59 in Naperville, tickets to any flick are $6 every Tuesday.
Other suburban movie houses include: Cinergy, 401 W. Dundee Road, Wheeling; Studio Movie Grill, 301 Rice Lake Square, Wheaton; and the Glen Art Theatre, 540 Crescent Blvd., Glen Ellyn.
Live theaters
Summer can also be a great time to enjoy live stage productions. And with kids home from school, some theaters offer youth-friendly performances and discounted tickets.
The Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive in Lincolnshire, is staging the family-friendly "Elephant and Piggie's We Are in a Play!" and "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story" through mid-August, before "Gypsy: The Musical" takes over the space.
Antioch's PM&L Theatre, 877 Main St., is staging "Monty Python's Spamalot" July 21 through Aug. 6.
Elsewhere, "Xanadu" is playing at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St. in Arlington Heights, through Aug. 13.
Ice rinks
Whether you're a lifelong skater or a newcomer, ice rinks can be a great place to escape the summer heat.
They offer activities including open skate sessions, hockey classes and leagues, and figure skating lessons.
The Rolling Meadows Park District has two facilities with ice rinks: the Nelson Sports Complex at 3900 Owl Drive and the West Meadows Ice Arena at 3939 Winnetka Ave. Kyle Belluomini, the district's supervisor of public skate and parties, called skating "an ideal way to stay active and fit year round."
"Especially on warmer days when it might be too hot for outdoor activities," he said. "Ice skating is also a great option for families to connect, have fun and make summer memories while school is out."
Other local skating facilities include: the Glenview Community Ice Center, 1851 Landwehr Road, Glenview; Oakton Ice Arena, 2800 Oakton St., Park Ridge; Glacier Ice Arena, 670 Lakeview Parkway, Vernon Hills; and the Edge Ice Arena, 735 E. Jefferson St., Bensenville.