You might expect a lot of recreational possibilities from a building that looks large enough to house a 747, but classes for the flying trapeze? They're here in Chicago's only indoor park, along with basketball and volleyball games, rock-climbing walls, theater productions and kendo (Japanese fencing). The park offers a slew of activities for all ages. Children can participate in summer day camps or after-school programs that feature wall rock climbing, recreational tumbling and cheerleading. Photography and theater programs accommodate teens, and adults can learn yoga or dancing or play basketball and volleyball in one of the park's five gyms.

The park provides other programs through partnerships with other organizations. The Billy Goat Experimental Theatre Company offers original theater productions; the Choyokan Kendo Dojo holds classes in kendo and the Flying Gaonas (as you might suspect) use the Armory space to instruct students in soaring through the air with the greatest of ease.

Centerstage Reviewer: Alan Simmons