Top Ten Things To Do at Abt (Besides Shop)

Top Ten Things to do at Abt (Besides Shop)

Anyone who’s visited Abt knows there’s a lot to do at the store besides shop for merchandise. We like to think of ourselves as a complete destination, filled with attractions and interactive activities suited for all ages. So next time you’re about to take your family to the mall or a big box store on Sunday, think about giving us a chance first. Need some reasons why? Here are the top ten things to do at the Abt Store (in no particular order).

1)   Spin The Granite Globe

Abt has a German-made 5,381 lb granite ball in the showroom; it is one of 90 in the world. It floats on 12 lbs of water pressure which makes it so easy to move that a 3-year-old can spin the globe. It actually rotates on the approximate axis of the earth, when someone isn’t spinning it, that is. Check it out!

2)   Catch a movie in The David Abt Theater

Launched last year, this remarkable theatre boasts a Bowers & Wilkins 7.4 surround sound speaker package, a DPI Titan LED 1080P Projector with Anamorphic Lens, and Palliser Home Theatre Seating.  In other words, it’s the closet you’ll ever get to the theater experience outside an actual movie theater.  The theater also includes a 3D star field package on the ceiling to give viewers a drive-in movie feel.

3)   Test your photography skills at the Fish Tank

The 7,500 gallon salt water Abt aquarium is home to lots of beautiful fish and eel, and is the largest privately-owned aquarium in Illinois. The vibrant fish and coral also make great subjects for customers to test photo and video quality on, so you’ll find our selection of HD camcorders lined up along two sides of the tank. It’s important to keep the aquarium looking spotless, and if you’re lucky you might catch a glimpse of our scuba-suited cleaning guy inside!

4)   Walk through the Atrium

Strolling through the Las Vegas-inspired Abt atrium is like being transported into another world, with a magnificent water fountain, surrounded by exquisite marble and dancing for all to see. Make sure to get a picture with the Humpty Dumpty sculpture, and look up to see the Solar Panels that help power the store.

5)   Immerse yourself in a gigantic bubble

Mike Abt and his family were visiting a museum in Broomfield, CO., when he saw a bubble machine, which he thought would be a great attraction for the store. When he got back he described the “bubble machine” to our woodshop and they created a tall rectangular booth with a large ring-shaped moat, where the bubbles and “wand” would stay. By pulling a cord, a large hula-hoop-like ring draws up a giant bubble to surround kids and even adults too.

6)   Listen to your favorite song in the Bowers & Wilkins speaker room

In 1965 on the south coast of England, John Wilkins started a small audio company hand assembling speakers system for local clients.  50 years later, Bowers and Wilkins represents the standard for audio excellence, constantly pushing the limits of audio engineering.  Come listen for yourself in our Bowers & Wilkins speaker room, equipped with some of the most highly-regarded speakers, amplifiers, and processors in the industry.  Just don’t blame us if nothing ever sounds as good again.

7)   Relax in the massage chairs

The Abt showroom is 114,000 square feet of shopping space, so naturally one can get tired from all that walking.  What better way to relax than in one of Abt’s wide range of massage chairs? They not only help you relax and release stress, but can help relieve pain as well.  And don’t worry about getting bored, since the chairs are surrounded with flat screen TV’s to keep you entertained.

8)   Check out the Cars in Mobile Electronics

When you walk into our Mobile Electronics area you’ll see walls covered in radios, GPS units and other gadgets for your car.  But what’s a Mobile Electronic showroom without a fancy expensive car smack dab in the middle?  We showcase a variety of cars for our customers to check out and see what it feels like to be in a professionally-customized automobile.  Previous showroom cars include: A Nissan 370z Nismo, a Mercedes C350, and a Porsche Panamera.

9)   Test out our Interactive Sand Display

Our Interactive Sand Display mimics sand raining down that pours onto your shadow.   Check out this video a customer uploaded to see what it looks like in person.

10)  Cookie Kitchen

Weekends at Abt are filled with customers, bargains, and the sweet smell of fresh baked cookies. Each weekend, Abt’s famous cookie kitchen is staffed with the cookie girls who give our customers warm cookies and coffee, with a smile.  Each year we bake 288,000 chocolate chip cookies for our customers!

-Skyler N., Summer Intern at Abt Electronics