Chicago - Something Different
 

I am going to Chicago to visit my brother in April. We'll be hitting all of the usual tourist spots (Navy Pier, Shopping on Michigan Ave., the Art Museum), but I'd like to find someplace to bring my brother that's a little out of the ordinary. Someplace that he hasn't been before. Maybe an interesting tour to take or a museum that's really good but not one that he'd think to go to. Anybody have any ideas?

You can tour the merchantile mart (I'm not sure it that's the right name)-it's more interesting than viewing the Stock exchange on Wall Street because you actually can stay and watch the trading going on (you're in a viewing area off the floor). It's pretty fascinating if you're interested in finance & economics. there's also a Broadcasting musuem in the loop area that has some interesting displays. I think it may have been renovated in the last couple of years. Some Chicago area posters can probably give you better details on both.

Have you looked at www.metromix.com ? Lots of ideas there.

The broadcast museum has closed in preparation for a move to larger quarters. The Mercantile Exchange and the Options Exchange both used to have tours; they were suspended after 9/11, and I don't know if they've been reconstituted. You can easily get that info through their public relations department.

I'll suggest the Garfield Park Conservatory for an unusual tour. They have exotic plants, of course, and also a dinosaur exhibit related to the work of archaeologist Paul Serreno of the U of Chicago. It's also a great example of a reclaimed piece of Chicago history; it narrowly escaped demolition and has become the center of rebirth in that neighborhood, hosting lots of community programs.

CAF has oodles of tours; check out
http://www.architecture.org/tour_april.html
A bike tour might be fun! I also like tours of interiors of buildings that I might not get to see any other way, and I love the cemetery tours, but maybe that's just me.

Shopping Michigan Avenue is fine, but shopping at the downtown Marshall Field's is something special, a real throwback to an earlier time. While you're in the Loop, check out free concerts at the Harold Washington Library and Chicago Cultural Center.

Do a jazz and blues tour one night, starting at Buddy Guy's and winding north. Jazz Showcase, Blues Chicago, Kingston Mines, Rosa's, Green Mill are all solid bets for good acts. Might be best to take cabs rather than try to park in some of the neighborhoods.

Museum of Contemporary Art is kitty-corner to Water Tower Place and has an interesting performing arts series. You will definitely not see these acts anywhere else in the Midwest.

Try out some of the little theatres for a real Chicago experience. Lookingglass (David Schwimmer's company) has moved to the old Water Tower pumping station on Michigan Avenue; you get a view of the pumping equipment inside. Second City is doing some of its best work in years and ties in with a visit to the Old Town neighborhood, though it's too gentrified to recognize. Black Ensemble Theatre has great musical biographies, and the audience really gets involved. Go to metromix.com, choosechicago.com and chireader.com for more information.

Thanks for the ideas!! Patg, I really liked all of your ideas. I'm a music teacher, so the jazz/blues night sounds perfect. The Garfield Conservatory also sounds good. We love tours of places like that. My borther actually works in the Marshall Fields, so I'm sure that I'll be going there.

Lived there 8 years before I actually took the architectural boat tour -- follows the Chicago River around behind the skyscrapers that, often, were actually built to be seen from the water. Don't confuse it with regular boat cruises -- make sure it's the one run by the Architectural society. Will NOT bore you, and a lot of natives don't bother with it, even though it shows an unusual view of Chicago (take a warm coat, though).

Also, there's the Historical Society Museum north of the MagMile -- has fun exhibits about the Chicago Fire and, again, natives often by-pass it. If I remember correctly, also has a decent cafe.

Depending on when you'll be their in April, the Botanic Garden in the northern suburbs is having a huge garden and antique show. If you are into that sort of thing its fantastic. The gardens are gorgeous and they've got lots of great vendors. It was just written up as the top show of its kind in the nation.