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One of the premiere neighborhood festivals in Chicago, for almost 60 years. There's plenty of pretty stuff to buy, of course, with roughly 250 artists selected by a jury to participate and again at the fair for award purposes. But there's also food and good live music (local high school and national performers), garden walks through the historic district and the neighborhood at its early summer best.
Plays are shown here (see Victory Gardens below), but the theater is still best known as the place where John Dillinger went down in 1934. America's most famous bank robber was leaving after a movie with the Lady in Red when FBI agents opened fire. The owners of the theater have never been keen to play up the connection, but the classic marquee is still there. Reportedly, Dillinger fans hold gatherings outside on July 22, the anniversary of his death.
Chicago Historical Society
A creative urban history museum. Exhibits include The Pioneer, the first railroad locomotive to operate in Chicago, and the bed upon which Abraham Lincoln died; more fun for kids is the Chicago-style Hot Dog showcase, which supplies all the giant plastic ingredients you'll need to turn yourself (or your little brother) into a life-sized hot dog (no ketchup, of course). They also host regular tours of different CTA lines and walking tours of Lincoln Park and Old Town.
This neoclassical veterans memorial is truly grand. Its interior is an extravagant ensemble of marble, bronze sculptures, stained glass, and huge murals.
Housed in a historic mansion, the museum contains four floors of exhibits dedicated to the history of medicine and surgery and is filled with artwork and artifacts ranging from Incan surgical tools circa 2000 BCE to state-of-the-art prosthetic joints. Of special interest to those in the medical field, the collection appeals to anyone interested in history, art, science and architecture.
The 1.5-mile-long park from which the neighborhood draws its name is dotted with statues of people with ties to Chicago or Germany (like Goethe), and features plenty of paths for running wide-open green space for sports, and even a rowing lagoon to the west.
Built 1890-1895, the conservatory is right next to the zoo. Even though they're overshadowed by the animals next door, the plants receive an equal amount of care, and there are usually some eye-popping floral displays in the spring. Volunteer-led tours are sometimes available at no cost.