Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In 1993, the DuSable Museum added a 25,000-square-foot wing named in
honor of the city's first and only African-American mayor, Harold Washington.
The permanent exhibit on Washington contains memorabilia and personal
effects, and surveys important episodes in his political career. More recent is a
permanent exhibit called
Blacks in Aviation,
which celebrates the achievements
of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen and features such items as the flight jacket of
Major Robert H. Lawrence, the nation's first African-American astronaut.
The museum also has a gift shop, a research library, and an extensive program
of community-related events, such as a jazz and blues music series, poetry read-
ings, film screenings, and other cultural events, all of which are presented in a
466-seat auditorium. Allow 1 to 2 hours.
740 E. 56th Place.
&
773/947-0600.
www.dusablemuseum.org. Admission $3 adults, $2 students and sen-
iors, $1 children 6-13, free for children under 6. Free admission Sun. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun noon-5pm.
Closed Thanksgiving, Dec 25, and Jan 1. Bus: 6 or Metra Electric train to 57th St. and Lake Park Ave., then a
short cab ride.
The Museum of Science and Industry
Even if you don't plan
on spending the day in Hyde Park, you'll pass through the neighborhood on
your way to one of Chicago's most popular tourist attractions. The massive
Museum of Science and Industry is the granddaddy of interactive museums,
with some 2,000 exhibits. You should plan on spending at least a couple of
hours here, and a comprehensive visit can take all day, especially if you catch an
Omnimax movie while you're here. Although it's quite a distance from the rest
of Chicago's tourist attractions, it's easy enough to get here without a car; your
best options are the no. 6 Jeffrey Express bus or the Metra Electric train from
downtown (the no. 10 bus runs from downtown to the museum's front entrance
during the summer).
While the museum is constantly adding new exhibits to cover the latest scientific
breakthroughs, you shouldn't miss certain tried-and-true exhibits that have been
here for years and epitomize the museum for Chicagoans. The
U-505
, a
German submarine that was captured in 1944 and brought to the museum 10 years
later, brings home the claustrophobic reality of underwater naval life. The full-scale
Kids
Hyde Park Bites
When you're ready to take a break, Hyde Park has an eclectic selection of
restaurants to choose from. As in any university town, you'll find plenty
of affordable, student-friendly hangouts. The most famous University of
Chicago gathering spot is
Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap
(p. 284), 1172 E. 55th St.
(
&
773/ 643-5516
). This 50-year-old bar and grill doesn't offer much in the
way of atmosphere (and be prepared for cigarette smoke), but the ham-
burgers and sandwiches are cheap, and the person sitting next to you might
just be a Nobel Prize-winning professor. Another casual spot near campus is
Medici,
1327 E. 57th St. (
&
773/667-7394
), where a few generations' worth
of students have carved their names into the tables while chowing down on
pizza, the house specialty.
Calypso Café,
5211 S. Harper St., near the Metra
train tracks (
&
773/955-0229
), serves up conch chowder, jerk chicken, and
other Caribbean favorites in a bright, funky setting. A few blocks south,
you'll find
La Petite Folie,
1504 E. 55th St. (
&
773/493-1394
), a French bistro
that offers refined escape from student life.
Tips
