Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
that has deliberately been left leaning because that's how veterans saw them in
combat. Allow 1 hour.
1801 S. Indiana Ave. (at 18th St.).
&
312/326-0270.
www.nvvam.org. Admission $6 adults, $5 seniors and
students with ID. Tues-Fri 11am-6pm; Sat 10am-5pm; Sun noon-5pm. Closed major holidays. Bus: 3 or 4.
Polish Museum of America
One million people of Polish ancestry live in
Chicago, giving the city the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw. So it's
no surprise that Chicago is the site of the Polish Museum of America, located in
the neighborhood where many of the first immigrants settled. The museum has
one of the most important collections of Polish art and historical materials out-
side Poland (it is also the largest museum in the United States devoted exclu-
sively to an ethnic group). The museum's programs include rotating exhibitions,
films, lectures, and concerts, and a permanent exhibit about Pope John Paul II.
There is also a library with a large Polish-language collection, and archives where
visitors can research genealogical history (call in advance if you want to look
through those records). Allow a half-hour.
984 N. Milwaukee Ave. (at Augusta Blvd.).
&
773/384-3352.
http://pma.prcua.org. Suggested donation $3
adults, $2 students, $1 children. Fri-Wed 11am-4pm. Subway/El: Blue Line to Division.
7 Exploring the 'Burbs
Like any good American metropolis, Chicago is surrounded by an ever-expand-
ing ring of suburbs. While many of those towns are cookie-cutter communities
filled with subdivisions and strip malls, other surrounding towns trace their ori-
gins as far back as Chicago does, and some of these places have managed to
retain their original character. If you're in town for a while, or if you're staying
with friends and relatives in the suburbs, it's worth venturing beyond the city
limits to check out some of the sights in the surrounding areas. For a map of the
greater Chicagoland area, see the inside front cover.
OAK PARK
Architecture and literary buffs alike make pilgrimages to Oak Park, a near sub-
urb on the western border of the city that is easily accessible by car or train. The
reason fans of both disciplines flock to this same small town is that Ernest Hem-
ingway was born and grew up here and Frank Lloyd Wright spent a great deal
of his career designing the homes that line the well-maintained streets.
GETTING THERE
BY CAR
Oak Park is 10 miles due west of downtown Chicago. By car, take
the Eisenhower Expressway west (I-290) to Harlem Avenue (Ill. 43) and exit
north. Continue on Harlem north to Lake Street. Take a right on Lake Street
and continue to Forest Avenue. Turn left here, and immediately on your right
you'll see the
Oak Park Visitor Center
(see below).
BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Take the Green Line west to the Harlem
stop, roughly a 25-minute ride from downtown. Exit the station onto Harlem
Avenue, and proceed north to Lake Street. Take a right on Lake Street to Forest
Avenue, and then turn left to the
Oak Park Visitor Center
(see below).
BY TOUR
The
Chicago Architecture Foundation
runs guided tours from
downtown Chicago to Oak Park on a regular basis. For details, see “Architecture
Tours” later in this chapter.
