Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1852 W. 19th St. (a few blocks west of Ashland Ave.).
&
312/738-1503.
www.
nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org. Free admission. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm. Closed
major holidays. Bus: 9. Subway/El: Blue Line to 18th St.
National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum
This
museum houses a stirring collection of art by Vietnam veterans, and
is the only one of its kind in the world. After the war, many veterans
made art as personal therapy, never expecting to show it to anyone,
but in 1981 a small group began showing their work together in
Chicago and in touring exhibitions. The collection has grown to
more than 1,500 paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures
from all over the world, including Vietnam. (Recently, the museum
has also started hosting exhibits of work by veterans who have
returned from Iraq.) Titles such as
We Regret to Inform You, Blood
Spots on a Rice Paddy,
and
The Wound
give you an idea of the power
of the images. Housed in a former warehouse in the Prairie Avenue
district south of the Loop, the museum is modern and well organized.
An installation suspended from the ceiling,
Above & Beyond
,
comprises more than 58,000 dog tags with the names of the men
and women who died in the war—it creates an emotional effect sim-
ilar to that of the Wall in Washington, D.C. Allow 1 hour.
1801 S. Indiana Ave. (at 18th St.).
&
312/326-0270.
www.nvvam.org. Admission
$10 adults, $7 seniors and students with ID. Tues-Fri 11am-6pm; Sat 10am-5pm.
Closed major holidays. Bus: 3 or 4.
Finds
7 Exploring the 'Burbs
OAK PARK
Architecture and literary buffs alike make pilgrimages to Oak Park,
a nearby suburb on the western border of the city that is easily acces-
sible by car or train. Bookworms flock here to see the town where
Ernest Hemingway was born and grew up, while others come to
catch a glimpse of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed 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 (I-290) west 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
