Chicago Historical Society

Should you find yourself north of the Loop, whether to visit Lincoln Park's zoo or to take in a baseball game at Wrigley Field, you should stop by the Chicago Historical Society. Unlike the city's principal museums, it will only take a few hours (unless you are a serious history buff). There is no better way to genuinely understand the "Windy City" (including an explanation of the origin of that nickname) than a walk through the historical society. There are over 20 million items archived by the Society, and many of the most interesting ones are on display. The most beloved room - at least to Chicago's schoolchildren - is the Diorama Room, which portrays Chicago's development from a simple trading post, to a fort, to a frontier town, to its status as America's "Second City". Special exhibits feature information about Chicago's role as the nation's transportation capital and the immigrants which have made the city the most diverse in the country.