The University of Chicago Oriental Institute has one of the best collections of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern archeology in the world, which is moreover free, small, very well exhibited, and basically started by Indiana Jones. Some highlights include: much of the Assyrian "Fortress of Sargon," a colossal statue of King Tutankhamun, and the Mummy and Coffin of Meresamun. Visitors with a strong interest may want to devote several hours to pore over the dense exhibits, but the small museum can be quickly skimmed in 15 minutes.
Tue,Thu-Sat 10AM-6PM, Wed 10AM-8:30PM, Sun noon-6PM·Free, suggested donation $7, $4 child
This fabulously impractical house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the world's most famous examples of the Midwestern "Prairie School" of architecture, which aimed to create buildings with prominent horizontal lines evocative of the prairie landscape. The interior is bizarre, intended to remind its inhabitants of a ship, and is surrounded by stained art glass windows. You must take an official tour to see the interior, which lasts about an hour. Tours of the surrounding historic neighborhood are offered as well — it is best to make reservations online beforehand. Be sure to take a gander at the University of Chicago's Business School across the street, which was designed to emulate the style of the Robie House in a more modern fashion. It is one of eight buildings by Wright that is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tours Thu-Mon 11AM-3PM every 30 minutes·$17, $14 seniors/students/military, children under 4 free
A small non-collecting contemporary art gallery that is over 100 years old and very highly respected. It will appeal greatly to art aficionados, less so to casual visitors.
Tue-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat Sun noon-5PM, closed Jul-Aug·Free
An Italian place very popular with the students, that can lay claim to above average baked goods, fine thin-crust pizza, Italian dishes, and a fun ambiance in their downstairs seating area (a separate door to the west of the street-level bakery, which is open only earlier in the day). Also serves excellent floats with flavors like almond and grenadine. If you ask the admissions office to recommend a nice place nearby to take your kid, they'll point you in this direction.
Mon-Thu 7AM-10PM, Fri 7AM-11PM, Sat 9AM-11PM, Sun 9AM-10PM·$8-18
