The Brookfield Zoo
One of Chicagoland's premier animal attractions, the Brookfield Zoo offers visitors a glimpse at hundreds of species from around the world. A veritable animal kingdom all unto itself, the sprawling zoo offers a number of lands ranging from the arid desert to an Arctic penguin habitat. Typical zoo staples of big cats, wolves, giraffes and elephants also traipse alongside animated replicas of dinosaurs long extinct. Due to the zoo's size, wary visitors may appreciate the park's train tour that stops at stations around the facility. During hot summer months, visitors can also pick up a soda sport bottle at a price that includes unlimited refills at the zoo's numerous cantinas.
Brookfield Zoo
3300 S. Golf Road
Brookfield, IL 60513
(708) 688-8400
Elk Grove Museum
The northwest suburb of Elk Grove offers a unique experience to history lovers from both Chicago and around the county. The Elk Grove Museum, located in a restored farm house that dates to the village's foundation, allows visitors to see how life in an upper Midwestern town was lived during the days of the American Civil War. Open on Wednesdays and Saturdays year-round, the Elk Grove Museum charges a low admission fee of only $1.
Elk Grove Museum
399 Biesterfield Ave.
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
(847) 439-3994
GameWorks
The northwest suburb of Schaumburg is renowned for its high-tech corporate presence, so it should come as no surprise that the town boasts one of the nation's premier gaming facilities. With more than 250 games ranging from classic arcade models to multi-story, multi-player interactive systems, GameWorks offers visitors an unforgettable gaming experience. Add to the games the facility's dual bars and full casual dining center, and the arcade blossoms into a full-featured entertainment venue. GameWorks encourages children ages 5 and up, though guests must be at least 21 years old after 9 p.m.
GameWorks
601 N. Martingale Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173
(847) 330-9675
Tommy Gun's Garage
The roaring 1920s roared loudest in Chicago, with swinging clubs, high fashion and a thriving underground community. Tommy Gun's Garage, a dinner theater serving northwest Chicago, effectively recreates the environment of the 1920s, including a comical and fully interactive musical revue. As the name implies, gangsters play a prominent role at Tommy Gun's Garage, and bootleggers allow visitors to imbibe in alcohol outlawed and otherwise unavailable in the 1920s. The venue is open nightly Thursday through Sunday, and ticket prices vary. Tommy Gun's Garage requires reservations.
Tommy Gun's Garage
2114 S. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616
(313) 225-0273
