Once called the "Polish Gold Coast" it is an icon of the neighborhood that bears its same name.

Parking lot where a Chicago mayor was inaugurated under very sketchy circumstances.

The subtle science of a master molecular gastronomist.

Huge abstract sculptures of the Puerto Rican Flag.

Odd, decrepit fountain honors Chicago author who had mixed feelings about his hometown.

Where old school Polish Chicago and young hipster Chicago live side by side.

Internationally known record store and purveyor of "dusties."

The faint remains of a Polish news empire still linger.

Chicago's Navy Pier on Lake Michigan was a training hub for aircraft carrier pilots during WWII.

A goddess-topped water fountain in Chicago was created thanks to the dreams of a thirsty newsboy.

Once at the center of U.S. finance, the historic Trading Room was meticulously recreated piece by piece and rebuilt in the Art Institute.

This historic hotel invented the chocolate brownie.

Each of these gorgeous, intricately decorated rooms is painstakingly crafted to the scale of 1 inch: 1 foot.

The twin towers in this Chicago fountain use 50 foot tall video screens to spit on people.

This modest post office sits on the site of H.H. Holmes' famous murder castle.

The original Garfield station is the oldest station facility on the "L", with the station house dating from 1892.

A hollow cement depiction of time's inexorable effect on the human body.

What's left of the ruins of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition, or World's Fair, also known as the White City.

This historic-shipwreck-cum-diving-spot can still be seen poking its boiler out of the Lake Michigan waters that claimed it.

This bronze sculpture on a former squash court marks the secret origins of the Atomic Age.

The unluckiest U-boat in the entire German fleet is now on display in a Chicago museum.

This $3 million model train takes you through Chicago, Seattle, and the thousands of miles in between.