Places Midwest Hype Wants to Go

The final resting place of the world's first nuclear reactor.

This former nursery supplied plants for the creation of Chicago's largest park.

A shining sculpture made of 3,115 lights, the number of visible stars in the Northern Hemisphere.

The iconic Chicago sculpture hides a beautiful and easily overlooked plaque on the backside.

Fragments of architectural wonders from around the globe are embedded in the newspaper building's walls.

Illegal drag racing two stories beneath Chicago’s streets.

The final resting place of one of Chicago’s most iconic drill rappers.

Four glass boxes hover over 1,000 feet in the air to give visitors an unparalleled view of Chicago.

Home to a protest movement, a bombing, and a dramatic change in labor history.

A 400-foot-tall tall map of Chicago makes this once-ignored building stand out.

This museum celebrating the almighty dollar lets visitors literally stand in the shadow of a million bucks.

The world's only known button museum.

Huge abstract sculptures of the Puerto Rican Flag.

One-of-a-kind preserved ruins of an abandoned 1880s church in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood.

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

This unauthorized stone mermaid was secretly carved out of public stone before being permanently preserved.

A river with some unusual, and occasionally dangerous, habits.