Fine Arts Building
A worthwhile brief stop for architecture and history buffs, this 1885 building was originally a showroom for Studebaker carriages. In 1917, it was converted into an arts center with offices, shops, two theaters, and studios for musicians, artists, and writers. Its upper stories sheltered a number of well-known publications (The Saturday Evening Post, Dial) and provided offices for such luminaries as Frank Lloyd Wright, sculptor Lorado Taft, and L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Harriet Monroe published her magazine, Poetry, here and first introduced American readers to Carl Sandburg, T. S. Eliot, and Ezra Pound. Before the literary lions prowled its halls, the building also served for a short time as a rallying base for suffragettes. Located throughout the building are a number of interesting studios and musical-instrument shops. Take at least a quick walk through the marble-and-wood lobby, then take the vintage elevator to the top floor to see the spectacular murals. Allow a half-hour.

Lincoln Park Zoo
This is one of Chicago's don't-miss attractions (especially if the weather is decent), and because it's free, it's worth at least a quick stop during a stroll through Lincoln Park. But you'll probably want to wander for a while. The term "zoological gardens" truly fits here: Landmark Georgian Revival brick buildings and modern structures sit among gently rolling pathways, verdant lawns, and a kaleidoscopic profusion of flower gardens. A complete tour of the various habitats takes all of 2 or 3 hours -- a convenience factor even more enticing when you consider that the nation's oldest zoo (it was founded in 1868) stays open 365 days a year and is one of the last free zoos in the country. The late Marlon Perkins, legendary host of the Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom TV series, got his start here as the zoo's director, and filmed a pioneering TV show called Zoo Parade (Wild Kingdom's predecessor) in the basement of the old Reptile House.The zoo has taken on an ambitious modernization campaign, which is good news for animal lovers. While many zoo residents used to wander listlessly in stark concrete pens, exhibits have been renovated and expanded to reflect natural habitats. For years, the zoo's star attraction has been the Great Ape House, which was completely rebuilt in 2004. Lincoln Park Zoo has had remarkable success breeding gorillas and chimpanzees, and watching these ape families interact can be mesmerizing (and touching). Regenstein African Journey is home to elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and other large mammals; large glass-enclosed tanks allow visitors to go face-to-face with swimming pygmy hippos and (not for the faint of heart) a rocky ledge filled with Madagascar hissing cockroaches.The Small Mammal-Reptile House is a state-of-the-art facility, housing 200 species and featuring a glass-enclosed walk-through ecosystem simulating river, savanna, and forest habitats. The popular Sea Lion Pool, situated in the center of the zoo and home to harbor seals, gray seals, and California sea lions, features an underwater viewing area spanning 70 feet and an updated amphitheater. If you're here for a while and need nourishment, the Park Place Café food court is a good option. The Mahon Theobold Pavilion features a sprawling indoor gift shop and a unique rooftop eatery called Big Cats Café that opens at 8am (1 hr. before the exhibits do) and serves fresh-baked muffins and scones, focaccia sandwiches, salads, and flatbreads.Allow 2 to 3 hours.

Baha'i House of Worship
Up the road from Evanston in Wilmette is the most visited of all the sights in the northern suburbs, the Baha'i House of Worship, an ethereal edifice that seems not of this earth. The gleaming white stone temple, designed by the French Canadian Louis Bourgeois and completed in 1953, is essentially a soaring nine-sided 135-foot dome, draped in a delicate lacelike facade, that strongly reveals the Eastern influence of the Baha'i faith's native Iran. Surrounded by formal gardens, it is one of seven Baha'i temples in the world, and the only one in the Western Hemisphere. The dome's latticework is even more beautiful as you gaze upward from the floor of the sanctuary, which, during the day, is flooded with light. Downstairs, there is a visitor center with displays that explain the Baha'i faith. Temple members offer informal tours of the building and exhibits to anyone who inquires. Allow a half-hour.

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