Best Arts and Culture Places in Bucktown

"Play and learning are bridged together at this museum, where kids can: tackle the Cloud Buster, a 30-ton, 37-foot-tall steel dreamscape that celebrates adventure and risk-taking — qualities that are inherent to childhood — excavate dinosaur bones, explore the way water moves through pulleys and pipes, pretend to fight fires, and discover how our skyline full of buildings is created through architecture and engineering."

"Head over to Navy Pier to go up on the Centennial Ferris Wheel!. A fun way to get an amazing view of Chicago and the lakefront. You can get tickets through the Go Chicago Explorer Pass or check with the Loew’s hotel – they sometimes have specials going where you can get tickets with your stay."

"Celebrate the maritime pride of Chicago at this landmark pier on Lake Michigan. Featuring fun things to do all year long, enjoy waterfront attractions, sightseeing cruises, art, theater, and the Centennial Wheel. Category: Activities, Attractions, Family / Kids"

"Get a little bold and adventurous at the Museum of Contemporary Art, located just one block east of historic Water Tower Placeon The Magnificent Mile. Browse the museum’s permanent collection, which includes more than 2,500 works, displayed in rotation, spanning media and movements from the 1920s to the present. Over the summer, Tuesdays on the Terrace brings you free, live jazz in the museum gardens, while morning visitors are greeted with weekly farmer’s markets at the museum’s monumental front steps."

"Museum of Contemporary Art With an ever-changing set of temporary exhibitions, you never really know what you’re going to get at this museum. It’s good for modern art lovers but sometimes verges on just being weird."

"A group of art patrons who felt the great Art Institute was unresponsive to modern work founded the MCA in 1967, and it has remained…"

"Intuit: The centre for intuitive and outsider art is the only non-profit organization in the United States that presents intuitive, outsider and contemporary self-taught art. The Henry Darger Collection holds a permanent spot in this gallery, which also features a permanent collection containing more than a thousand artworks. There is a study centre at the gallery: Robert A. Roth Study Center, which conducts educational programs and is open for the public."

"It is actually the only nonprofit organisation in the USA that is fully devoted to ‘outsider’ art and self taught art. It’s more than just an art gallery or museum – it’s somewhere to come for inspiration, and it’s actually used a lot by art students in the city of Chicago. There are over 1000 works of art here, so plenty to see!"

"With a strong focus on American Design, there is a strong emphasis on emerging contemporary artists at the Volume Gallery in Chicago. The gallery releases its editions and publications and also organizes exhibitions that showcase the works of American artists to the regional, national and international audiences. Specialization : contemporary"

"Inspired by the nostalgia of trekking across the States and stopping into roadside diners full of charm along the way, Eleven City has that classic, old-school atmosphere you want to go with your burger and milkshake. Here, breakfast is served all day, including a make-your-own omelet bar, but don’t you dare sleep on their loaded mac-and-cheese either. Needless to say, Eleven City Diner has it all and more."

"Restaurants Diners Loop. Owner Brad Rubin scoured the country to research this Jewish deli/diner. His pastrami is tender, fatty and full of flavor; the milkshakes are thick and oversized; matzo balls are enormous; and the brisket is good enough that any grandmother would want to claim it, Jewish or not."

"Most people haven't tasted Filipino food unless they have friends or family but if you find yourself craving for an authentic Filipino breakfast in Chicago, head to Uncle Mike's Place. The Longaniza (sweet anise-wine chorizo sausage) and Tocino (annat and anise cured pork shoulder) can be ordered separately but also together as a combo that arrives with garlic fried rice and two eggs any style. It also serves bangus (boneless grilled milkfish) which is popular among Filipinos."

"First-timers may come to Uncle Mike’s Place on the hunt for the perfect omelet or patty melt, but they quickly learn there’s much more to savor. The cozy family-run restaurant has a full menu of Filipino-American fare. Warm up with a bowl of lugao (chicken rice soup), try some tocino (Filipino bacon) with your eggs or go whole-hog with a side of spicy fried Spam."

"Instead of the usual bacon and sausage, opt for Spam and longaniza in the morning. This Filipino diner mixes things up with Southeast Asian favorites such as bangus (milkfish), marinated skirt steak, and bone-in pork chop. Don’t fret if those sound a little too hearty though, patrons can still order an omelet or short stack."

"From Chicago's legendary Boka Restaurant Group is Cira, a new contemporary Mediterranean restaurant that serves some of the best lunch in Chicago. Diners who choose to lunch here w..."

"Cira is located on the first floor of The Hoxton and it’s beautiful. Their food is very Mediterranean, so you’ll find dishes like shakshuka, baklava, and a Turkish breakfast platter."

"The Underground nightclub takes its tenor of exclusivity seriously with a military theme and unmarked basement level entrance. Those who live for a see-and-be-seen atmosphere feel right at home here. Bottle service and celebrity sightings are de rigueur after accessing the cavernous bomb shelter entryway where DJs spin until the sun comes up and candlelit ammunition crates serve as tables to hold your top-shelf cocktails."

"Below the streets of RiNo lies The Underground, a bomb-shelter of a basement bar that has been on the radar of athletes and celebrities since it opened. Descending the stairs into the club takes you into a place that feels as if it could have once been...[Learn more]"

"The Loop is stuffed to the breaking point with quick-service Mediterranean joints, the kind where you can get falafel or shawarma served with just enough vegetables to make you feel semi-good about lunch. Most are perfectly passable, if not altogether exciting. Naf Naf is the exception."

"Choose a pita or bowl; add meats, salads, and garnishes; and finish it off with sauces. What separates it from the competition is the quality — the fluffy bread is baked on site, juicy chicken shawarma comes straight off the spit, and the falafel bear a perfectly crisp exterior."