Best Arts and Culture Places in River Forest

"Probably the most iconic part of Navy Pier is the Centennial Wheel, a large ferris wheel. It’s open year round, weather permitting. Towards the end of the pier, you can also get a really good view of the city. It also holds several free events from time to time, so make sure to check the calendar before you go."

"You have two choices here: you can either take a selfie from afar, with Navy Pier and its massive Ferris wheel in the background, or you can buy a ticket and take the ride, snapping a selfie from 150 feet up in the air."

"Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art holds one of the world’s largest collections of post-1950 art. You can easily explore the museum by foot in just a couple of hours, making it perfect for an afternoon activity. In addition to world-famous works, they also host exhibits dedicated to local artists and put a lot of care into the local community."

"One of the world’s largest contemporary art museums, the MCA is full of modern and contemporary works. This includes pieces by Arthur Jafa and Kerry James Marshall. Famous artists like Frida Kahlo and Jeff Koons held their earliest exhibitions at the museum, which regularly runs curated exhibitions throughout the year."

"Founded in 2012, Aspect/Ratio is a contemporary gallery that showcases work by an international cast of contemporary artists, including local visual artist Nick Albertson, New York-based videographer Casilda Sánchez and Cuban conceptual artist Alejandro Figueredo Díaz-Perera. Their represented artists have been exhibited internationally at many major institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Featured image: Aspect / Ratio, the View of Solid Echoes by Jean Alexander Frater, Nick Albertson exhibition, via Artsland."

"With a passion for video art that only grew when he moved to Chicago in the 2000s, Miami-born Jefferson Godard – a part-time professor of interior architecture at Columbia College Chicago – founded Aspect/Ratio Projects in 2012. Since then, this West Town gallery has become the number one destination for contemporary video art and performance art in the city, hosting a range of well-received exhibitions. It represents internationally recognized artists, including Sharon Louden, Casilda Sánchez and Guy Ben-Ner."

"If you like to support local Chicago artists, then you need to go to the Prospectus Art Gallery. The gallery features famous Chicago artists and up-and-coming artists as well."

"Carrie Secrist Gallery, established in 1992, focuses on established contemporary artists and artwork by emerging and mid-career artists whose artworks are not just restricted to one particular style. The gallery has featured several paintings of Whitney Bedford, Stephen Eichhorn, Liliana Porter, Michael Robinson and Dannielle Tegeder. Shannon Finley, Diana Guerrero-Maciá, Andrew Holmquist, and Anne Lindberg"

"Cutting-edge conceptual art is the basis of Jean Albano's success. The gallery features works by local talents Gladys Nilsson and Margaret Wharton and has exhibited items by Ellen Lanyon and Jim Waid. A member of the Chicago Art Dealers' Association, the gallery offers contemporary paintings, sculpture, and mixed media works."

"401 North Wabash Avenue, River North, Chicago, Illinois, 60611. Trump International Hotel and Tower is a 98-story mixed-use condo-hotel skyscraper in downtown Chicago next to the main branch of the Chicago River. It is currently the 7th tallest building in the U.S."

"Featuring stunning views from every area of the hotel, this landmark building of stainless steel and tinted glass stands 92-stories above the Loop and North Michigan Avenue along the Chicago River...."

"Freeze and Float offers three rejuvenating therapies totally unlike the traditional spa experience. Where a typical sauna heats the room, their infrared saunas use special heating units to raise your body temperature directly. That helps you break a healthy sweat and improve your circulation, so you can keep warm even after you’ve left."

"Renowned for her 100% organic, vegan, and raw cuisine, Karyn Calabrese turns up the heart with her latest addition to the fold: Karyn’s Raw. Still offering a menu of organic vegan and vegetarian dishes, the restaurant serves conscious comfort raw food such as house-made empanadas, chunky nachos, peanut Asian style noodles, crêpes, mouthwatering vegan tiramisu, and more. Diners can enjoy a range of organic wines and beer with their meals and kick back on a Sunday with a long, lazy brunch."

"Great service and an excellent environment; Logan square is a nice slice of heaven on earth. The employees and staff are always friendly and attentive, a..."

"The early bird not only gets the worm, it also gets the breakfast deal at Cozy Corner. Stop in between 6 a.m."

"Great money wise and you get a huge variety of things to eat--not just Chinese food. Their Won Ton Soup is the bomb!"