McCormick Tribune Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum

Description:

• Chicago has more moveable bridges than any other city in the world, and this modest museum provides a glimpse into the machinery that operates them. Although it's located on one of the busiest corners in town -- at the southwest corner of the Michigan Avenue Bridge -- the entrance is easy to miss (you have to walk down a flight of stone steps to river level). Inside, as you walk up the bridgehouse's five floors, historic engravings and photos trace the history of the city as it relates to the river (including the engineering feat that reversed the river's flow). The coolest part is the observation deck directly under the bridge, where you can gawk at the massive gears while listening to the pounding of traffic overhead. To see the gears in action, reserve a spot during one of the scheduled bridge lifts, which take place about six times a month; admission is $10 per person (check the museum's website for dates).

• © Frommer's 2013