Installation view of the Chicago Architecture Biennial
Author and screenwriter Ben Hecht Photo: Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum

CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM

Through 2017 Chicago Authored. This multimedia exhibition housed in a new café-style reading room examines the city’s rich literary history.
Through 2018 The Secret Lives of Objects. Get a glimpse of Ann Landers’s typewriter, Charlie Chaplin’s bamboo cane, and more historical paraphernalia. $12–$14. 1601 N. Clark. chicagohistory.org

FIELD MUSEUM

Through 4/10 The Greeks: Agamemnon to Alexander the Great. Admire more than 500 Hellenic artifacts from 21 Greek museums in this new exhibition exploring the country’s ancient past. Child friendly. General admission $13–$18 (free for children under 3); all-access passes $21–$31. 1400 S. Lake Shore. fieldmuseum.org

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

Through 1/3 Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light. More than 50 volunteer-trimmed trees celebrate the city’s diverse cultural identities, with the museum’s 45-foot Grand Tree looming above them.
Through 1/3 Robot Revolution. Interact with 40 world-class robots at this new nationally touring exhibit supported by Google.
Through 1/31 Materials Science. Metals, plastics, magnets—see how scientists probe the possibilities of the materials that make up our world. Take a peek at the impressive atomic probe field ion microscope, too.
Child friendly. $9–$11, plus general admission. 5700 S. Lake Shore. msichicago.org

SHEDD AQUARIUM

Through 1/2 Holiday One World. Dolphins, penguins, sea lions, and beluga whales perform amid world music and a seasonal light show. Child friendly. $5–$40. 1200 S. Lake Shore. sheddaquarium.org