Things To Do
Bienen School of Music
The Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University is where Bethany and Aaron met. Beautifully situated right on the shore of the lake, the sleek new building is fun to walk through, and the front lawn offers great pictures of the Chicago skyline. The Northwestern lakefill is located directly behind Bienen and offers a walking trail with an amazing view of the lake (plus you can see some more of the beautiful Northwestern campus). Campus is just over half a mile from where the wedding activities are taking place.
Lighthouse Beach
This is just north of Northwestern University, near Aaron’s apartment. There is an abandoned Gilded Age mansion and gardens to walk through in addition to the beach. Bethany enjoys combing the beach for sea glass.
Bahá'í House of Worship
A short drive north along the lake leads to this stunning site. You can walk around the outside and tour the inside for free. It is the only Baha'i temple in North America and one of only 8 worldwide.
The Art Institute of Chicago
Located downtown in the loop, the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the top art museums in the country. From "American Gothic" to "A Sunday on La Grand Jatte," there will be artwork that you recognize! The Tiffany glass pieces are faves of both Aaron and Bethany.
The Second City
Second City is a legendary improv/sketch comedy theater in Old Town that has a list of storied alumni including Steve Carrell, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Jason Sudeikis, Stephen Colbert, Bill Murray, Eugene Levy, John Belushi, Mike Myers, and many, many more. You are guaranteed to laugh at one of their shows, Bethany absolutely loves them (they are well-worth the price of admission).
Chicago Architecture Boat Tour
This boat tour is one of Bethany's top recommendations for things to do in Chicago - you get to see/learn about all of the cool buildings downtown and hear stories about the history of Chicago. The docents are very knowledgable, and you get great photo ops from the boat!
Chicago Botanic Garden
Located 20 min. north of Evanston (by car), the Chicago Botanic Garden is a sprawling expanse of gorgeous gardens. It is supremely relaxing and a great place to take pictures. Bethany has been to a fair number of botanic gardens in various cities, and this one is her favorite.
Field Museum of Natural History
In downtown Chicago, this is a great museum for science/nature lovers. It has tremendous fossil collections (including SUE the T. Rex) among many other anthropological, geological, paleontological, and zoological collections.
The Green Mill
A famed jazz club in Uptown (twenty min south of Evanston by car). Cash only!
Andersonville
Andersonville is a trendy neighborhood about 20 min south of Evanston by car (accessible by public transit as well) that is beloved by both Bethany and Aaron. They have amazing restaurants and shopping (it's the "shop local" capital of Chicago), and it's super cute and walkable. For food, we can't recommend Little Bad Wolf enough (they have Bethany's fave burger ever). Middle Eastern Bakery and Taste of Lebanon (the latter is cash only) are both amazing - you can't go wrong with a chicken shawarma wrap from either. FIYA is an awesome Levantine restaurant (though more upscale than ME Bakery or Taste of Lebanon). Andersonville is also home to great thrifting - the Brown Elephant is an Andersonville institution, and Value Village has cheap stuff if you're willing to dig. The Wooly Mammoth is a fun curio shop to check out. Everything is centered around N. Clark St., so even if you park and walk with no plan you are bound to stumble upon some fun things!
Gino's East
This is Bethany's favorite deep dish pizza in Chicago. If you're staying in Evanston and don't want to venture downtown to try deep dish, she recommends Lou Malnati's (not Giordano's)
Evanston Food Options
Double Clutch Brewery: Open 12-11pm. This is where Aaron works. DCBC has great pub fare and beer (and cool old cars on display). Small parking lot and street parking. (224) 999.6850 - Reservations not needed. https://www.doubleclutchbrewing.com/ Trattoria D.O.C.: Open 12-9pm. A nice Italian meal to be had here. Reservations accepted. (847) 475-1111 , https://www.trattoria-doc.com/ La Cocinita: Open 11:30am-8:30pm. Venezuelan food- great arepas! Only blocks from the church/reception spot. https://www.lacocinita.com/evanston Shang Noodle Evanston: Open 11am-9pm. A nice place for casual Asian food. (847) 859-6868 - Reservations not needed. Close to the church/reception. https://www.shangnoodleandchinese.com/home Rocky's Tacos: Open 10 am-11 pm. Amazing Mexican food - they're known for their tortas! Only get the "gigante" if you're starving, lol. Located in Roger's Park, so just South of Evanston. https://www.rockystacosclarkst.com/