Driving from Ohare to Oshkosh - any must sees?

[ellisr]

Hi

I will be driving from Ohare to Oshkosh and back. Any airplane geeky things I have to see in Chicago or on the road to Oshkosh?

Russ

[mazdaP5]

Russell Military Museum is just on the Illinois/ Wisconsin border right on 94. It's got some stuff in pretty rough shape, but it's got some stuff.

[keen9]

Nothing that I would delay getting to OSH for!

[Bill Greenwood]

i havn't been there but the museum in Chicago has some rare airplanes. There's a genuine Stuka and a early Spitfire, both original not replicas. I think it might be called the science museum, I'm not sure of the actual title. Somewhere I recall there is a German WWII submarine, not sure about that or the details.

[Hal Bryan]

i havn't been there but the museum in Chicago has some rare airplanes. There's a genuine Stuka and a early Spitfire, both original not replicas. I think it might be called the science museum, I'm not sure of the actual title. Somewhere I recall there is a German WWII submarine, not sure about that or the details.

The Spitfire, Stuka, and the U-boat are all on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, alongside all kinds of other artificats and exhibits:

https://www.msichicago.org/

It's one of my personal favorite museums, and one of the only buildings that remain from the "White City", the Colombian Exposition in 1893. Plus, EAA members get free admission as part of the ASTC Passport program.

End of sales pitch. :)

[CHICAGORANDY]

The Museum of Science and Industry is a great place to visit, but it is not on your travel route by any means. The Russell Museum is small, outdoors but fun and right across the border. You would exit the Rte 41 on Russell Road and go west about 1/3 of a mile, then turn right. It will be on your right hand side of the road. EASY on/off access from the tollway (I94 which becomes 41 in Wisconsin.)

[DaleB]

If you're a car guy also... Not on the route, but get to Chicago a day early and spend it at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, about 40 miles west of Chicago. And do not take a checkbook with you... many of the cars on display (turn of the last century to 80s or so) are also for sale, including some movie cars.

[Kurt Flunkn]

The world famous Brat Stop at I94 and route 50 in Kenosha....:D

[FlyingRon]

An interesting place to stop for lunch is "The Safe House" in Milwaukee.

[PaulDow]

Also, a bit of a detour, but very interesting is the Illinois Railway Museum (https://www.irm.org/). It's about 45 miles Northwest of O'Hare.
From their web site:
IRM was founded in 1953 and has grown to become the largest collection of preserved railway and transit equipment on the continent, with some 450 pieces of historic equipment including steam engines, diesels, streetcars, interurbans, passenger and freight cars, buses, and trolley buses. Among the famous trains at the museum are the Nebraska Zephyr, the only complete surviving Zephyr streamliner; Frisco 1630, a 1918 steam locomotive originally intended for export to czarist Russia; and the Electroliner, a revolutionary high-speed electric train dating to 1941. The museum's site in Union, McHenry County, features some 100 acres of exhibit buildings and historic structures including the 1851-vintage East Union Depot, the oldest active train station west of Pittsburgh. Visitors ride historic trains on a one-mile streetcar loop and a five-mile main line railroad, both lines constructed and maintained by the museum. IRM receives no state or federal funding and all of its operations and historic preservation activities are funded through daily operations and donations.

[Bill Greenwood]

Hal, glad you posted the info about the science and industry museum, and especially the U505 sub. I looked up the story about it and its fascinating. I can expect one of the animal posteriors on the site to complain that this story is not about homebuilt aircraft but I think its a must see if one is in the area. Too bad we cant fly into Meigs to see the museum which I think is nearby.

[rwanttaja]

Hal, glad you posted the info about the science and industry museum, and especially the U505 sub. I looked up the story about it and its fascinating. I can expect one of the animal posteriors on the site to complain that this story is not about homebuilt aircraft but I think its a must see if one is in the area. Too bad we cant fly into Meigs to see the museum which I think is nearby.

The commander of the task group that captured U505, the man that developed the plan to do so, was a naval aviator. The aircraft carrier he commanded was fundamental to the capture, and, in fact, towed the captured U-Boat all the way across the Atlantic. Admiral Dan Gallery also wrote one of the funniest flying books ever written ("Stand byyyyyy To Start Engines"). His autobiography is a hoot, too.

Ron "Dan, Dan, De Lavatory Man" Wanttaja

[mrecupito]

O'Hare airport has a Grumman F4F Wildcat in Terminal 2 on the secure side, in honor of the airport's namesake, WW2 naval aviator Butch O'Hare. Be sure to check it out before leaving the terminal.

[Skyguy]

jus get out of ORD by 2P.....to avoid traffic.

[dougbush]

Pilot Pete's Restaurant in Schaumburg, IL.
http://pilot-petes.com/index.php

[Jeff Point]

An interesting place to stop for lunch is "The Safe House" in Milwaukee.
If you're stopping in downtown Milwaukee then you might as well visit the Harley Davidson museum which is just south of downtown and 5 minutes from the Safe House. Then, when you get to Oshkosh go to Pioneer Airport and track down Steve Wittman's first design- which used an early H-D motor, and which he named the "Hardly Ableson."

[scuba72]

Might just be me, but the only thing between Chicago and Oshkosh worth seeing it . . . OSHKOSH!

[Al 1976]

We always stop just south of Milwaukee at the huge indoor outdoor flea market called 7 mile fair. You never know what you might find aviation related if you collect junk like I do!! There are fruit and vegetable vendors outside and I always fill a bag on the way there!