CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM

Through 2016 Chicago Authored. This multimedia exhibition in a new café-style reading room examines the city’s rich literary history.
Through 2016 The Secret Lives of Objects. Get a glimpse of Ann Landers’s typewriter, Charlie Chaplin’s bamboo cane, and other historical paraphernalia. $12–$14.
1601 N. Clark. chicagohistory.org

DUSABLE MUSEUM

Through 12/23 DuSable’s Masterworks: Paintings. The first in a series intended to stoke Chicago’s enthusiasm for DuSable’s art collection, this exhibit highlights the work of African American artists. $2–$10. 740 E. 56th. dusablemuseum.org

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

Through 2017 Brick by Brick. More than a dozen giant Lego structures, including a 60-foot-long Golden Gate Bridge, showcase the talents of Chicago native and Lego-certified professional Adam Reed Tucker. $18–$29.
Through 2018 The Art of the Bicycle. See the evolution of bicycle engineering, including a replica of the 1818 Draisine “walking machine.” $11–$18.
5700 S. Lake Shore. msichicago.org

ORIENTAL INSTITUTE

Through 4/24 Our Work: Modern Jobs. Witness through 24 photographic portraits how cultural achievements of the ancient Middle East shaped modern life. $5–$10 suggested donation. 1155 E. 58th. oi.uchicago.edu

SHEDD AQUARIUM

Through 2017 Amphibians. Explore three rooms of more than 40 species of salamanders, newts, frogs, toads, and caecilians. $22–$36. 1200 S. Lake Shore. sheddaquarium.org