Ultimate Offbeat Guide to Chicago, Illinois

The International Museum of Surgical Sciences is a strange but effective mix of scientific and surgical ephemera. You'll see iron lungs, old-school surgical equipment, technical analyses of viruses and infectious diseases, plasticized circulatory systems (a la ‘Body World’) and enormous cringe-inducing gallstones.

WARNING: This is not a museum for the squeamish, so unless you think you can stomach seeing a plasticized body cut into one inch slices and spread the length of a room, you should steer clear.

Tips: Entry costs $15, and you can plan on spending at least an hour and a half if you're rushing through. Student? Bring your ID and save five bucks.

Standing thirty-three feet tall, Chicago's famous Cloud Gate art installation, which distorts the city's skyline, was inspired by liquid mercury, and looks pretty insane up-close.

It's true that you're probably going to have to fight your way through the crowds of tourists who are always there, but regardless, you still have to do it, because it's a Chicago staple!

Tip: "The Bean" is best experienced on a sunny day with lots of clouds, which results in a strange flowing river effect.

Not Your Mama's Bus Tour is a non-profit tour company that is in the business of helping members of the Chicago homeless community turn their lives around. Passengers are taken on a tour of the city, all while being serenaded with music and powerful short stories, all written by former homeless people.

The tour, which has only been beating the concrete since last year, takes guests to some of Chicago's most famous off the beaten path stops, including filming locations from "E.R" and "Chicago Hope", Chicago's Civic Center, and even the former site of the series "Good Times".

Oz Park is one of Chicago's hidden gems. It's completely Wizard of Oz-themed, with statues of all the major characters. Sorry Wicked Witch fans, the famous green villain is the only character missing her own statue. And yes, Dorothy is sporting her ruby slippers!

The bronzed “coil” sits proudly atop a marble pillar on Augusta Boulevard, daring all “crappy” dog walkers to leave behind a “dog pile”. Water ripples from the top of the statue as a subtle war cry, telling all 4-legged passers-by to keep on walking.

The gross fountain is on private property, but that hasn’t stopped sightseers from taking a peek and snapping a poo-poo profile pic of their own.

Tip: If you’re interested in checking out the turd memorial, remember to respect the homeowners and stick to the sidewalk… that goes for your pooch too.

This cute spy-themed store, which peddles spy glasses, fake mustache disguises, and "burn after reading" stamps among other things, is actually a front for 826CHI, an organization devoted to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to help teachers inspire their students to write, via tutoring, classes, field trips and more. Secret agent gadgets to support an awesome charity? A must see!

Kuma's Corner, which has a stellar reputation for being one of the coolest (and most delicious) burger joints in the city, has no problem living up to its expectations. Every burger on the menu is named after a famous heavy metal band, including the Led Zeppelin burger, which you have to hold together with waffle fries.

Tips: Kuma's Corner is literally one of the busiest restaurants in the city, so if you're planning on grabbing lunch, be there well in advance. Make sure to bring plenty of cash, because the staff aren't fans of using cards. Seriously. Don't try and use a card. We warned you.

Head down to the racetrack for the most intense gambling experience of your life! This local dive bar features turtle races on weekends, and it gets pretty wild– turtles have never been so exciting, and it’s the only time you’ll ever want your bet to be the slowest animal on the track. The cheap drinks and fun atmosphere make this place a crazy good time, and definitely one of the most unique things to do in Chicago.

Tip: Get there extra early to grab a table, but stick around until the end of the night - most of the crowd turns in early and passes off their spare race tickets to the crowd, which means more chances to win big!