It's not worth a special trip (unless you're a monetary-policy megageek), but the visitor center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is worth a quick stop if you're wandering around the Loop. More than just the standard history-of-banking displays, the center has kid-friendly features such as a giant cube that holds a million dollars and an exhibit that lets you try detecting counterfeit bills. There's even a section where visitors can play Fed chairman, showing how changes in interest rates affect the economy. Free guided tours begin at 1pm on weekdays. Allow a half-hour.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Chicago 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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