Brookfield Zoo first opened its gates to the public on July 1, 1934. The zoo has impressed millions with its barless exhibits--an innovation imported from Europe--and its expansive collection of rare and endangered species. Managed by the Chicago Zoological Society and located 14 miles west of the citys center, the zoo serves as an inspiring natural refuge for weary urbanites, while also drawing visitors from across the country with its innovative and expansive exhibits, unusual and diverse species, and gorgeous landscaping.

Eight miles west of downtown Chicago sits a suburb with a rich, vibrant history. Berwyn began in the 19th century as two separate communities with vast stretches of marshland and farmland between. By the early 1900s, this booming municipality successfully kept industry at bay while remaining a strictly residential development. As thousands of bungalows were constructed in the 1920s, the "City of Homes," as it was known, became the fastest-growing community in the United States. For many generations, the suburb has attracted hard-working people who take pride in their homes and exemplify the...

Ten miles west of Chicago on the west bank of the Des Plaines River sits Maywood, a village that was founded in 1869 by seven New England businessmen who established the Maywood Land Company. This prairie community, carefully laid out along the railroad, experienced a population boom after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Soon industry arrived, followed by a variety of ethnic groups. Maywood was one of the few early suburban communities with an African-American neighborhood.