International Museum of Surgical Science: Because I'm a Dork : )

When I was planning my trip to Chicago this last summer there were three things on my list that I wanted to do: Eat a real Chicago deep dish pizza (because how can you go to Chicago and not do that?), Ride the El (because of my love of the movies "The Fugitive" and "While You Were Sleeping"), and visit the International Museum of Surgical Science (because I am a geek and fascinated by all things medical).

I am happy to report that I managed to cross all three things off my list while I was there, along with a few others. In case you were wondering Chicago Deep Dish is DELICIOUS and you should definitely get it from Lou Malnattis. The two most famous pizza places in Chicago are Ginos and Lou Malnattis and while I only tried Malnattis I can unequivocally say it was the best : ) They will actually ship it frozen to anywhere in the US and I have definitely considered that option since being home. But part of me thinks it would be an affront to pizzadom to freeze such a heavenly dish. (That and I can't quite convince myself to pay $100 to have a pizza shipped. Mostly its the money.)

The El was also pretty cool, as far as transportation goes. I mean, given the option of the El or a bus I would go with the El. And looking from the platform I can see that it would be possible to fall onto the tracks and then be saved from certain doom by having somebody roll you to the side. (The falling in love with your fake fiance's brother and adopting yourself into his family in less than a week and a half..well, that's a stretch. But it still makes for a cute movie so I won't question it.)

And the IMSS? Well, it was pretty cool too. If you are dorky like me and enjoy exhibits of old medical devices and history. I will say that for an International museum it was decidedly small (four stories of a historical house near the shores of Lake Michigan). It's price tag was definitely in keeping with what you would expect of an international museum : )

As a side note, money doesn't work quite the same way in Chicago as it does in other places. You know how Philadelphia is the "city of brotherly love?" I like to think of Chicago as the "city of extortion." You pretty much have to pay for everything. And large amounts. Except when you don't. For example, the zoo is inexplicably free all the time. And while most of the beaches charge an entrance fee, they cut it in half when high amounts of bacteria are found in the water (usually after rainstorms from all the yucky runoff) so you get twice the bacteria at half the price! Also there are some random free beaches and most of the museums in Chicago also have a monthly or weekly free day where you don't have to pay at all. Which, being the cheapskate that I am makes me wonder why you would go on any other day? We certainly didn't so the IMSS was free for us.

I saw a lot of cool things while I was there, like bleeders from the 17th century used for bloodletting, old patent medicine bottles with active ingredient lists containing things like Cocaine and Opium, statues and paintings of medical pioneers like Galen and Hippocrates, an actual iron lung from the not too far gone era when polio was still a serious threat in the US, and a few plastinated bodies from Gunther Van Hagen's Bodies exhibit (which I saw in Salt Lake when it came through a few years ago and would recommend to anyone who is not easily nauseous.)

Since this trip took place in July and I am just now getting around to writing about it there are a lot of things I have forgotten, but I do know that I really enjoyed the IMSS and would recommend stopping by if you are ever in the Chicago area. (Here is the link.) I would also recommend getting one of these from the gift shop they have there:

Plush disease causing organisms!!

Because who wouldn't want to snuggle up to a little Anthrax and Rhinovirus?