Art Institute: Go high-brow

If you can squeeze it into your schedule, one of the best art museums in the world is just blocks away from the conference site. The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 South Michigan Ave., houses works from Van Gogh to Renoir, John Singer Sargent, Diego Rivera, Georgia O'Keeffe, Mary Cassatt, Grant Wood and Edward Hopper.

Hours are limited — the galleries are open 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., with evening hours until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. Because he's always busy conferencing, the closest Boot Strapper's ever gotten to a glance at "Nighthawks" is a night-time moment perched on paw of one of the enormous lions that guard the entrance.