Road Scholar

Adventures in lifelong learning.

JCC Chicago, in partnership with Road Scholar, invites you to discover Chicago’s vibrant history, arts and culinary scene with local and renowned experts for in-depth and behind-the-scenes learning. Experience the city’s signature landmarks, neighborhoods and cultural treasures with docents who give you the opportunity to explore and thoroughly examine aspects of the city that meet your particular interests. JCC’s Road Scholar travel gives you a chance to go where others can’t go, because our connections with local “insiders” show you Chicago in a way that’s better than going on your own or on a regular “tour.” Plus, you’ll be experiencing the city with people from all over the country who share your love of travel and passion for experiential learning.

Programs

Out and About in Chicago: Art, Architecture, History and More

Chicago is a vibrant city packed with enough art, history, culture and stories to capture the mind of any visitor. Join local experts on walks through the city’s diverse neighborhoods to study their connections to the immigrant history of this melting-pot city. See how the story of Chicago’s evolution is told in its preserved architecture and pay visits to leading museums and cultural institutions in preparation for your own independent discoveries of the aspects of the city that speak to you. Program #21908RJ

Highlights

Go inside the Art Institute of Chicago with an expert on the artworks of its world-class, 300,000-piece permanent collection.
Study the architecture of the city on a walk with an architectural scholar and from a boat on the Chicago River, providing you with a unique view of the buildings that add to the city’s character.
Enjoy an expert-led exploration of Wicker Park, a Chicago Landmark District whose residents once included famous Chicagoans such as Nelson Algren, Saul Bellows and the Pritzkers.

Intergenerational Adventures in the Windy City

Join up with your grandchildren for an in-depth exploration of all that this city has to offer. Experience Chicago from the shores of Lake Michigan and from the parks and museums alongside it, and get to know the entire city from the tallest building in North America to Wrigley Field to Hyde Park, home of President Obama. – Program #21529RJ

Highlights

Go behind the scenes at the world-famous Museum of Science and Industry.
Visit iconic Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, where an expert takes you to stadium areas most fans never see.
Experience the city from the Skydeck of the tallest building in North America while learning how it was built.

Signature City Chicago: Your Kind of Town

Discover Chicago’s glittering skyscrapers, fine dining, revitalized lakefront, urbane cultural scene, celebrated museums and the tony Magnificent Mile on an exceptional adventure that draws back the curtain on Chicagoans and “their kind of town. – Program #2818RJ

Highlights

Examine Chicago’s growth on a professor-led field trip through the city’s diverse neighborhoods.
Experience the city’s new waterfront parks and visit the renovated Chicago History Museum.
Enjoy expert-led visits to the Field Museum of Natural History and the renowned Art Institute of Chicago.