Shopping in Mount Prospect

Chalet stocks its 4.8-acre retail center with thousands of chlorophyll critters, including botanical buddies plucked from Chalet's own nursery in Salem, Wisconsin. When they're not giving plants rubdowns on the undersides of their leaves, more than 100 earthy retail employees (up to 350 seasonally) can help you pick out an African violet ($4) or a host of sprouting vegetables (starting at $3). Nab cache pots for $3 or a gurgling fountain for $40. Birdhouses made from recycled, century-old barns ($24) attract brightly fluttering worm-eaters, and a bag of soil laced with nutrients ($4) satisfies even the pickiest sprout. You can even get an outdoor chair ($99), a bag of dog food (starting at $14), and floral body lotions (starting at $9.75).

Established around 1937, American Science & Surplus, a science-related hobby store, equips curious customers with gadgets that fulfill educational pursuits. For customers working on science experiments, the shop carries lab supplies and equipment such as burner stands, microscopes, and petri dishes. Tinkerers can pick up spare parts for their projects, such as power adapters or wheels to help with building model cars or turning TV remote controls into cat toys. The shop's inventory also includes robot parts, school and art supplies, and home accessories such as flexible chopping mats, cheeseburger-shaped kitchen timers, and desk toys.

Originating as a bicycle-repair shop on Chicago's South Side in 1944, Kozy's Cyclery now consists of four store locations across Chicago, helping make it the city's premier bike store for the past 60-plus years. Along with a complete stock of bicycle clothing, accessories, parts—and, of course, bikes—the three-generation, family-owned store cares for its bicycle-riding customers by offering professional bike fittings, test rides, and two free tune-ups with every new bicycle purchase. Kozy's sells more than 250 bikes for each rider's unique needs, from mountain bikes and cruisers to fixed gears and multispeed commuter bikes.