Things to Do in River Grove

In the Corridor of Confusion, one of Amazing Chicago's Funhouse Maze’s brain-teasing attractions, decoy doorways send participants in loops around the true path to the maze’s next stage. The entire maze totals 4,000 square feet of strobe lights, puzzles, and minor scares. Meanwhile, narration and interactive games give navigators a peek into unusual corners of Chicago’s history, such as its system of underground tunnels built between the home of every mayor and City Hall.

At their own pace, guests navigate through a classic mirror maze and down tunnels of spinning and dancing lights. Elsewhere, they step into a plunging elevator and brave the Big Squeeze, an intensely narrow hallway whose walls are all desperately trying to hug you. A recreation of the Great Chicago Fire gives visitors the opportunity to stomp out the flames themselves, while a simulated fireworks show concludes the journey with a bang. Located on Navy Pier, the critically-acclaimed indoor maze is open year-round.

Growing up in deserts of Saudi Arabia, Rami learned what it meant to be endlessly surrounded by a single element in every direction. He just found he preferred water to earth, taking up Scuba diving in 1994, and, after a brief midlife hiatus, making it his career. Now, as the owner and head-instructor of Scuba Sensations, he shares the passion that drove him over land and under sea halfway around the globe. He certifies new divers to go find their own adventures underwater, or helps advanced students hone their skills to take on new submersible challenges.

The history buffs of Chicago's Finest River Walk Tour lead engaging and dynamic tours of two very different parts of the city. During the summer, intimate groups of up to 15 traverse the various walkways of the bustling yet majestic riverfront. In the winter, everyone affixes a giant drill bit to their head to explore the tunnels of the Pedway, Chicago's underground network of stores, hotels, train stations, and other businesses. Regardless of the tour, knowledgeable guides engage strollers in a two-way conversation about the heritage and history of the Windy City, thrilling and entertaining their audience with informative stories and humorous anecdotes. Tours are conducted rain or shine, though guests may be guided to shelter during thunderstorms. Each expedition is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Second City, Chicago's legendary sketch-based improv troupe, has launched the careers of hundreds of comedians since it first opened in 1959. Today, the Old Town theater continues to prompt guffaws with daily performances by the next generation of John Belushis, Steve Carells, and Tina Feys. The troupe's iconoclastic sketches tackle contemporary and previously contemporary issues often centered on Chicago. At night, guests pack the house in cabaret-style seating as cocktail waitresses weave throughout the crowd to deliver drinks and snacks. Throughout its training centers in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Toronto, Second City fortifies the funny bones of 13,000 aspiring actors, improvisers, and extemporaneous soapbox speakers every year.

Howard Malpass enjoys sharing the sport of fly fishing with others, whether teaching a course on the subject at Bossier Parish Community College or showing a child how to tie their first fly. At his shop, Gray Wolf Fly Shop, he draws on this passion for teaching during three-hour introductory courses that include hands-on casting practice and basic tips on how to use flies to attract fish rather than attempt to prove spontaneous generation. His expertise also helps him match patrons with Wapsi fly-tying products, sturdy casting rods, and all-terrain gear, such as durable Korkers fishing boots.

Joe Roope, Sr., and his son have grown Castaway Fly Fishing Shop into an full-service fly-fishing shop abounding in guided trips, classes, and high-end tackle from the likes of Loop Tackle Design and Action Optics by Smith. They proudly carry locally tied flies, offsetting a selection of fly-tying materials to accompany single- and double-hand rods. Though hunkered down in scenic Coeur d'Alene, they lead fly-fishing trips in a number of area waterways, shepherding groups through Idaho, Montana, and Washington during guided jaunts down rivers such as the Blackfoot, Clark Fork, and Upper Columbia. They share their passion for perpetuating the wild-trout fisheries of the Inland Northwest in each of their classes, advocating responsible catch, release, and contract-signing techniques whenever dealing with fish.