American Science & Surplus, Chicago

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.