Exhibit examines the ancestry and evolution of numerous species, ranging from huge to tiny, from speedy to sloth-like, and displays animals with oversized claws, fangs, snouts, and horns. Highlights include taxidermy specimens, an entire skeleton of a giant hoofed plant-eater, a life-size model of the largest land mammal that ever lived, one of the oldest fossilized bats ever found, and an impressive diorama featuring the swamps and forests of an island in the Arctic. Runs May 26, 2012-Jan. 6, 2013.

See a variety of styles ranging from hip-hop, ballet, tap and jazz to contemporary and more. The festival is a cornerstone of the city's fall dance season and showcases more than 300 individual dynamic acts from more than 2,500 talented dancers and choreographers from some of Chicago's best dance companies. Check website for schedule. Oct. 20-Dec. 1.

Just as Victor Frankenstein created his monster from parts of many different people, this new iteration of "500 Clown Frankenstein" is constructed by a cast of rotating performers. Five clowns reconfigure into three different casts, each charged with the same task: "make monster."