Pine Street,
Batavia, Illinois

Why does a particle need to be accelerated? Is it true that “some of the more exciting baryons and mesons have at least one heavy quark such as a charm or bottom quark?” And why do particle physicists talk in terms of energy instead of speed?

The answers to these and other questions can be found at Fermilab, but the appeal of this west suburban research facility isn’t limited to those whose glasses are held together with masking tape. Serving the United States Department of Energy, Fermilab belongs to taxpayers like you and me. And they’ve made the most of a scenic location in the Fox River Valley less than an hour west of Chicago.

Fermilab, properly known as the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, is one of Chicago’s greatest treasures, hidden in plain sight. Its 6,800-acre campus offers walking and biking trails, glimpses of over 250 species of birds, wildflowers, wildlife, and a herd of buffalo. Inside the high-rise tower humming with scientific research, physicists work to discover “The Nature of Nature.” You may be interested, amused, or horrified by the modest exhibit just inside the front door that illustrates the relative radioactivity of some commonplace objects. Listen to the Geiger counter click furiously as it passes the orange Fiesta Ware! Physics takes on a whole new significance for the layman here, and you don’t have to understand every nuance of contemporary physics to be impressed.

Outside the tower, you may see a Bald Eagle or an endangered Sharp-Shinned Hawk soaring over the Tevatron, ”the world's most powerful particle accelerator.” Scientists relax at evening folkdancing classes or a wide variety of art and entertainment programs, all of which are open to the public. Lectures in the past have featured such famous speakers as Stephen Hawking and Oliver Sacks.

The selection of movies, shown Friday nights at 8, is terrific, ranging from classics like the 1931 Frankenstein, to Japanese director Hiroshi Teshigahara’s stunning film of Kobo Abe’s Woman in the Dunes, to the lissome Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1998 film Sliding Doors. The Fermilab gallery space provides a venue for fine art exhibitions that change several times a year.

The town of Batavia has its own charm, and once you find the old town center, several fine dining establishments may persuade you to linger by the river. Tip: Time your visit to avoid rush hour traffic in and out of the city! It goes both ways!