The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
2430 N. Cannon Drive
Monday- Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday & Sunday 10am-5pm
$$
indoor-activities, museums, fun-paid-activities, local-highlights
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The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is is full of educational, interactive exhibits meant to inspire appreciation and conservation of regional biodiversity.
It's not overwhelmingly large and it's full of nature, environmentalism and ways to help your littles ones learn how to be green. Perhaps best known for their butterfly room, this museum is worth visiting just to pop into this warm habitat and immerse yourself amongst thousands of free fluttering butterflies. They even host Saturday morning butterfly (heated) yoga (& on occasion Family Yoga) in this space before the museum opens on the weekends.
The museum is full of adventures and opportunities for kids to get a little wet, get up-close and personal with various critter habitats, appreciate green living and even hold, touch or observe various reptiles, amphibians, and more. The museum has a designated tot spot where kids can climb an indoor tree fort, don critter costumes, explore play structures inspired by regional landscapes or gather for museum story hour. There's a bird watching bridge along the outside of the building designed to help Chicagoans connect with the nature prairieland habitat of the region. In the Winter months, the famed, Green City Market, moves to the museum lobby so you can enjoy local eats and artisans from this Lincoln Park outdoor market all year long.
The museum also offers recycling services for your "not so regular" items that need to be disposed of consciously- think batteries, lightbulbs, Christmas tree composting, etc. It's a wonderful place and weekly visits are easy to do here. They offer free coat check and parking is usually abundant along Cannon drive during weekday mornings. It's incredibly affordable and well worth a $60 Family Membership. They're nursing, diaper and snack friendly (there are plenty of tables in their lobby cafe with highchair and booster seats). A stroller isn't necessary at this museum. Come with a small bag, socks (for the tot spot) and an ounce of bravery (for whatever insect, arachnid or critter makes an appearance). Check their site for some awesome seasonal events too!