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Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum For over 160 years, we have connected the people of Chicago to nature and science.

The Museum provides award-winning exhibitions and programs to 70,000 students annually and trains and provides resources for more than 2,000 Chicago teachers. The Nature Museum is one of the city’s best examples of eco-friendly building technology, including a green roof, solar panels, natural light sources and native landscaping. The Academy and its Museum are engaged in important conservation an

d research work, such as its Butterfly Restoration Project. Admission
Adults: $9
Students: $7
Seniors: $7
Children: $6 (Age 3 and under are free!)
Our members always get in FREE!

Operating as usual

Get ready to create some beautiful pinned butterflies! Teens and adults can join us on December 17 to learn how to pin i...
11/29/2022

Get ready to create some beautiful pinned butterflies! Teens and adults can join us on December 17 to learn how to pin insects with our very own Allen Lawrance! Space is limited, so get your tickets now! https://bit.ly/3u8s3BI

Join us THIS WEEKEND for our final Family Storybook Yoga session of the year! Reserve your group's spot here: http://bit...
11/17/2022

Join us THIS WEEKEND for our final Family Storybook Yoga session of the year! Reserve your group's spot here: http://bit.ly/3g1huJC

The plants on our grounds are turning brown...but are they dying? Or is something else going on? What happens to plants ...
11/14/2022
What Happens to Plants in the Winter? Trees & More!

The plants on our grounds are turning brown...but are they dying? Or is something else going on? What happens to plants in the fall and winter? Seth has the answers in this episode of Curious By Nature!

Do plants die in the winter? That's one of the most common questions that visitors ask Seth, our manager of horticulture. So, we're answering that question, ...

Our popular insect pinning class returns in December! Learn how to pin butterflies and more with guidance from Allen, ou...
11/12/2022
Insect Pinning 101 | Naturemuseum.org

Our popular insect pinning class returns in December! Learn how to pin butterflies and more with guidance from Allen, our associate curator of entomology! Space is limited, be sure to reserve your spot today.

Take a piece of tropical nature home with you from our workshop led by our associate curator of entomology!

Thank you, veterans! We recognize and honor all who have served. Both veterans and active military personnel can receive...
11/11/2022
Know Before You Go | Naturemuseum.org

Thank you, veterans! We recognize and honor all who have served. Both veterans and active military personnel can receive free admission to the Nature Museum year-round. You can find the full details on our website!

Find up-to-date information on Nature Museum hours, admission prices, amenities and more before you plan your visit.

Get ready to warm up your yoga practice in the midst of fluttering butterflies! Our Butterfly Haven Yoga dates for the r...
11/09/2022

Get ready to warm up your yoga practice in the midst of fluttering butterflies! Our Butterfly Haven Yoga dates for the rest of the year have been released! Check them out and book your spot today. Space is limited! https://bit.ly/3dPM7AL

Congratulations to our President & CEO, Erin Amico, for making Crain's Chicago Business' 40 Under 40 list!
11/07/2022
Introducing Crain's 40 Under 40 class of 2022

Congratulations to our President & CEO, Erin Amico, for making Crain's Chicago Business' 40 Under 40 list!

That sound you hear? A round of applause for 40 incredible individuals who are both wildly accomplished and poised to do even bigger things.

Did you know the sections in the Hawver and Lacy Families Nature's PlaySpace are based on real ecosystems? Anabel's walk...
11/03/2022
Exploring Illinois Ecosystems (Wetlands, Savannas, & More!)

Did you know the sections in the Hawver and Lacy Families Nature's PlaySpace are based on real ecosystems? Anabel's walking us through savannas, prairies, and more in this episode of Curious By Nature!

We're exploring some of Illinois' ecosystems in our new, permanent exhibit - The Hawver and Lacy Families Nature’s PlaySpace. This play area is filled with l...

Many thanks to Tim McGill for joining us at the Nature Museum this morning! We were thrilled to take him through the sec...
11/01/2022
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is proud to show off their latest exhibit that has kids in mind

Many thanks to Tim McGill for joining us at the Nature Museum this morning! We were thrilled to take him through the secrets of the Hawver and Lacy Families Nature's PlaySpace! Check out his interview with President and CEO Erin Amico below.

Nature's PlaySpace is the biggest expansion the nature museum has seen in nearly twenty years.The exhibit is geared towards kids and features 25 fun interactives. Good Day Chicago's big kid, Tim McGill, explored the space.

Happy Halloween! Patsy the alligator snapping turtle has some cool costume-y adaptations that help her find her food! Le...
10/31/2022
Animals in Disguise! Alligator Snapping Turtles & More

Happy Halloween! Patsy the alligator snapping turtle has some cool costume-y adaptations that help her find her food! Learn more in this Halloween edition of Curious By Nature!

Happy Halloween! Many animals use "costumes," camouflage, and mimicry to play trick or treat with their predators and prey. These amazing animal adaptations ...

Wondering why leaves change color? James and Marjorie get to the bottom of it in this episode of Curious By Nature!
10/29/2022
Why Leaves Change Color!

Wondering why leaves change color? James and Marjorie get to the bottom of it in this episode of Curious By Nature!

It's fall! That means that the leaves here in Chicago will be changing colors and falling off the trees very soon. But why do leaves change color? Why do we ...

TOMORROW! Join us for BOO-seum Bash - a new twist on our annual Halloween party! Get up close to snakes, owls, and spide...
10/28/2022

TOMORROW! Join us for BOO-seum Bash - a new twist on our annual Halloween party! Get up close to snakes, owls, and spiders, create your own trick-or-treat bag, and more! Don't forget your costume! Grab your tickets: https://bit.ly/3MKP0mZ

Registration for Winter Camp is now open! Get all the details on our TWO sessions for campers ages 4 through 11 on our w...
10/27/2022

Registration for Winter Camp is now open! Get all the details on our TWO sessions for campers ages 4 through 11 on our website! https://bit.ly/3aAHV5e

SATURDAY! Our annual Halloween party has a new twist! Join us for the BOO-seum Bash to meet snakes, owls, and more spook...
10/22/2022

SATURDAY! Our annual Halloween party has a new twist! Join us for the BOO-seum Bash to meet snakes, owls, and more spooktacular critters! Trick-or-treat from station to station and don't forget your costume! Sssee you then! https://bit.ly/3MKP0mZ

NOW OPEN: The urgency of climate change motivates Bonnie Peterson’s artwork. She examines geophysical climate issues, de...
10/20/2022
Natural Consequences | Naturemuseum.org

NOW OPEN: The urgency of climate change motivates Bonnie Peterson’s artwork. She examines geophysical climate issues, designs explanations for some of the difficult modeling scenarios, and embroiders them onto silk fabrics.

The urgency of climate change motivates Bonnie Peterson's artwork. She examines geophysical climate issues in order to design explanations for some of the difficult modeling scenarios in environmental science and draw these concepts on paper or embroider them onto silk fabrics.

Our annual Halloween party has a new twist! Join us for the BOO-seum Bash to meet snakes, owls, and more spooktacular cr...
10/15/2022
BOO-seum Bash | Naturemuseum.org

Our annual Halloween party has a new twist! Join us for the BOO-seum Bash to meet snakes, owls, and more spooktacular critters! Trick-or-treat from station to station and don't forget your costume! See you Saturday, October 29!

Join us for an afternoon of animal encounters, crafts, and Halloween fun.

WeDigBio is returning to the Nature Museum, and the Collections team is actively preparing materials for our volunteers!...
10/14/2022

WeDigBio is returning to the Nature Museum, and the Collections team is actively preparing materials for our volunteers! Collections Technicians Alex and Victor are currently mounting plants collected from northern Ohio between 1892 and 1908 by Edward Lincoln Moseley, an American naturalist and lifelong teacher, remembered for his commitment to outdoor science education. These fragile plants have been in their pressing papers ever since. WeDigBio participants will help us transcribe the labels attached to each plant and catalog them into Arctos, a free online database. We can’t wait to discover the variety of specimens Moseley collected!

Image descriptions:
1. A variety of plants on herbarium sheets. The labels indicate the specimens are from Northern Ohio.
2. Old newspapers used as pressing papers, inside a cardboard box.
3. The outside of a cardboard box labeled "HERBARIUM. Prof E. L. MOSELEY PLANTS of N. OHIO. 1892-1908 (not mounted)
4. Cardamine pensylvanica (Pennsylvania bittercress) specimen in its pressing papers.

We're exploring Atlas moths and morpho butterflies (with Allen as our guide!) in our latest episode of Curious By Nature...
10/13/2022
Do Atlas Moths Have Mouths? All About Atlas Moths & Morphos

We're exploring Atlas moths and morpho butterflies (with Allen as our guide!) in our latest episode of Curious By Nature!

Morpho butterflies and Atlas moths are two very cool insects that you can find in Animal Crossing AND see in real life at the Nature Museum! Entomologist All...

Family Storybook Yoga returns this weekend! Reserve your group's spot here: http://bit.ly/3g1huJC
10/11/2022

Family Storybook Yoga returns this weekend! Reserve your group's spot here: http://bit.ly/3g1huJC

Looking for family-friendly activities? Join us today and explore our brand-new play area - The Hawver and Lacy Families...
10/10/2022

Looking for family-friendly activities? Join us today and explore our brand-new play area - The Hawver and Lacy Families Nature’s PlaySpace! https://bit.ly/3UCzwoO

Please note, due to the Chicago Marathon the museum building will operate with reduced hours today. Please plan to join ...
10/09/2022

Please note, due to the Chicago Marathon the museum building will operate with reduced hours today. Please plan to join us from 12pm to 4pm. See you then!

Get ready to meet our busy beaver family in our brand-new play area -- The Hawver and Lacy Families Nature's PlaySpace! ...
10/06/2022

Get ready to meet our busy beaver family in our brand-new play area -- The Hawver and Lacy Families Nature's PlaySpace! Bathed in natural light, this sprawling space brings the best of the outdoors indoors. Children up to age 7 can explore a variety of nature-themed sections and stimulate their senses with over 25 fun interactives! Get ready to explore all of them when Nature's PlaySpace opens THIS SATURDAY! https://bit.ly/3UCzwoO

We're celebrating our customer service team this week! Thank you to our entire guest engagement and experience team for ...
10/04/2022

We're celebrating our customer service team this week! Thank you to our entire guest engagement and experience team for making every visit a special experience filled with wonder!

Get ready to "dive" into the lake section of our brand-new play area -- The Hawver and Lacy Families Nature's PlaySpace!...
10/03/2022

Get ready to "dive" into the lake section of our brand-new play area -- The Hawver and Lacy Families Nature's PlaySpace! Bathed in natural light, this sprawling space brings the best of the outdoors indoors. Children up to age 7 can explore a variety of nature-themed sections and stimulate their senses with over 25 fun interactives! Get ready to explore all of them when Nature's PlaySpace opens THIS SATURDAY! https://bit.ly/3UCzwoO

Nature Museum members! You can explore The Hawver and Lacy Families Nature's PlaySpace an hour before it opens to the pu...
10/01/2022

Nature Museum members! You can explore The Hawver and Lacy Families Nature's PlaySpace an hour before it opens to the public! Be sure to join us next Saturday, October 8, at 9am for our Member Preview of this new permanent exhibit! https://bit.ly/3BUe06u

Want a behind-the-scenes look at our Collections Facility? Want to lend a helping hand as we digitize our collections? J...
09/29/2022
WeDigBio: Digitizing Collections

Want a behind-the-scenes look at our Collections Facility? Want to lend a helping hand as we digitize our collections? Join us 10/14-15 to help process uncatalogued plant specimens PLUS get a tour of the collections!

Join us for a transcription blitz to help digitize uncatalogued botanical specimens!

09/22/2022
Nature Museum Seasons

Fall begins today! But what kind of weather is normal for fall in Chicago? Learn more in our exhibit Weather to Climate: Our Changing World! Thanks to Presenting Sponsor Abbott. https://bit.ly/3k4O3cH

Our Collections team recently came across these small flowers and ferns pressed inside a book in our library. We don’t k...
09/20/2022

Our Collections team recently came across these small flowers and ferns pressed inside a book in our library. We don’t know who collected these plants or when, but they clearly had a passion for nature (as evidenced by their enthusiastic annotations).

To quote this very book, How to Know the Ferns, published in 1902:
“The ideal hobby, it seems to me, is one that keeps us in the open air among inspiring surroundings, with the knowledge of natural objects as the end in view. The study of plants, of animals, of the earth itself, botany, zoology, or geology, any one of these will answer the varied requirements of an ideal hobby.”

Image Descriptions:
Slide 1: A fern plant on a book page. The page is titled “Common Polypody. Snake Fern” and there is a drawing of a fern next to the specimen.
Slide 2: A flower on open book pages. There are imprints (or acid transfers) of the flower on the pages it was pressed between.
Slide 3: A small green plant against text from the book.
Slide 4: An annotation from an unknown collector that reads, “True!”
Slide 5: An annotation from an unknown collector that reads, “This is so!”

The monarchs are on the move! But where are they going? And how do we know where they end up? We're talking all about mo...
09/18/2022
How Scientists Track Monarch Butterflies During Monarch Migration!

The monarchs are on the move! But where are they going? And how do we know where they end up? We're talking all about monarch migration and monarch tagging in our newest episode of Curious By Nature!

Monarch migration is in full swing! But where do our local monarchs go for the winter? And how do we know where they end up? Did you know that not all monarc...

Join us TOMORROW during Open Boulevards! We're excited to join Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Chicag...
09/17/2022

Join us TOMORROW during Open Boulevards! We're excited to join Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Chicago Department of Transportation & Chicago Park District for this event. Stop by to make your own butterfly craft, learn about some incredible insects, pick up your own Wonder Workbook, and more!

We know we're biased... but we're pretty sure Harrison is one of the most handsome turtles we've ever met.📸 : Turtle Wal...
09/15/2022

We know we're biased... but we're pretty sure Harrison is one of the most handsome turtles we've ever met.

📸 : Turtle Walker Jess

Family Storybook Yoga returns this weekend! Reserve your group's spot here: http://bit.ly/3g1huJC
09/13/2022

Family Storybook Yoga returns this weekend! Reserve your group's spot here: http://bit.ly/3g1huJC

Address

2430 North Cannon Drive
Chicago, IL
60614

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

(773) 755-5100

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Our Story

For 160 years, the Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum has worked to connect the citizens of Chicago to nature and science through immersive exhibits, family events, and in-depth education programs. Founded in 1857 to give scientists and nature aficionados a place to study and share the specimens they collected, the Chicago Academy of Sciences developed a national and international reputation for its leadership in conservation, its collection and citizen science. Dubbed the first Museum in the West, the Academy's collection has expanded to 390,000 artifacts and specimens, making it the definitive collection of our region's natural history and a valuable resource for researchers. Ongoing research, restoration, and conservation initiatives directly benefit local ecology. Admission Adults: $9 Students: $7 Seniors: $7 Children: $6 (Age 3 and under are free!) Thursdays are suggested donation days for Illinois residents. Our members always get in FREE!


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📍200 GREAT PLACES: Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (Chicago, IL)

Designed to recall the shifting sand dunes that earlier occupied the site, in its color and hard angular massing, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum was originally founded in 1857 by the Chicago Academy of Sciences. The building is composed of a series of paths, some breaking through the wall to be exterior walkways, layered atop one another. Vast expanses of glass emphasize the close relationship of building views to the landscape. A large, live butterfly habitat, the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven, graces the interior of the museum, which was carefully positioned on the site to embrace both the adjacent North Pond and a large native grasslands garden. Also nearby, the North Pond Café, housed in a former warming shelter designed in 1914 by Perkins, Fellows & Hamilton for skaters, was set into the slope of the landscape and given a flat roof and very simple facade. It has now come to life as an Arts and Crafts-style restaurant, renovated in 1998 by Nancy Warren.

📍illinoisgreatplaces.com
📷 Photos © Chicago Academy of Sciences, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
📐1999 | Perkins&Will

Want to learn how to pin your own butterfly? Save your spot at this special workshop hosted by our friend Allen Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and take your pinned insect home with you! 🦋 https://tickets.naturemuseum.org/events/202bcc54-c0f3-44d4-3d63-bd12b8301da4
Our top picks for this weekend:
🧘‍♂️ Family Storybook Yoga at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
🐥 Chicago Kids Company’s The Ugly Duckling at Stahl Family Theatre
🪁 Kite Showcase with Homewood-Flossmoor Park District at Apollo Park
We had so much fun at Wild Wonders this past weekend getting our hands dirty, learning about nature, and participating in nature-inspired activities.

Thank you to our friends who joined us for this event: Racine Zoo, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, The Morton Arboretum, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and Rose Pest Solutions.

Big thank you to Rose Pest Solutions for sponsoring the event!
Enjoy nature-inspired sensory activities and more at Wild Wonders this Saturday, March 19 from 9am – 2pm!

We’re so excited to have friends from the Racine Zoo, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, The Morton Arboretum, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and Rose Pest Solutions join the festivities.

Flutter, crawl, creep, or fly on over to catch the fun. Learn more and get tickets: dupagechildrens.org/wild-wonders.

⭐ Thank you to our sponsor: Rose Pest Solutions
Looking to do some spring cleaning? Mark your calendars for April 24th for our Shred and Recycling event at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum with Sara Feigenholtz, State Senator, Cook County Sheriff's Office (Official), MWRD Commissioner Chakena D. Perry, Margaret Croke - State Representative, and Alderman Michele Smith, Ward 43.

From 10am-1pm, drive through to drop off documents that need to be shred, electronics that need to be recycled, and prescriptions that need to be safely disposed of so they don't end up in our waterways. There will also be free tree saplings available to pick up!

Check http://www.ntesrecycling.com/ for accepted electronics. NEWTECH certifies Destruction of all Data Devices. No needles, sharps, liquids, or aerosols accepted as part of the prescription take back.
April 9 - July 2, 2022
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CHERYL MEDOW
Envisioning Habitat: An Altered Reality
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ROBERT MILNES
Sea What I Think
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Artist Reception
Saturday, April 9, 2022
from 5 - 8 pm
(both artists will be present)
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PDNB Gallery is featuring two solo exhibitions in their Spring calendar. The exhibitions celebrate new work by photographer and birder, Cheryl Medow, and ceramic artist, Robert Milnes.
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This is Cheryl Medow’s first solo exhibition in the gallery. In the summer of 2020, PDNB presented an online exhibition for Cheryl, and she has been featured in several PDNB group exhibitions.
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Medow travels to locations local and international to photograph many species of birds. Her birds are placed in an imagined landscape. None of these feathered friends find themselves in their true environment in Cheryl’s final composition.
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For example, a beautiful sleeping snowy egret is found with tropical trees in the background under a dramatic night sky with the starry Milky Way. In another photograph, a crowned crane is seen perched on a snarled tree stump, seemingly focused on a food source or keeping safe. The misty background of grassy shores of what looks to be a river under a blue sky contrasts mightily with the crane's vivid black, white and red feathers.
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Cheryl Medow’s photographs have been exhibited in The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LA, The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, Solvang, CA, and The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago, IL.
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An exhibition catalog is available.
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Robert Milnes was also featured in an online exhibition with PDNB in 2020. His upcoming solo show will feature work he has created this past year. Robert’s inspiration for this body of work was kindled on his 2021 trip to the Yucatan peninsula. He found pieces of dead coral on the beach which had an organic, modular form that intrigued him.
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With this, Robert engaged with the Austrian philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein, incorporating his seven propositions, sometimes using those propositions as titles to his ceramic sculptures. Wittgenstein discusses language as a picture. But, philosophy aside, these ceramic works are wondrous objects to behold.
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Robert Milnes has exhibited extensively in group and solo exhibitions throughout his career, including The Pittsburgh Center For Arts & Media, PA, The Northwest Craft Center, Seattle, WA, Arizona State University, The Ceramics Research Center, Tempe, AZ, The Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA, and The Erie Art Museum, Erie, PA.
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He is Dean Emeritus of the College of Visual Arts and Design at The University of North Texas, in Denton, Texas. Robert Milnes currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina, working in his Arbitrary Forms Studio.
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Image 1: Cheryl Medow, Snowy Egret in the Bayou, 2021
Image 2: Cheryl Medow, Great Egret and the Milky Way, 2019
Image 3: Robert Milnes, Pod, 2022
Image 4: Robert Milnes, Propositions are Truth Functions, 2022
(top view)April 9 - July 2, 2022
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum's Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) empowers Chicagoans to complete neighborhood sustainability and environmental projects that impact and engage communities across the city. Attend an orientation to learn more. Visit https://naturemuseum.org/programs-events/c3/ to register and become a changemaker!
What an amazing, emotional concert program. Finally performing Beethoven No. 6 in the beautiful venue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was a joy. Thanks also to our guests from Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum for the preconcert lecture and collections table. 🦋
Join us at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church tomorrow, Saturday, February 26, for "Nurtured by Nature," featuring Beethoven Symphony No. 6. Come early at 7:15 pm to hear a pre-concert talk about the sounds of nature, presented by the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Visit lsso.org for more info and tickets.
Think you know squirrels? We LOVE this video that our friends Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum made! Squirrel behavior is incredible! Take a look! 🐿️🌰❤️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKA6sbXiP4o&feature=youtu.be
Think you know squirrels? We LOVE this video that our friends Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum made! Squirrel behavior is incredible! Take a look! 🐿️🌰❤️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKA6sbXiP4o&feature=youtu.be
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