Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University

Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University The museum has a simply enchanting atmosphere. We welcome curious guests of all ages in their pursuit of wonder and knowledge of the natural world.

The Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum is a natural history museum that is open to the public as well as to school groups and private tours.
~ Free Admission! ~
We are located on the 2nd floor of the Birck Hall of Science at Benedictine University. Don’t miss the activity sheets and scavenger hunts to find out more about the specimens on display. On display at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum are representa

tive specimens of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, and other invertebrates. There are collections of skeletons, fossils, bird eggs, corals, mussels, crustaceans, and Native American artifacts. The most conspicuous feat is the 38-foot skeleton of a sei whale hanging from the ceiling at the center of the museum. Other specimens include a polar bear, Rocky Mountain goats and sheep, American bison, big cats such as a leopard, cougar, and lions, several kinds of wolves, several kinds of dinosaurs, and great apes. In addition, the museum is home to a large collection of fish, and a large collection of bird specimens. The full-sized dioramas include an African Savanna, Northern Illinois woodland, wetland and prairie scene, North American desert, Arctic tundra, and several other smaller dioramas. We are located on the 2nd floor of the Birck Hall of Science, on campus at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. Free parking is available on campus just south of the building.

*Registration is required. The museum is closed on all University Holidays. See website for details of hours and reservations.

$5 suggested donation. Please see our offerings and resources on our website at www.ben.edu/museum.

We had a fantastic morning welcoming new students to campus and engaging them in a service project. In 45 minutes they f...
08/28/2026

We had a fantastic morning welcoming new students to campus and engaging them in a service project. In 45 minutes they filled and labeled over 350 seed packets for our free BenU Community Seed Library!!! 🌿

The BenU Community Seed Library is located inside the museum and is available during museum open hours.🥕🌻🍅🌽🫛

Thank you so much to the entire BeImpactful team and our wonderful freshman students for their assistance!

Discover Nature 🐝Common MilkweedCommon milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, grows best in disturbed, open, sunny habitats includ...
08/28/2026

Discover Nature 🐝
Common Milkweed
Common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, grows best in disturbed, open, sunny habitats including fields, roadsides, pastures, and gardens. There are 150 milkweed species worldwide, mostly found in the Western hemisphere with 22 in the United States. They grow 3′ to 5′ tall with soft, pillowy leaves grown in tiers at right angles to the stem. Continue reading here......

Our Fall Reservation Calendar is now open, but so are our tours! All guided group tours should be scheduled through muse...
08/20/2026

Our Fall Reservation Calendar is now open, but so are our tours! All guided group tours should be scheduled through museum staff. Contact us to find the best date and time for your group to visit the museum!

Our tour programs include a guided tour, a learning circle with natural history specimens, and a museum scavenger hunt.

We warmly welcome homeschool co-ops, senior groups, adult day facilities, garden clubs, community centers, and others to reach out for information on our tour programs! 🌿

We are very excited to welcome students back to campus for the Fall 2026 semester. 🥳🦅As we welcome our new students, we ...
08/20/2026

We are very excited to welcome students back to campus for the Fall 2026 semester. 🥳

🦅As we welcome our new students, we would like to remind all that the BenU Community is encouraged to drop by whenever the museum is open! Our hours will also be posted on the door, and instructors can reserve special times for their classes to visit by contacting museum staff.🌿

🎟 The museum will pause reservations from the public for a brief time. Reservations for visits are now available for the fall semester beginning September 14th.

Our Fall Reservation Calendar is now open, but so are our tours! All guided group tours should be scheduled through muse...
08/20/2026

Our Fall Reservation Calendar is now open, but so are our tours! All guided group tours should be scheduled through museum staff. Contact us to find the best date and time for your group to visit the museum!

Our tour programs include a guided tour, a learning circle with natural history specimens, and a museum scavenger hunt.

We warmly welcome homeschool co-ops, senior groups, adult day facilities, garden clubs, community centers, and others to reach out for information on our tour programs!

Discover Nature 🐝UnderfootWalking in a woodland can be an exciting adventure with many plants and animals to see, and as...
08/14/2026

Discover Nature 🐝
Underfoot
Walking in a woodland can be an exciting adventure with many plants and animals to see, and as a naturalist, I like to observe and learn about all of the connections between the different species. But, there is a vast network of living organisms under the soil that we cannot see and rarely experience. Continue reading here....

Walking in a woodland can be an exciting adventure with many plants and animals to see, and as a naturalist, I like to observe and learn about all of the connections between the different species.&…

08/14/2026

This fall, do yourself a favor and let go of "clean up" yard work. Because sometimes the best way to help is to sit back and let things happen naturally.

Fall Gardening Tips
• When possible, leave the leaves
• Avoid pruning or cutting back perennials. Insects and other wildlife overwinter in standing plant materials.
• Add fall-blooming native plants such as asters and goldenrods.
• And don't forget to plant shrubs and plants that provide seeds and berries for birds!

Join the Everyday Environment team for a conversation about gardening for nature with Chicago garden coach Amy Powers at https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/everyday-environment.

08/14/2026

Join us on September 15th @ 6:30pm for a virtual screening!

We’re hosting a special screening of The Extraordinary Caterpillar, a beautifully shot 60-minute documentary that reveals the vital—and often overlooked—role caterpillars play in our ecosystems. This screening is offered for FREE by EEAI with the option to add a donation to support our work bringing programming like this to educators all over the state!

Learn more and register here: https://eeaoi.wildapricot.org/event-6775756




Our director/curator shared a program on nature journaling with the Darien Garden Club - IL at the beginning of the mont...
08/14/2026

Our director/curator shared a program on nature journaling with the Darien Garden Club - IL at the beginning of the month. It was a wonderful turn out with 77 attendees! Everyone received a nature journaling kit and a blank journal, along with tips on how to get started.

If your group is interested in having our museum staff provide a similar program, please let us know! We offer outreach programs and lectures through the western suburbs.

Address

5700 College Road, Birck Hall Of Science/2nd Floor
Lisle, IL
60532

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