Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in East Chicago

Make sure to check for special events. The butterfly release was OK. Go up to the third floor and go on the outside rooftop garden.

Love this place. Have been members for years. The new playground is fun my 2&5 year olds lasted over 30 minutes playing.

We visited with out grandkids, 6 and 5. We combined it with a visit to Lincoln Park Zoo, which is 2 blocks south. They were fascinated with the exhibit about water, in part because of the boat. They also enjoyed the climate change section, primarily because of the opportunity to be the weatherperson on the video screen.Perhaps the best part was the release of the butterflies in the butterfly garden.Worth another visit soon. And, we are able to take the bus--and adventure for them and nice break for Pop.

Fun place to take my child. It has a lot of activities that kept him entertained. The butterfly greenhouse was wonderful experience. Would love to return when the weather was nice to explore the surrounding outdoor grounds.

Wonderful museum, helpful and courteous staff, beautiful exhibits, well maintained.It is extremely friendly for kids. I think some exhibits are better for older kids who can read like the "river works" or the "weather to climate" but in general there is something to see and do for all ages.The museum has 3 floors.First floor:River Works exhibit which explains about floods, rivers and dems with wonderful interactive models. This is more suited for older kids so I didnt linger with my young one much there.Mysteries of the Marsh has many live turtles, and some snakes and toads. There are also some events (like feedinggoing on from time to time. Its a great opportunity to show the kids those animals up close.Nature Lunch Box is an indoor area where you can eat with large round tables. There are many high chairs to use, and some interactive information about nutrition on the walls.The rest of the exhibits on that floor where renovated when we were there.Second floor:Judy Istock Butterfly Haven exhibit, probably the most popular one, which is an enclosed area you can walk/seat in with various butterfly species flying around. Very cool experience. There is also a window to see the different cacoons and other information about butterflies and moths.The Wilderness Walk is next to the butterfly haven and has 3 sceneries of the historical nature areas of Chicago. Each scenery background is beautifully drawn and with the addition of the sounds and animal taxidermy creates a unique experience. There are many other animal taxidermy with information around that exhibition.Parallel to the wilderness walk there is the Weather to Climate exhibit which is more suited for older kids so I didnt linger much there either.At the northern part of that floor there is a nice little playground. It has a small structure with a slide and tunnels, two tents, animals fur station and a half a boat with some handles and wheels to pull and play with.Third floor:Accessible only through the elevators (next to the building entrance), the third floor features a hallway leading to an open roof with a path viewing the museum area. There are plaques with information about the roof and local birds and some tower-viewer stations.

Nice place to hike, view some birb action, watch some naughty nuthogs, and check out some water action on the docks. There’s also the native gardens, the butterfly exhibit, and the museum.

I mean to call this a museum is a farce . It’s a brainwashing to the liberal agenda ! Endless pontificating about global warming throughout this building ! However , they have butterflies yay🙄

Great museum! Really nice location to walk around nearby, too, just be aware parking is difficult.The exhibits themselves were great, with a ton of animals to see and information on rescue and conservation efforts. The butterfly house is also amazing, with tons of beautiful butterflies (and birds), plus we got to see then release new butterflies into the house!The staff themselves were also very helpful, knowledgeable, and passionate! One of the staff members overheard us wondering how butterfly pinning processes work, and stopped to talk to us for like 20 minutes about the history of bug pinning, details of the collection, and how theyre used behind the scenes for research. Another staff member even helped fill in some gaps as they passed by, too.Overall, we had a great experience our first time going!

super cool museum full of animal specimens and live butterflies! theres also some art pieces but we only did a quick walkthrough but it was really neat! one of my favorite museums Ive been to by far. great for people that want to study birds, bugs, and animals!

The museum is wonderful, HOWEVER, the security lady is the rudest, most obnoxious person i have ever came across. She literally YELLS at the guest and kids. She makes you not even wanna go in there but the front desk receptionists make up for that i guess. Loved the butterfly garden and look-in lab!

This nature museum was a great place for my 7 year old girl to explore. My only complaint is that there were few bathrooms and they were far apart. I searched all over only to find the bathroom out of order. I then had to find another, which was far from the other.

Admitting, the exhibits are kind of few in number, although a new one was being added. Favorites are tanks with indigenous wildlife and specimens of preserved animals and scientific equipment. The butterfly garden is a highlight, and has chrysalises sent from around the world to sure theyre are butterflies all year round. Also has a maze of paths just outside to observe the wildlife that dwells in this garden spot in the big city.

Love this place! Some changes due to covid, but the kids always enjoy our yearly visit. Buy your tickets online and arrive early to find really good parking. The butterflies are of course the main attraction and are always an awesome experience.

Great family fun and educational too! Wonderful place to host a Wedding or party 🥳

The butterfly habitat was wonderful to sit in and enjoy on a very cold winter day. Theres a beautiful waterfall and several benches so you can sit and relax.The other exhibits included some cool fossils, art, and many reptiles/amphibians. We were there around feeding time so the animals were more active than youd usually see.Theres free street parking. In the winter we had no trouble finding a spot but I bet thats a different story in the warmer months.

Unique Butterfly Haven with birds on the 2nd floor..check their release time before going..also there were bugs, turtles, snakes, animals, a water play area, lunchroom, playground…Free street parking, but it can be challenging.

If You like nature, You must treat Yourself to a place like this. The Butterfly garden is breathe taking.

A great hands-on experience for children and adults. Our favorite parts of this Nature Museum are the water exhibit and the butterfly sanctuary.Note: on the weekday this place can get pretty packed since many schools do field trips here. However, if you are a nanny and need something to do, do this! You wont regret it.

You know why i loved this place. When i was a nanny it was always a treat to go...they had a playground area inside. I took my grandson and its still amazing. The butterfly exhibit and him. He was engrossed in the butterflies and moths. Also his very favorite part was the water park. Oh my goodness with its many activities. It truly was a safe haven and a joy to be choice to nature settings. Even outside you can observe birds and frogs...its absolutely a treasure. When youre down walk over to the zoo. Tire the kids out before they get you tired. 😂

Amazing and so fun for the kids. Indoor and outdoor stuff is great!

one of my favorite places in chicago. i felt so lucky to see the atlas moths right after they’d hatched that morning!! plus college students get a discount :)

Being a photographer I am always looking for places to go and take pictures, I have been meaning to check this nature museum for a long time and finally decided that it was time. Today I am going to let my photos do the talking. I hope you find them interesting and decide to take your kids to this place. Highly recommended.

Just visited for the first time recently. I will definitely come back soon. In addition to an amazing taxidermy collection, they also have living specimens.

Great nature museum, lots of educational activities for kids, butterfly garden filled with flying creatures. Good for adults also.

Brought my granddaughter for a visit. Lots of interesting things to see and do. She loved the butterfly release.

My family enjoyed our visit to this museum and loved the experience releasing butterflies and interacted with different varieties of butterflies in their 🦋 haven.

The butterfly garden is amazing ! A lot of information on birds and insects from Chicagoland and the staff is very friendly.If you are going to visit Lincoln Park Zoo,this Nature Museum is also a must visit !!

This is a great museum mainly because of the wonderful butterfly haven on the 2nd floor and walking trails outside surrounding the museum! They have a release at noon and 2pm indoors on most Thursdays which are also sometimes free admission days as well! Parking in the area is metered, hard time finding free parking and if you do you might have to walk a few blocks. I didnt give 5 stars only because I think overall this small museum (2 floors onlyis more geared toward kids. But I highly recommend checking out the butterflies! So many sizes and colors! Beautiful! Lincoln Park zoo and Alfred Lily Pond are also great scenic places to visit and across the street 5 min away.

Very cool museum. Lots of animals and educational information about Chicago and Lake Michigan. The butterfly enclosure was our favorite part.

Always my childs favorite! Looking forward to the new exhibit opening! Parking is public and free, but not readily available. Street parking not being easily available at certain times is typical for this area. I wish the nature museum had a full service restaurant/cafeteria on site! Before COVID, they had a selection of fresh cold foods and snacks which I think is appropriate and good for the space given!

For butterfly lover, it’s a perfect place to spend your day. Here, you can see butterfly of different sizes and colours.Not only butterfly, children can play various mind games and learn ways of clean, renewable electricity generated through visual presentations and recycling through physical learning. There is also a small play area for young ones to have little fun.Not much crowded, but a must visit place for nature lovers.

So much fun to explore nature here. A place for kids of all ages and open rain or shine. This place is amazing from butterflies to amphibians. They have Free donation days on most Thursday’s, they participate in the museums for all program and museum day live ( coming up soonas well, passes are also available at the library for free to check out so all can enjoy this awesome slice of paradise in the city. They offer a ton of kids groups and activities for free or low cost so be sure to check in their website for details.

This was our first time at the nature Museum. My children are 11 and nine. I thought they might be a little too old but they had a wonderful time. We love butterflies! They had a live release and some already there. The Komodo dragon was totally awesome the exhibits are fun. It is a very doable museum for an afternoon especially in the winter!

This is our go to for our two children. Theres always a mixture of old and new. We have maintained a membership here for three years now.The butterfly house is stunning! You can get really close to a large variety of butterflies and the photo ops for even such a small space is perfect. Check out the daily butterfly release (usually at 2p).On the lower level theres a great kids area where our youngest can crawl unimpeded and, as she grows, therell are slides and other interactive spaces to explore, including a small jungle gym. The rotating exhibits are always engaging for kids of all ages.In the summer months dont forget to go outside. Theres a third level where you can look out at all of Lincoln Park. And the Lagoon is fun to walk around, too.Pro tip: if you are driving, try the lot across Cannon Drive. And if youre here in a Saturday, take advantage of the 2h reduce rate which is half the full price.Another thing to note: they have a farmers vending machine but its pretty limited. So we pack our own food and use the cafeteria on the first floor of theres little or no room in the atrium. Plenty of room to spread out.

Beautiful place! New butterflies are released at 2pm. Didnt get to see as much of it as I wanted due to time, but Id definitely come back. Prices are pretty good too.

Fun place to learn and explore for all ages! Nestled in a beautiful green space, this museum offers a variety of enriching experiences, from art galleries, to interactive life-sized exhibits. I very much enjoyed the 🦋 butterfly exhibit, wetlands walk through, the climate change art exhibit, living green household, and the outdoor gardens with walk ways. Thank you for a great visit!

A nice quiet museum with a lot of interesting things to see. If youre interested in nature this is a great place to learn about what Chicago was like before all the humans showed up. Some of the exhibits talk about the animals of the area, some about the land and lake. And no visit would be complete without a trip through the butterfly garden. And theres a whole lot that we didnt get to see. Worth way more than the admission price. Great for all ages!

What other than a Museum Day could be better to visit a Museum?Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum turned out better than I thought it would be.Multiple hands-on exhibits for kids are a great way to educate them about how Nature works.Indoor Butterfly Room is one of a kind experience and meant for all ages.The interesting thing on the rooftop, even if you dont end up spotting birds you can hear them chirping through the speakers installed.More fun time at a small play area for kids.Please note that theres no dedicated food court inside. Just a food dispensing machine on the first floor having Salad and Sandwich options.PS- Stroller/Wheelchair available to rent.

Such a calming , educational, and beautiful place to spend few hours at while kids and play and learn at the same time , parking is free ! Admission is responsible , location is wonderful by lake Michigan . Handicap accessible through the entire place . Staff are super friendly . Definitely will go again

We purchased their yearly membership last year, and it has been a great decision. Peggy is full of fun things, whether youre into nature, bugs, frogs, animals or water. It has something for everyone.Their butterfly haven is awesome to take your kid and hang out. Its not like butterflies are going to come and sit on you, but you can definitely get up close and personal with the ones that are nibbling on fruits. Everyday 2pm (at least in the summer), they release new butterflies into the haven, so its fun to watch.We purchased their yearly membership and go there almost twice a month, every other weekend, either when the weather is too hot or too cold, its a super convenient indoor place where you kid can have fun, explore, and learn.Every first weekend of the month, they have "Critter Connection" where they bring out snakes, turtles, salamanders and you can be hands-on with them i.e. touch and hold them.Staff is super friendly. We love hanging out here.

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is ideal for children 4 - 10 with many varied interactive exhibits as well as a small collection of live animals (frogs, turtles, snakes, etc and of course the famous butterfly room). It is reasonably priced compared to the other larger, Chicago museums and is just across the street from the Lincoln Park Zoo and a short walk to the lakefront so it can easily be part of a full day in the Lincoln Park area. There are tables to eat if you bring along food and some snacks and light food is available for purchase from a vending area.

My kids had an amazing time! All about Nature!The butterfly room was the best part!Water tables, interactive exhibits and tree house jungle gyms for kids!

This is a hidden gem in the middle of the park. It was great to come across and enter this museum. It’s small but there is so much to see.It’s a great place to learn about nature. They had a wide variety of activities. I loved the Butterfly Haven. It was very peaceful to sit in there and relax while observing the different types of butterflies.

Great experience! My favorite exhibit had to be the butterfly enclosure. The butterflies were beautiful and flying all around us. You must be careful because they may be on the floor or if you touch them incorrectly they become injured easily.

A smashing place to get kids acquainted with all creatures great and small...well, mostly small. The river play area is a hot favourite as kids manage locks and dams. The butterfly garden both in and outside the museum is spectacular. I loved the Eating Right exhibit and the Green Home too. Has a sweet toddler play area as well.

Gorgeous place. It is extremely affordable for families with only nine dollars per adult and six dollars per child under 12. You can easily spent several hours here looking at the butterfly exhibit and pursuing the grounds outside. The water area it was very popular and this was the hands on exhibits. There was so much to learn about energy and water conservation, animals, plants and wildlife.

This is the perfect museum for young children. Everything from the hands on water exhibit to the butterfly habitat where they can watch colors fly around the room is made for toddlers. We went on a Thursday when it’s Friday free for Illinois residents. We found free street parking and walked over for extra sightseeing in Lincoln Park.

This Museum is great for kids and adults alike. Always love to visit The Butterfly Haven, one of the coolest things to do at a museum. Lots of butterflies, the kids (and adultslove when they land on you.They always have lots of hands on exhibits for children and if adults want to join in too, thats allowed.Yes, there is always a lot of children around, on weekdays a lot of field groups from schools invade the museum, but, there is plenty for everyone here to see and do.The museum, specifically Butterfly Haven also has an adults-only fun evening event the last Tuesday of every month. It’s a unique chance to stroll around the museum with no kids in sight and take advantage of a cash bar serving local beer and wine.Dont miss the trails outside the building for an extra outing with you family!#CityExperts @GoogleLocalCHI

What a delightful little museum. Great exhibits on flooding and locks, and well as frogs and fish. Particularly loved the butterfly conservatory and the interactive exhibit with the snakes and turtles. Its surrounded by beautiful natural scenery.

Just a lovely and well-thought out museum. Its perfect for children, but adults will also find it delightful, entertaining and educational as well. My sister and I bought a city bus tour pass that included the zoo and museum link, and thats how we were able to get to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, as its a little bit too far to get to on foot. My favorite part of the museum is definitely the indoor butterfly garden. If youre traveling with small children, this is a must!