Learning about nature

This child-friendly museum in Lincoln Park presents the natural history of the Chicago region in smart and interactive ways. As an institution the museum was founded back in 1857 and moved into a new home in the park in 1999. The old museum, now used by the zoo, was known for its detailed static dioramas, and while these are still here, they’re joined by spellbinding living environments like the astonishing Judy Istock Butterfly house, where 1,000 butterflies flutter in a 250-square-metre greenhouse. During the “Critter Connection” every day at 11:30 kids can get an up close look at more than a dozen different amphibian species at the Animal House. There’s also a bird walk, leading to a platform over Lincoln Park’s North Pond, as well as hands-on stations where kids can learn about rivers, solve nature-inspired puzzles and explore a beaver lodge. #urbanexplorer #themeparks#nationalpark#lakes#beaches#infinitypool