Just across the street on the north side of Fullerton Avenue is the last stop on our day trip, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. The nature museum opened in 1999 with a clear mission – to educate the public, especially urban dwellers, on the importance of maintaining the quality of nature that surrounds us and steps to take that can help the environment.
The museum practices what it preaches, as it is housed in an “eco-friendly” building. The museum makes extensive use of solar power and water conservation systems, there is a 17,000-square foot rooftop garden that helps insulate the building, and the museum has built many exhibits out of recycled materials.
Among its many exhibits are “River Works”, a look at how the waterways work around Chicago, the “Hands On Habitat”, a play area that gives kids a chance to crawl through and experience animal homes, the “Extreme Green House”, a life-sized home that is fully equipped with environmentally friendly amenities, and the “Butterfly Haven”, one of the areas only year-round butterfly gardens, which allows visitors to get up close and personal with up to 75 different butterfly species.
The museum also hosts traveling exhibits that change every few months. After being up close with nature at the zoo, beach, and conservatory, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is a “natural” ending to this fabulous day trip!
Essentials:- Address: 2430 N. Cannon Drive
- Phone: 773-755-5100
- Hours: M-F 9am-4:30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm
- Admission: Adults $7, Students/Seniors $5, Children 3-12 $4
- Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum website
