Museum Name: The Notebaert Nature Museum
Schedule: Monday-Friday 9am-4:30pm, Saturday & Sunday 10am-5pm
Established: 1999
Address: 2430 North Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone Number: 773-755-5100
Fax Number: 773-549-0607
Email: teacherprograms@naturemuseum.org
Website: www.naturemuseum.org
Focus: It's closer than you think. In fact, it's just steps away from Lake Shore Drive in Chicago's chic Lincoln Park. Here, you'll find a natural oasis, conveniently located right here in the city. Discover the mysteries of nature - up close. Bright blue butterflies brush your cheek. A praying mantis sizes you up. Water snakes enjoy a snack inches away from your face. Play leapfrog with grasshoppers in our prairie landscape. You'll be transfixed. You'll be amazed. You'll be an expert on the secret world of critters, creatures, and our connections with nature.
Ages: All Ages
Cost: Children $4, Adults $7, Students & Seniors $5, Free Thursdays, Special Exhibits extra
Notes:
- All school groups with children grades Pre-K through 3rd grade must have at least one responsible adult chaperone for every five students in attendance.
- For grades four to six, junior high, and high school, one responsible adult chaperone must accompany every ten students in attendance.
- If more than the recommended number of chaperones accompany a group of 30, they will be charged a Museum admission fee.

Major Exhibits:
Wilderness Walk
Guests of the Nature Museum can discover the Midwest region's true self. Three meticulously re-created environments immerse visitors in a prairie, savanna, and dune, complete with true-to-life lighting and sounds.

RiverWorks
There's no such thing as a lazy river! Newly opened in August 2004, RiverWorks offers children and adults alike an opportunity to splash through interactive river activities and learn about this life-supporting ecosystem.

Mysteries of the Marsh
This exhibit explores the amazing variety of local wetlands - places where water and land meet. It offers a chance to discover the incredible creatures that live here and find out how all life benefits from these wet wonderlands. Visitors get a unique opportunity to meet some of these animals face-to-face in the Istock Family Look-in Animal Lab.

Hands-on Habitat
This engaging, two-story hands-on, body-on exhibit takes budding naturalists (age 3-7) on an exploration of the secret world of animal homes. Kids love using their imaginations as they discover a prairie underground, a beaver lodge, and a two-story tree house.

The Extreme Green House
The Extreme Green House is a full-sized bungalow in the middle of the Museum and home to the offbeat Green family. Visitors can join them on a tour of their house and learn how every nook and cranny is linked to nature.

Judy Istock Butterfly Haven
Even in the middle of a Chicago December, a kaleidoscope of color beckons. One thousand butterflies flutter by - 75 species on any given day. Guests are transported to a serene paradise complete with tropical trees, glimmering pools of water, flowers, and of course, butterflies beyond imagination.

2006 Exhibits:
Jin Lee: Prairie (Through September 24, 2006)
On display as part of Silk Road Chicago: 2006, Jin Lee's photo exhibition studies Illinois prairie plants throughout the seasons. Jin Lee's work has been influenced by Asian painting, landscape art, documentary photographs, and botanical drawings.

Ice Age Mammals and Prehistoric Beasts (Through September 4, 2006)
Stand in the shadow of a Saber-toothed Cat. Measure up to a Woolly Mammoth. Travel back to the late Pleistocene and see animals that roamed the Earth when things were a bit cooler. $6-10 includes museum admission.

Chinese Butterflies (Through late September, 2006)
The Notebaert Nature Museum welcomes Chinese butterflies as part of Silk Road Chicago: 2006. This stunning tropical paradise features over 1,000 butterflies year-round and will host Chinese species on display for the first time ever in Chicago: Blue Peacock, Asian Swallowtail, and Papilio protenor.

Glow: Living Lights (September 23, 2006 - January 2, 2007)
The Museum's upcoming special exhibition, Glow: Living Lights, will shed light on the subject of bioluminescence. Some 90% of the creatures under the sea create their own light, yet scientists aren't entirely certain why some animals glow and others do not. $6-10 includes museum admission.

Class Programs:
Call the Museum Registrar to discuss options.

Class Trip Pricing:
Fees for Illinois School Groups
Illinois students and their allotted number of adult chaperones on a registered field trip are free every day. Workshops, labs, and guided tours require a fee.

Fees for Out of State School Groups
Registered out-of-state students on a field trip have a $3.50 entrance fee. Workshops, labs, and exhibit classes require an additional fee.

Teachers Visit for Free!
All teachers enjoy free admission to the Museum year-round. Just bring your valid teacher identification card. We encourage you to visit the Museum before your scheduled field trip!