Perfect rainy day destination for my 3 1/2 year old grandson. He loved the waterplay and Lego areas and when we got home, he acted out a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. It's small enough not to be overwhelming for a pre-schooler. Street parking was abundant on a weekday morning. Take snacks or a lunch - no real snack bar but the eating area is charming with decor of healthy foods. He pointed out all the ones he likes. read more

Note: this is a review of the museum as a wedding venue. We chose the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum for our summer Chicago wedding ceremony and reception, and it was definitely one of the best decisions we made! The ceremony was outdoors in their terrace and with the summer greenery all around and the pond in the background, it was definitely a beautiful outdoor venue! During the cocktail hour, the guests were able to wander throughout the museum and especially go into the butterfly haven (large collection of butterflies!) which as the bride, I wasn't a part of (taking pictures then), but heard was lovely and seems like a nice thing to do instead of just standing around with a drink in hand. Then the reception was inside a large room (holds up to 250 but we had around 150 which we thought was the perfect amount to fill it out without looking too crowded). The room itself is gray so you can design it up as little or as much as you want with your flowers/lights/etc. The great thing about the room is again floor to ceiling windows on two walls which look out to the greenery on one side and a large patio on the other. We also put some furniture out on the patio so it served as a nice area for guests to wander out and take a break from the music. The staff at the Peggy Notebaert was also great and did a great job showing us around! They also had a bridal suite which was a great place for the bride and groom and members of the bridal party to rest, store items, etc. It's not very big but at one point we had around 15 people in/around it doing a toast. The only thing that was a little rocky with the whole thing was there were some staffing changes at the museum in the year it took from us booking the place to actually being married, so there were a couple times we weren't sure who to email. Overall, the museum was the ideal venue for us and those who want their wedding to have a beautiful, natural, romantic vibe! read more

I just finished an outstanding wedding at Nature Museum..... The staff there is impeccable (ready to lend a helping hand wherever it is needed), the space is incredible (where else do you get city views, four different event spaces, including outdoor options?) and the preferred caterers are hands-down the best in Chicago. As a wedding planner, I hope to work at PNNM again and again!! read more

My family and I came here for a few hours on December 26th this year. We always head into the city for a "Museum Day" when everyone is off work and in town. Although, since we have been doing this for several years I tried to find a different museum for us to visit. I checked out the website and it looked very fun and informative. It is definitely more geared towards children than I thought. We had no one under 21 in our group so we flew through most of the museum. We did love the butterfly exhibit. It was the first thing we saw while there and we spent most of our time in there. There is a guide in there to help tell you about different butterflies and hummingbirds in there. Since it was end of December it was cold outside but we still went on the roof top terrace to look out over the gardens. I will definitely want to head back there this summer to see that! There are free large binoculars for you to view the gardens. There are posters for different bird breeds to look for and other animals that might be near by (like turtles in the nearby pond). The gardens outside are free to roam whether you go inside the museum or not and look like they would be so beautiful in the spring and summer months. Overall - if you have children from ages 2-15 they will LOVE this place. There are many exhibits and play areas for kids. read more

I can't believe how long it's taken for me to visit the Notebaert Museum. I took my five year old and he did not want to leave! It is such an interactive place for kids that it provides a perfect educational adventure while being fun too! If I was a science teacher, I'd be here with my class every month! read more

I made this yelp just so I could add comment about the Nature Museum. I was very upset to read that someone gave it a bad review just because of an event they went to there. Basiclly you get what you pay for, if the dance floor was to small and the food was bad it was because someone didn't want to pay the money for a bigger dance floor. I don't know who the food vendor was that evening, but I'm sorry you had crappy food. I've never heard that about any of the events food. The museum is an excellent place to have events, but I don't have to tell you that just read the other reviews here. I like to add that there is a fee, I saw someone say it's donations, but that's only on Thursday if you want to make a donation. If you don't want to make a donation then it's just free. It also saddens me every time I hear the museum mentioned as a kids museum. It was made to educate everyone of all ages. They teach adults with their Green Series, things from cleaning without using chemicals, How to winterize your home, there are lectures at the museum, and much much more. The museum has partnerships with Chicago Wilderness, The Chicago Orthinlogoical Society (check their webiste out for their bird walks, where you actually end up at the nature museum and can have a cup of coffee), The Center for Green Technology, there are more. Everyone raves about the Butterfly Haven, but the other exhibits are great too! The Wilderness Walk has a collections area and three pods in it to show how Chicago and IL. use to look like. The River Works is a great play area with water, but what makes it different from the other museums water play exhibits is that it actually teachers everyone about the Chicago River. Mysteries of the Marsh exhibit talks about why we need marsh lands in IL. and has a look in lab in the back of it where different creatures are raised at the museum. The museum has teacher, student, girlscouts and boyscouts, plus family workshops. It has overnight sleep overs, and with paid admission is has free public programs. And yes the staff are great and very friendly! I hope everyone does have a good time there and if you didn't the first time please try it out again. read more

This indoor garden is a great place to take urban kids (and grown ups) to see all kinds of plant life. They have tons of flower species, and many types of trees, and interesting exhibits to help you learn. Donation only (no fee) so enjoy! read more

Great museum for kids, I went there with my two year old and she loved it. It's rather small so with little ones it won't be a long trip but it's still a lot of fun. read more

This was a great place to meet a couple other moms for a field trip with the toddlers (3 moms/ 6 kids). I was running late and had to play catch up, so we really only saw 2 areas - the play area for kids under 7, which kept the kids wildly entertained for a long while; and the butterfly habitat, which was pretty darn cool! All that fun only cost us $8, I think kids under 3 must be free. And parking was a breeze too. Alas, after lunch in the cafe area, it was time to head home for naps. We'll definitely have to visit again... read more

this one is fun for kids of all ages . lots of things to see and do .

I really enjoyed this museum with my husband and 2 kids (ages 3 & 5). This museum is really dedicated to young kids, which worked great for us. I must advise to anyone who is thinking about visiting, the museum seems to be dedicated to young kids, and I mean kids ages 8 and younger. It's a small museum so there are not many exhibits here that are unique to this museum aside from the AMAZING butterfly garden. A trip to this place is worth it just for butterfly garden alone. The garden has hundreds of butterflies flying around free and a beautiful scent in the air of various flowers that they love. There are also little quail birds running about in the the brush. After the exiting the butterfly garden you'll see the butterfly chrysalises, all live and ready to emerge. We saw a few "jumping" and one butterfly with "wet" wings after it just emerged. All in all, the butterfly garden was THE BEST; with adult eyes, the museum itself is a bit boring and if you are truly a nature enthusiast this place will not quench your appetite but through kids eyes it was GREAT! :-) read more

Its a cool place to visit,but i think my 19 month old liked it more then i did.for me its too small and not much to do.4 stars because it turns out my little one liked it a lot.also come on Thursday its a donation only no admission so you can give as much as $5 to enter.otherwise its $9 for adult and kids under 3 years old don't need to pay. read more

We love this place! It has so many rooms for kids of any age. The butterfly room is one of the best. We also like the jungle gym room, and my little one can stay there for hours without end. Kids of different ages have fun here. read more

Great place for kids. There's the river walk, the butterfly haven, the little play area plus the interactive home with the gross bugs and germs. My kids love this place. Plus the staff is very friendly and helpful. We've had someone feeding the turtles explain things patiently to our kids, the butterfly haven staff have regular times where newly born butterflies are let loose. read more

This is such a great place to hold an event. We had are wedding here last fall and it couldn't have been more perfect. There is so much space to work with and you have the option of using both he indoor and outdoor facilities. Lincoln Park makes an amazing backdrop the this museum. read more

After living in Chicago for a year and a half and driving by every time we went to the zoo we finally decided to check this place out and I'm so glad we did! I had my almost 3 year old son with me and he had a blast. He loved looking at all the animals real and "stuffed" and I enjoyed how much of the museum was hands on, which is great for little ones. He was able to play in the water area, pet a real snake, work with the interactive screens and sounds at different exhibits and the play area with all it's levels is awesome! The butterfly habitat is not to be missed, we spent a good 15-20 minutes in there and for a 2 year old that's a long time at one exhibit! I literally had to drag him out of the museum as he was falling asleep because he still wanted to play. Family membership is only $60, a fraction of most museum membership costs, so we are definitely considering that option. Can't wait to take my busy boy back ~ I only wish I knew how great this place was earlier in the winter season! Also a great find because it is open on Sundays and many of the play cafes in the city are not open, this was a great place that he could play and explore. read more

We are still glowing from the memories of our wedding ceremony, that was held this Saturday at the nature museum in the West Gallery. We initially intended on having our ceremony at our non-traditional wine bar reception space, but as our guest list grew we had to quickly develop a plan B that did not include a church or synagogue. the nature museum staff were incredibly accommodating in letting us book the west gallery space for a ceremony only. We rented the chairs from them and their event logistics team corresponded promptly and nicely to every request we made: keep the museum open late so guests can explore while waiting for a shuttle, lend us easels, coordinate our rehearsal and give us loading dock parking spots. All this plus the numerous trips to the space with our florist to measure and plan decor. The staff on the day of we're gracious and warm and made us feel special. We loved the ceremony space and the photos, all taken around the property, turned out gorgeous. The museum has always been special to me as it hosts my favorite place ever in the winter - the farmers market. Getting married in the museum surrounded by glass windows, light pouring in, was a dream. read more

This small nature museum is mainly for kids, but the big draw for any age is the butterfly room. It was wonderful to see 100s of butterflies from all over the world. At 2 p.m. each day they realize the freshly emerged butterflies into the sanctuary. It is a great place to take a lot of pictures. Many people who are from Chicago do not realize this gem is there. But we very much enjoyed the attraction during our visit. Price is very reasonable. read more

Just went with the family and had an enjoyable time. However the cafe was out of everything by mid-day... I would recommend getting there early or bring a lunch. But we just loved all the exhibits and I loved the architecture... The building evokes awe and puts everything in it under new light and perspective. This place has a great balance for the kids and us adults. read more