All things are artificial, for nature is the art of God.
Thomas Browne

The importance of nature cannot be undermined by any kind of technological advancement. Science may be the important enterprise of man but preserving nature is going be the saving grace in exchange of all the damage that mankind has brought upon it. This is the initiative that has been the enterprise of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

Established in 1857 by Robert Kennicott as the Chicago Academy of Sciences, this museum has been enlightening the people of Chicagoland for over a century. Earlier located at the Wabash Avenue and Van Buren Street, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum has had its share of enormous misfortune. It was totally ruined in the great Chicago fire of 1871, but it rose like a phoenix from the ashes and the museum was re-built and all the all collectibles restored. The museum was shifted to Lincoln Park and today it stands tall at 2430 N. Cannon Drive.

Sticking to its idea of being Chicago's 'green museum', the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is spread over 17000 square feet and boasts of rooftop gardens, extensive water conservation systems and solar rooftop panels. The idea behind this museum is to educate the people about the advantages of living in harmony with nature and to restore local ecosystems with the help of scientific research and funds.

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is home o nearly 250,000 rare collections ranging from fossils to minerals, plants and animals. The areas in which this museum specializes are Arachnology, Botany, Entomology, Herpetology, Mammalogy, Minerology, Oology, Orthinology and Paleontology.

The Peggy Notebaert Museum Nature Museum also hosts a variety of programs which include special adult programs, children programs, field trips, in-school programs, home school programs, special community partnerships, summer camps, teacher workshops and also youth programs.

One can also become a member of the museum or even intern there. It also claims to be the ideal place for hosting birthday parties, corporate events and cultural programs. A few of the permanent exhibitions at the museum are Mysteries of the Marsh, River Works, Birds of Chicago travel city and Judy Istock Butterfly Haven.

The museum is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 4:30pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

The Notebaert Nature Museum Address
2430N. Cannon Drive
Chicago IL, 60614

Contact:
Tel: (773) 755-5100
Email: N/A

The Notebaert Nature Museum Hours:
Monday - Friday: 9 a.m - 4:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 10 a.m - 5 p.m.

Ticket Information for The Notebaert Nature Museum:
Adults: $9
Students and Seniors age 60+: $7
Children ages 3-12: $6
Children under 3: Free

Website: http://www.naturemuseum.org