The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

From prairie and river ecosystems to the biology of Ice Age–mammals, nature and its conservation, the focus at this Lincoln Park museum, situated alongside a lagoon, is vast and varied. Hands-on interactive displays on marsh and river ecosystems engage kids, while the thousand fluttering beauties of the 2,700-square-foot Judy Istock Butterfly Haven appeal to all ages. Check out the current “Nature’s Lunchbox” exhibit, where kids can bone up on food’s life cycle as it travels from farm to market to compost bin by getting hands-on with interactive farm, silo and supermarket displays while you get delish and nutrish lunch-box recipes and urban gardening tips.