On page 5, our experts reported on how the exhibits in the Chicago Children’s Museum, the Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry work for kids. But it’s not just the heavyweights that have kids in mind. Here is a sampling of other Chicago-area museums that think young, either full time or part time.
Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive; 312-922-7827: A few years ago, Adler seemed outdated, especially compared to how aggressive Chicago’s other major museums have been. That changed when president Paul Knappenberger took over. He introduced the interactive Star Rider Theatre and oversaw a massive renovation. Today, Adler has a lot that would appeal to kids, but it’s still not always very good at getting the word out.
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Art Institute of Chicago, Michigan Avenue at Adams Street; 312-857-7161: It’s not all about the Impressionists, you know. The Thorne Miniature Rooms have been around for eons, and with things the Kraft Education Center to frequent special arts-and-crafts programs, the museum has taken great pains to seed art enthusiasm in a new generation.
Chicago Historical Society, Clark Street at North Avenue; 312-642-4600: You probably remember coming here as a kid and seeing the bed Abraham Lincoln died on. That’s still around, but the museum has other displays to show that history doesn’t have to be stodgy. The “Hands-On History Gallery” and “Illinois Pioneer Life” let kids in on the action without sacrificing the quality of the artifacts.
DuPage Children’s Museum, 301 N. Washington St., Naperville; 630-637-8000: What started as a traveling museum in 1987 before settling in Wheaton has made the move to Naperville. Designed by Chicago architect Peter Exley (who also designed Exploration Station in Bourbonnais and a number of exhibits for the Chicago Children’s Museum), the 40,000-square-foot museum creates a stir with kids — especially with its walk-in wind tunnel and two-level “Air Tower.” The “Construction House” has real tools for the next generation of Bob Vilas.
DuSable Museum of African-American History, 740 E. 56th Pl.; 773-947-0600: DuSable’s a rich repository of art and history and is well known for special events, like the Youth Heritage Festival on Aug. 18. Among the museum’s offerings are a replica of the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington’s office, and exhibits on the lives and work of African-American inventors and aviators.
Exploration Station, in Perry Farm Park, 1095 W. Perry St., Bourbonnais; 815-935-5665: When Exploration Station settled into its new home a couple years ago, it got nothing but rave reviews. It may be a healthy hike from the city (50-plus miles), but south suburbanites have a first-class facility. Exhibits include a two-story Medieval Castle and a Veterinary Clinic.
Health World, 1301 S. Grove Ave., Barrington; 847-842-9100: “Health” is the key word here, but Health World presents its exhibits in a fun manner. Milking a mechanical cow is popular with kids up to age 8; so is an oak forest exhibit with a huge treehouse and a log slide. Older kids are drawn to the “Brain Theater” housed inside a two-story dummy named Kelly. “Life Track” lets kids take charge of a person’s life from birth to adulthood and make health decisions for their subject. The exhibit shows kids the consequences of that decision down the road. Best of all, kids can go back in the life track and change their decisions for a happier ending.
Illinois Railway Museum, 7000 Olson Rd., Union; 815-923-4000: If you want to really ride the rails of yesteryear, this McHenry County whistle stop in the hamlet of Union is the place to be. Electric, steam and diesel trains carry passengers of all ages around the largest railway museum in the country. Most recently, it’s become known for its weekends with a working Thomas the Tank Engine train. Advance tickets for upcoming weekends with Thomas (Aug. 18-19 and 25-26) are sold out, although a limited number of walk-up tickets will be available.
Kohl Children’s Museum, 165 Green Bay Rd., Wilmette; 847-256-6056: This Wilmette landmark likes to say it’s the most visited museum “per square foot” in the Chicago area. Its target audience is infants through 8-year-olds, who have long been enthralled with the child-sized Jewel-Osco grocery store on the premises. Close behind in popularity is the “Construction Zone,” which lets kids model Nickelodeon’s “Bob the Builder” put up padded walls and deliver roofing materials by pulley. Brand new this year is “Music Makers,” which was developed with the likes of folk singer Ella Jenkins and Northwestern’s School of Music.
Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, 1852 W. 19th St.; 312-738-1503: Three months ago, the Pilsen museum celebrated a huge expansion — from 15,000 to 48,000 square feet — and now hasthree new galleries and an education center. Parking is still a problem, but the MFACM is the most successful Latino museum in the country.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive; 773-549-0606: As part of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, it recently settled into an opulent new space as a neighbor of the Lincoln Park Zoo. The “Butterfly Haven” is its chief attraction.
Power House, 100 Shiloh Blvd., Zion; 847-746-7080: The nearby nuclear plant is closed, but the Power House in Zion keeps humming along. Increased funding is expected to allow the ComEd facility to add exhibits in 2002. Kids 9-14 are the primary visitors, and favorite exhibits include solar-powered toy cars and one where riding a stationary bike makes up a row of bulbs light up. Better yet, a wind turbine and a solar panel provide some of the energy for the museum.
SciTech, 18 W. Benton, Aurora; 630-859-3434: A new outdoor science park, which includes a device that lets kids become a human yo-yo, has been added to what was already an enticing destination for kids. “Baseball Doppler” lets kids see if their fastball can match that of Kerry Wood or Kyle Farnsworth, while SciTech’s connections with the National Science Foundation led to the arrival of “Tornado,” which lets kids watch a small twister form around them while they stand in the vortex. There’s also an interactive exhibit on the T-Rex dinosaur.