Programs
Kraft Great Kids Museum Passes
A partnership between Kraft Foods and the Chicago Public Library
Witness the birth of a star, stare down menacing moray eels, come nose to antennae with fragile butterflies or sway upon the rigging of a huge schooner. Wander galleries and marvel at both ancient and modern art. Journey backward to a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth, or step back just far enough to trace the growth and changes of Chicago and the nation.
All of these adventures and much, much more are possible without even leaving Chicago. It’s all waiting for you and your family at any Chicago Public Library location by checking out free Great Kids Museum Passports to 14 of Chicago’s world-class cultural institutions. Made possible by a generous grant from Kraft Foods, through the Chicago Public Library Foundation, the Great Kids Museum Passport program is part of an ongoing commitment by Kraft to support the development of Chicago’s Great Kids.
How the Great Kids Museum Passports Work
- Adult residents of the City of Chicago may check out a Museum Passport at all Chicago Public Library locations with their valid Chicago Public Library card.
- One Museum Passport can be checked out per person, per loan period. The loan period for each Great Kids Museum Passport is ONE WEEK.
- Each library location has a limited number of Museum Passports for each of the 14 museums.
- The overdue fine for Museum Passports is $2 per day, with a maximum limit of $20. The charge for a LOST Museum Passport is $60, plus any overdue fines.
- Only one Museum Passport per household may be checked out at one time.
- Museum Passports must be returned to the main desk of the library location where they were checked out.
- Museum Passports cannot be renewed or reserved.
- There will be a waiting period of 24 hours after returning a Museum Passport before another passport from the same museum may be checked out to any adult member of the same family.
Read more about the collections of each museum by checking out the related books listed under each museum.
Please read over the information below for specific museum guidelines.
The Library recommends that you check the website of each museum before your visit to note current hours and exhibition information.
For information on how to reach the museums by public transit, please visit each museum’s website or the Chicago Transit Authority.
Enjoy your visit to Chicago’s great museums and the Chicago Public Library!
Quicklinks: Adler Planetarium | Art Institute of Chicago | Brookfield Zoo | Chicago Botanic Garden | Chicago Children’s Museum | Chicago History Museum | DuSable Museum of African American History | The Field Museum | Lincoln Park Zoo | Museum of Contemporary Art | Museum of Science and Industry | National Museum of Mexican Art | The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum | Shedd Aquarium | Museums Work for Chicago
ADLER PLANETARIUM
1300 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 922-STAR (7827)
Closed: Thanksgiving and Christmas
Visit the Adler Planetarium for an out-of-this-world experience! Discover the thrills and dangers of space exploration. Check out the Gemini 12 spacecraft and the Lovell Collection of personal space artifacts. Take a kid-friendly adventure to explore Planet X. Experience one of three immersive theaters. There is something for everyone at the Adler!
Great Kids Museum Passports are valid for general building admission only. Immediate family is permitted entry with the Great Kids Museum Passport (maximum of four). Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
Almost Astronauts: The True Story of the “Mercury 13” Women
By Tanya Lee Stone
Candlewick, 2009 (Ages 10-14)
Amazing Solar System Projects You Can Build Yourself
By Delano Lopez, illustrated by Shawn Braley
Nomad, 2008 (Ages 9 and up)
Boy, Were We Wrong About the Solar System!
By Kathleen V. Kudlinski, illustrated by John Rocco
Dutton, 2008 (Ages 7-10)
Every Planet Has a Place: A Book About Our Solar System
By Becky Baines
National Geographic, 2008 (Ages 4-8)
Exploring the Solar System: A History With 22 Activities
By Mary Kay Carson
Chicago Review Press, 2008 (Ages 10-15)
Mission to the Moon
By Alan Dyer, illustrated by Bill Slavin
Simon & Schuster, 2009 (Ages 8-12)
Moon Over Star
By Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Dial, 2008 (Ages 4-8)
NASA
By Steve Kortenkamp
Capstone, 2008 (Ages 4-8)
Our Solar System
By Seymour Simon
Smithsonian/Collins, 2007 (Ages 8-12)
Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon
By Catherine Thimmesh
Houghton Mifflin, 2006 (Ages 9 and up)
ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
111 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 443-3600
Closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day
Join us in the recently opened, Renzo Piano-designed Modern Wing, a 264,000-square foot addition. This expansion includes the Ryan Education Center, a space dedicated to families, students and educators. With kid-friendly exhibitions, family workshops, interactive games and art-making programs, the Art Institute has endless activities for children of all ages, Plus, its encyclopedic collection offers over 5,000 years of artistic expression just waiting to be explored. From the Thorne Miniature Rooms to Impressionism to today’s most innovative artists, there is always something new to see at the Art Institute – expect the unexpected.
Great Kids Museum Passports are valid for general admission. Immediate family (maximum of four) is permitted entry with one Great Kids Museum Passport. Children under 14 are always free and must be accompanied by an adult.
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
Amelia Bedelia’s Masterpiece
By Herman Parish, illustrated by Lynn Sweat
HarperCollins, 2008 (Ages 4-8)
The Art Book for Children
By Amanda Renshaw and Gilda Williams Ruggi
Phaidon, 2005 (All ages)
Babar’s Museum of Art
By Laurent de Brunhoff
Abrams, 2003 (All ages)
Chasing Vermeer
By Blue Balliett, illustrated by Brett Helquist
Scholastic, 2004 (Ages 9-12)
Faces, Places and Inner Spaces: A Guide to Looking at Art
By Jean Sousa
Abrams, 2006 (Ages 5-12)
Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists series
By Mike Venezia
Children’s Press (Ages 7-12)
The Jumbo Book of Art
By Irene Luxbacher
Kids Can Press, 2003 (Ages 8 and up)
Katie’s Sunday Afternoon
By James Mayhew
Orchard, 2005 (Ages 4-8)
The Shape Game
By Anthony Browne
FSG, 2003 (Ages 5-10)
When Pigasso Met Mootisse
By Nina Laden
Chronicle, 1998 (Ages 5-8)
BROOKFIELD ZOO
3300 Golf Road
Brookfield, IL 60513
(708) 688-8000
Chart your own adventure at Brookfield Zoo! Wander through 216 beautifully landscaped acres and encounter thousands of fascinating creatures. The zoo boasts more than 20 major exhibits, some of them award-winning, that transport you to exotic locales around the world. Immerse yourself among wildlife and find out why Brookfield Zoo is one of Chicagoland’s favorite places for fun.
Great Kids Museum Passports are valid for general admission. Four people are admitted with one Great Kids Museum Passport. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
Actual Size
By Steve Jenkins
Houghton Mifflin, 2004 (Ages 4-8)
Animal Stackers
By Jennifer Belle, illustrated by David McPhail
Hyperion, 2005 (Ages 5-9)
Animals Like Us
By Andrea Mills
DK, 2005 (Ages 9-12)
At the Zoo!: Explore the Animal World with Craft Fun
By Judy Press, illustrated by Jenny Campbell
Williamson, 2002 (All ages)
Grin and Bear It: Zoo Jokes to Make You Roar
By Sharon Friedman, et al., illustrated by Brian Gable
Carolrhoda, 2005 (Ages 5-8)
Keepers and Creatures at the National Zoo
By Peggy Thomson, photos by Paul Conklin
Crowell, 1998 (Ages 8-12)
Lunch at the Zoo: What Zoo Animals Eat and Why
By Joyce Altman, illustrated by Rick Chrustowski
Henry Holt, 2001 (Ages 7-12)
My Visit to the Zoo
By Aliki
HarperCollins, 1997 (Ages 5-8)
Wild About Books
By Judy Sierra, illustrated by Marc Brown
Knopf, 2004 (Ages 5-8)
Zoo’s Who: Poems and Paintings
By Douglas Florian
Harcourt, 2005 (Ages 5-10)
CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN
1000 Lake Cook Road
Glencoe, IL 60022
(847) 835-5440
Climb a waterfall garden, visit a rooftop garden, roam in the woods, learn how to grow organic vegetables, discover the latest in science and plant conservation, or skip across 11 bridges spanning nine sparkling lakes. You can do all this at the Chicago Botanic Garden where there are 24 display gardens to explore and three native habitats all within 385 acres of wonder 365 days of the year. A magical place for visitors of all ages and cultures to visit, with its world-renowned plant collections and displays, the Chicago Botanic Garden is one of the country’s most visited public gardens and a preeminent center for learning and scientific research.
Great Kids Museum Passports are valid for complimentary parking for one vehicle (car level only). Valid every day of the year except Antiques and Garden Fair weekend, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
101 Kid-Friendly Plants: Fun Plants and Family Garden Projects
By Cindy Krezel
Ball, 2007 (Ages 9-12)
And the Good Brown Earth
By Kathy Henderson
Candlewick, 2003 (Ages 4-7)
The Gardener
By Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small
FSG, 1997 (Ages 4-8)
My Garden
By Kevin Henkes
Greenwillow, 2010 (Ages 4-7)
Grow: A Novel in Verse
By Juanita Havill, illustrated by Stanislawa Kodman
Peachtree, 2008 (Ages 9-12)
Grow It, Cook It: Simple Gardening Projects and Delicious Recipes
Edited by Deborah Lock
DK, 2008 (Ages 9-12)
Notes From the Dog
By Gary Paulsen
Wendy Lamb, 2009 (Ages 10-14)
Quiet in the Garden
By Aliki
Greenwillow, 2009 (Ages 3-6)
Seedfolks
By Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Judy Pedersen
HarperCollins, 1997 (Ages 9-14)
Weslandia
By Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Candlewick, 1999 (Ages 5-8)
CHICAGO CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
Navy Pier
700 E. Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 527-1000
Closed: Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
Chicago Children’s Museum is the place where play and learning connect! Three floors of interactive exhibits, plus daily programs, multicultural performances and workshops, offer unlimited learning adventures to kids through age 10 and their families. Build a dam in WaterWays, discover the great outdoors in Treehouse Trails, design a structure for the city’s Skyline, dig for fossils in Dinosaur Expedition or unleash your inner artist in the Kraft Artabounds Studio – there is something for everyone to explore!
Great Kids Museum Passports are valid for general admission only. Immediate family is permitted entry with the Great Kids Museum Passport (maximum of four). One adult must accompany every three children. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
Around-the-World Art and Activities
By Judy Press, illustrated by Betsy Day
Williamson, 2001 (All ages)
A Cool Drink of Water
By Barbara Kerley
National Geographic, 2002 (Ages 4-8)
Insectlopedia
By Douglas Florian
Harcourt Brace, 1998 (Ages 7-12)
The Milestones Project: Celebrating Childhood Around the World
Photographs by Richard Steckel and Michele Steckel
Tricycle, 2004 (All ages)
The Skin You Live In
By Michael Tyler, illustrated by David Lee Csicsko
Chicago Children’s Museum, 2005 (Ages 3-8)
There’s A Big, Beautiful World Out There!
By Nancy Carlson
Viking, 2002 (Ages 3-5)
To Be a Kid
By Maya Ajmera
Charlesbridge, 1999 (All ages)
Wake Up, World!: A Day in the Life of Children Around the World
By Beatrice Hollyer
Henry Holt, 1999 (Ages 5-8)
We All Sing With the Same Voice
By J. Philip Miller and Sheppard M. Greene, illustrated by Paul Meisel
HarperCollins, 2001 (Ages 4-8)
You and Me Together: Moms, Dads and Kids Around the World
By Barbara Kerley
National Geographic, 2005 (All ages)
CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM
1601 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 642-4600
Closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day
Learn everything you ever wanted to know about the city’s vast and colorful history. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the city’s past. Climb aboard the first ‘L’ car. Imagine what the city was like after the Great Chicago Fire. Check out Chicago sports memorabilia. Listen to jazz and blues from past Chicago clubs. From the moment you step in the door, take in Chicago’s rich, colorful culture through the museum’s collection of classic treasures. Permanent galleries and special exhibitions, plus exciting events and programs invite people of all ages to experience the rich past and better understand the present.
Great Kids Museum Passports are valid for general admission only. Immediate family is permitted entry with the Great Kids Museum Passport (maximum of four).
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
1, 2, 3 Chicago: A Cool Counting Book
By Puck, illustrated by Kevin Somers
Duo, 2009 (Ages 1-4)
ABC History Mystery: A Chicago Historical Society Alphabet
Edited by Gwen Ihnat
Chicago Historical Society, 2000 (Ages 3-8)
ABC in Chicago: 110 Original Photographs and Over 150 Vocabulary-Building Chicago Words
By Robin Segal
Murray Hill, 2007 (Ages 4-8)
Chicago 101
By Brad M. Epstein
Michaelson Entertainment, 2009 (Ages 1-5)
Chicago History for Kids: Triumphs and Tragedies of the Windy City, Includes 21 Activities
By Owen Hurd
Chicago Review Press, 2007 (Ages 8-12)
Creepy Chicago
By Ursula Bielski, illustrated by Amy Noble
Lake Claremont, 2003 (Ages 8-12)
Our Abe Lincoln
By Jim Aylesworth, illustrated by Barbara McClintock
Scholastic, 2009 (Ages 5-8)
Shoeless Joe and Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
By Dan Gutman
HarperCollins, 2002 (Ages 8-12)
Surviving the Great Chicago Fire
By Jo Cleland, illustrated by Pete McDonnell
Rourke, 2010 (Ages 9-12)
A Wreath for Emmett Till
By Marilyn Nelson, illustrated by Philippe Lardy
Houghton Mifflin, 2005 (Ages 12 and up)
DUSABLE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY
740 E. 56th Place
Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 947-0600
Closed: Easter, July Fourth, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day
Visit the nation’s oldest museum dedicated to the history and culture of Africans and African Americans. Visitors can view beautiful carvings, textiles and other artifacts from various parts of Africa. Hear echoes of America’s past while gazing at actual photographs, documents and other memorabilia chronicling the progress from slavery, through the harsh days of segregation and into the ongoing struggle for freedom and equality. Find out about prominent African Americans who have added to the richness of Chicago’s diverse culture, through business, education, aviation and social action.
Great Kids Museum Passports are valid for general admission only. Immediate family is permitted entry with the Great Kids Museum Passport (maximum of four).
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
Africa for Kids: Exploring a Vibrant Continent, 19 Activities
By Harvey Croze
Chicago Review Press, 2006 (Ages 9-12)
Freedom Song: Young Voices and the Struggle for Civil Rights
By Mary C. Turck
Chicago Review Press, 2009 (Ages 12 and up)
Harold Washington: Mayor With A Vision
By Naurice Roberts
Childrens, 1988 (Ages 8-10)
Jean Baptiste DuSable
By LaVerne C. Johnson, illustrated by Craig Rex Perry
Empak Enterprises, 1992 (Ages 9-12)
A Kid’s Guide to African American History
By Nancy I. Sanders
Chicago Review Press, 2000 (Ages 6-12)
Marching for Freedom: Walk Together, Children, and Don’t You Grow Weary
By Elizabeth Partridge
Viking, 2009 (Ages 10 and up)
Michelle Obama: An American Story
By David Colbert
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009 (Ages 9-14)
The Rock and the River
By Kekla Magoon
Aladdin, 2009 (Ages 12 and up)
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
By Kadir Nelson
Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, 2008 (Ages 8-14)
Yes We Can! A Salute to Children from President Obama’s Victory Speech
Scholastic, 2009 (All ages)
THE FIELD MUSEUM
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 922-9410
Closed: Christmas Day
Come face to face with Sue, the largest and most complete T. Rex ever found. Then unwrap the secrets of ancient mummies, marvel at the man-eating lions of Tsavo or travel among the people of Africa.
Great Kids Museum Passports are valid for basic admission. Immediate family is permitted entry with the Great Kids Museum Passport (maximum of four). Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
Around-the-World Art and Activities: Visiting the 7 Continents Through Craft Fun
By Judy Press, illustrated by Betsy Day
Williamson, 2001 (All ages)
Dinosaurs in Your Backyard: The Coolest, Scariest Creatures Ever Found in the USA!
By Hugh Brewster, illustrated by Alan Barnard
Abrams, 2009 (Ages 7-10)
A Dinosaur Named Sue
By Pat Relf with the SUE Science Team of the Field Museum
Scholastic, 2000 (Ages 9-12)
Egyptology: Search for the Tomb of Osiris (Being the Journal of Miss Emily Sands, November 1926)
By Emily Sands, illustrated by Ian Andrew, Nick Harris and Helen Ward
Candlewick, 2004 (Ages 8-12)
Eyewitness Crystal and Gem
By R.F. Symes and R.R. Harding, special photography by Colin Keates
DK, 2004 (Ages 9-12)
The Field Mouse and the Dinosaur Named Sue
By Jan Wahl, illustrated by Bob Doucet
Scholastic, 2000 (Ages 4-8)
The Hunter: A Chinese Folktale
Retold by Mary Casanova, illustrated by Ed Young
Atheneum, 2000 (Ages 4-8)
Mummies: The Newest, Coolest and Creepiest from Around the World
By Shelley Tanaka, with Paul Bahn
Abrams, 2005 (Ages 5-12)
A Pride of African Tales
By Donna L. Washington, illustrated by James Ransome
HarperCollins, 2004 (Ages 6-10)
Rocks and Fossils
By Chris Pellant
Kingfisher, 2003 (Ages 5-10)
LINCOLN PARK ZOO
Cannon Drive at Fullerton Parkway
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 742-2000
Free and open every day of the year
A world of wildlife just minutes from downtown Chicago, Lincoln Park Zoo offers unforgettable animals in a state-of-the-art setting. As lions roar, chimpanzees climb and red wolves howl, guests experience nature and conservation through a green oasis that’s free and open every day of the year.
Admission to Lincoln Park Zoo is always free. The Great Kids Museum Passport gives four people a 10 percent discount on food and retail purchases.
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
African Acrostics: A Word in Edgewise
By Avis Harley, photographs by Deborah Noyes
Candlewick, 2009 (Ages 9-12)
Animal Dads
By Sneed Collard III, illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Houghton Mifflin, 1997 (Ages 4-7)
Good Night, Zoo
By Adam Gamble, illustrated by Cooper Kelly
Our World of Books, 2007 (Ages 1-5)
Little Beauty
By Anthony Browne
Candlewick, 2008 (Ages 4-8)
Marimba! Animales from A to Z
By Pat Mora, illustrated by Doug Cushman
Clarion, 2006 (Ages 4-8)
Me and My Animal Friends
By Ralph Covert, illustrated by Laurie Keller
Henry Holt, 2009 (Ages 4-8)
Safe, Warm and Snug
By Stephen Swinburne, illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey
Harcourt, 1999 (Ages 4-8)
Welcome to the Zoo
By Allison Jay
Dial, 2008 (Ages 4-7)
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Houghton Mifflin, 2003 (Ages 5-9)
Who Works at the Zoo?
By Alyse Sweeney
Children’s Press, 2007 (Ages 4-9)
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
220 E. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 280-2660
Closed: Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day
The MCA specializes in exhibitions of work by living artists. Exhibitions include visual art, painting, sculpture, photography, video/film and performance from 1945 to the present with a strong focus on surrealism, minimalism, conceptual photography and work by Chicago-based artists. In addition to the gallery space, MCA offers performances in its 300-seat theater, a contemporary design store and gift shop, Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant and a terraced sculpture garden with an incredible view of Lake Michigan.
Great Kids Museum Passport holder is entitled to four free admissions during all regular public hours. Children 12 and under are always admitted free of charge but must be accompanied by an adult. Groups must include one adult for every three children.
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
ABC POP!
By Rachel Isadora
Viking, 1999 (Ages 3-8)
Art Attack: A Short Cultural History of the Avant-Garde
By Marc Aronson
Clarion, 1998 (Ages 11 and up)
The Calder Game
By Blue Balliett, illustrated by Brett Helquist
Scholastic, 2008 (Ages 9-12)
Gizmo
By Barry Varela, illustrated by Ed Briant
Roaring Brook, 2007 (Ages 5-9)
Kids’ Art Works!: Creating with Color, Design, Texture and More
By Sandi Henry, illustrated by Norma Jean Martin-Jourdenais
Williamson, 1999 (All ages)
Make it!
By Jane Bull
DK, 2008 (Ages 6-10)
Modern Art (Off the Wall Museum Guide for Kids)
By Ruthie Knapp and Janice Lehmberg
Davis, 2000 (Ages 7-10)
Pick Me Up
By Simon Adams, et al.
DK, 2006 (Ages 9-12)
Sandy’s Circus: A Story About Alexander Calder
By Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Boris Kulikov
Viking, 2008 (Ages 5-10)
The Sculptor’s Eye: Looking at Contemporary American Art
By Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Delacorte, 1993 (Ages 12 and up)
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
57th Street and Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 684-1414
Closed: Christmas Day
Where else can you “dive” into a real German submarine? See your heart beat 13 feet tall? Take in the sights from the cab of a steam engine? Watch the Earth spin before your eyes? “Take off” on an authentic Boeing 727 airplane? Descend down a mineshaft for a tour of an Illinois coal mine? Visit robots at work in a real toy factory? Witness a baby chick take its first steps? Take in a movie five stories tall? Do all of this and more at the Museum of Science and Industry, the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere.
Great Kids Museum Passports are valid for general admission only. Immediate family is permitted entry with the Great Kids Museum Passport (maximum of four). Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
Cool Stuff Exploded: Get Inside Modern Technology
By Chris Woodford
DK, 2008 (Ages 9-12)
The Human Machine: An Owner’s Guide to the Body
By Richard Walker
Oxford University, 2008 (Ages 10-13)
The Miner’s Daughter
By Gretchen Moran Laskas
Simon & Schuster, 2007 (Ages 10-14)
The New Way Things Work
By David Macaulay with Neil Ardley
Houghton Mifflin, 1998 (Ages 7-12)
Our Farm: Four Seasons With Five Kids On One Family’s Farm
By Michael J. Rosen
Darby Creek, 2008 (Ages 8-12)
Robots
By Clive Gifford, illustrated by Frank Picini
Atheneum, 2008 (Ages 7-12)
Science on the Loose: Amazing Activities and Science Facts You’ll Never Believe
By Helaine Becker, illustrated by Claudia Dávila
Maple Tree Press, 2008 (Ages 9-12)
Steam Locomotives: Whistling, Chugging, Smoking Iron Horses of the Past
By Karl Zimmermann
Boyds Mills, 2004 (Ages 9-12)
Submarines and Ships
By Richard Humble
Viking, 1997 (Ages 9-12)
Where Do Chicks Come From?
By Amy E. Sklansky, illustrated by Pam Paparone
HarperCollins, 2005 (Ages 5-8)
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART
1852 W. 19th Street
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 738-1503
Closed: Mondays; Martin Luther King’s Birthday, Memorial Day, July Fourth, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day
Bilingual materials available
Experience the arts of Mexico and the Mexican communities of the United States at the Midwest’s first and the nation’s largest Mexican museum. View critically acclaimed exhibitions of Mexican art, including Mexicanidad: Our Past is Present and other exhibits ranging in themes from the traditional to the avant-garde.
Admission to the National Museum of Mexican Art is always free. Great Kids Museum Passport holder and family (maximum of four) are entitled to free general admission during regular public hours.
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
ABeCedarios: Mexican Folk Art ABCs in English and Spanish
By Cynthia Weill and K.B. Basseches, illustrated by Moisés and Armando Jiménez
Cinco Puntos, 2007 (Ages 5-8)
Clara and Señor Frog
By Campbell Geeslin, illustrated by Ryan Sanchez
Schwartz & Wade, 2007 (Ages 4-8)
Day of the Dead
By Tony Johnston, illustrated by Jeanette Winter
Harcourt, 1997 (Ages 8-12)
Frida
By Jonah Winter, illustrated by Ana Juan
Arthur A. Levine, 2002 (Ages 4-10)
Horse Hooves and Chicken Feet: Mexican Folktales
Selected by Neil Philip, illustrated by Jacqueline Mair
Clarion, 2003 (Ages 8-12)
A Kid’s Guide to Latino History: More Than 70 Activities
By Valerie Petrillo
Chicago Review Press, 2009 (Ages 8-12)
Magic Windows: Cut-Paper Art and Stories/Ventanas Mágicas: Papel Picado y Relatos
By Carmen Lomas Garza
Children’s Press, 1999 (Ages 6-12)
Mexican Art & Culture
By Elizabeth Lewis
Raintree, 2004 (Ages 12 and up)
Paper Crafts for Day of the Dead
By Randel McGee
Enslow, 2008 (Ages 6-10)
Secrets of Ancient Cultures. The Maya: Activities and Crafts from a Mysterious Land
By Arlette N. Braman, illustrated by Michele Nidenoff
J. Wiley, 2004 (Ages 9-12)
THE PEGGY NOTEBAERT NATURE MUSEUM
2430 N. Cannon Drive
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 755-5100
Closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day
At the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, you are invited to discover the secrets of the natural world. Watch a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis wet-winged and wide-eyed for the very first time. See the predator/prey relationship in action as a praying mantis enjoys lunch. Sidle up to a snake shedding its skin. Climb, splash, peek, crawl, examine and explore – interact with nature in ways you never imagined!
Great Kids Museum Passports are valid for general admission only (including all exhibitions). Immediate family is permitted entry with the Great Kids Museum Passport (maximum of four). Children under 3 are always free; children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
A Child’s Introduction to the Environment: The Air, Earth and Sea Around Us – Plus Experiments, Projects and Activities You Can Do To Help Our Planet!
By Michael Driscoll and Dennis Driscoll, illustrated by Meredith Hamilton
Black Dog & Leventhal, 2008 (Ages 7-12)
The Nature of Chicago: A Comprehensive Guide to Natural Sites in and Around the City
By Isabel S. Abrams
Chicago Review Press, 1997 (Ages 10 and up)
Backyard Bird Watching for Kids: How to Attract, Feed and Provide Homes for Birds
By George H. Harrison
Willow Creek, 1997 (Ages 8-14)
Illinois Plants and Animals
By Andrew Santella
Heinemann/Raintree, 2008 (All ages)
Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life
By Molly Bang and Penny Chisolm, illustrated by Molly Bang
Blue Sky, 2009 (Ages 5-9)
Nic Bishop Butterflies and Moths
By Nic Bishop
Scholastic, 2009 (Ages 4-8)
Organic Crafts: Earth-Friendly Art Activities for Ages 3-9
By Kimberly Monaghan
Chicago Review Press, 2007 (Ages 3-9)
The Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America’s Lost Grasslands
By Sneed B. Collard III
Houghton Mifflin, 2005 (Ages 8-12)
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems
By Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beckie Prange
Houghton Mifflin, 2005 (Ages 5-10)
Spiders
By Nic Bishop
Scholastic, 2007 (Ages 7-10)
SHEDD AQUARIUM
1200 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 939-2438
Closed: Christmas Day
Strap a mask and flippers onto your imagination and chart a course to Shedd Aquarium. Have you ever gotten eye-to-eye with a dolphin? Or met a penguin on a stroll to the South Pole? Or immersed yourself in an Amazon flooded forest? At Shedd, it’s all possible.
Great Kids Museum Passports are valid for the Aquarium only. The Oceanarium, Polar Play Zone and Wild Reef exhibits, and the “Fantasea” aquatic show, are available for an additional fee. Two adults and two children are admitted with one Great Kids Museum Passport (maximum of four). Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Library Books to Extend Your Visit:
About Fish: A Guide for Children
By Cathryn P. Sill, illustrated by John Sill
Peachtree, 2002 (Ages 2-6)
The Aquarium/El acuario
By Jacqueline Laks Gorman
Weekly Reader Early Learning, 2005 (Ages 5-8)
Awesome Ocean Science! Investigating the Secrets of the Underwater World
By Cindy A. Littlefield, illustrated by Sarah Rakitin
Williamson, 2003 (Ages 8-12)
Crafts for Kids Who are Wild About Oceans
By Kathy Ross, illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm
Milbrook, 1998 (All ages)
Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea
By Steve Jenkins
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009 (Ages 6-12)
Mister Seahorse
By Eric Carle
Philomel, 2004 (Ages 3-8)
Penguins!
By Anne Schreiber
National Geographic, 2009 (Ages 6-10)
Shark Life
By Peter Benchley, adapted for young people by Karen Wojtyla
Delacorte, 2005 (Ages 10-14)
Whaling Season: A Year in the Life of an Arctic Whale Scientist
By Peter Lourie
Houghton Mifflin, 2009 (Ages 9-12)
Wild About Dolphins
By Nicola Davies
Candlewick, 2001 (Ages 8-11)
Chicago’s world-class museums and zoos are really working hard for the Chicagoland area and for you. In addition to offering engaging and fun experiences, Chicago museums and zoos are education centers, with some of the most unique collections in the world. They inspire people of all ages to learn about and appreciate science, art, history, wildlife and nature. But they do even more. Chicago’s 14 top museums and zoos are also key economic engines, generating more than $1 billion in economic impact in Illinois annually. Chicago museums and zoos are the reason hundreds of thousands of tourists each year make the Windy City their destination.
A Few More Great Books About Museums:
Behind the Museum Door: Poems to Celebrate the Wonders of Museums
Selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Stacey Dressen-McQueen
Abrams, 2007 (Ages 7-12)
Fancy Nancy at the Museum
By Jane O’Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser and Ted Enik
HarperCollins, 2008 (Ages 4-8)
Maisy Goes to the Museum
By Lucy Cousins
Candlewick, 2008 (Ages 4-6)
Mrs. Brown on Exhibit and Other Museum Poems
By Susan Katz, illustrated by R.W. Alley
Simon & Schuster, 2002 (Ages 6-10)
The Museum Book: A Guide to Strange and Wonderful Collections
By Jan Mark, illustrated by Richard Holland
Candlewick, 2007 (Ages 8-12)
Museum Trip
By Barbara Lehman
Houghton Mifflin, 2006 (Ages 4-9)