Chicagoist: The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum with Toddler in Tow

LEGreenwood

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:52:38 -0600

I'll definitely have to check out the butterfly garden, as I just heard this place mentioned yet again by someone today. I just love the Garfield Park Conservatory. The kids room gets crowded on Saturdays but there is a new exhibit called Sugar From The Sun opening March 1 that should be excellent for kids and help add more space as a whole. Check out more information at www.garfield-conservatory.org and Happy Tripping!

LEGreenwood

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:51:59 -0600

Jess D'Amico

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:00:46 -0600

Don't have any kids, but the butterfly haven is a good winter date place as well. Especially since you're a short walk from the Lincoln Park Zoo's greenhouse, also a great spot.

julieo

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:32:03 -0600

Ok, Ward Up...you don't like the museum. Point noted. But the article revolves more around if this a good place to take toddlers, not on the museum itself or who is was named for. So unless you have a comment to make on that, perhaps you should try a political forum instead. I personally love to take my daughter here, and we haven't been for a while so thank you for reminding me to go next Thursday!!! (:

Ward Up

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:17:53 -0600

Sorry for sounding negative but this museum is an example of the clout-heavy of the city stomping all over sensible planning. The site of this building, in part occupied by a maintenance building, should have been turned into much-needed parkland. Instead, a large building was plopped into Lincoln Park. Adding to the insult, a corporate big-wig and political donor was permitted to name the museum after himself. Dick Notabeart tried to say, "Oh, I am really naming it after my wife." In fact, that is even more nauseating than if he had used his own first name. Adding to the nausea is that Notabeart paid a relatively small sum for the naming rights. Others have donated much larger sums in this city for far less recognition. Park advocates had rightly pointed out that the chance for enhancing the park was being lost. They also pointed out that the nature museum simply would not be well-attended. They also pointed out that the poor attendance at the museum would result in the need for a lot of public money being dumped into the place, which it has been. Forget all those points, said Mayor Daley. Now we have this white elephant of a building that has virtually no visitors. Here's hoping that, at the very least, they rename the place. And that they find a new function that actually serves the people of this city.

misscarlyryan

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:29:29 -0600

there is an adorable family of button quails that run around in the plants in the butterfly haven too! :->