Historic Holidays at Clarke House Museum  | Chicago

Experience a traditional mid-nineteenth century Christmas at Clarke House Museum this holiday season. Discover the simple joys of homemade decorations, including pine boughs and a tabletop Christmas tree, which adorned the 1850s Chicago home. Learn about gifts exchanged by families like the Clarkes and pick up a period recipe to try.

See model trains loop around a holiday-themed track. Santa has his own car. Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas.

Exhibit examines the ancestry and evolution of numerous species, ranging from huge to tiny, from speedy to sloth-like, and displays animals with oversized claws, fangs, snouts, and horns. Highlights include taxidermy specimens, an entire skeleton of a giant hoofed plant-eater, a life-size model of the largest land mammal that ever lived, one of the oldest fossilized bats ever found, and an impressive diorama featuring the swamps and forests of an island in the Arctic. Runs May 26, 2012-Jan. 6, 2013.

Festive decorations deck the halls, and guests also enjoy special seasonal games, group builds and plenty of LEGO holiday fun! Activities include winter-themed speed build challenges, a holiday scavenger hunt, the chance to build a giant snowman in a group build and photo opportunities with the life-size Santa and Snowman.

Join the Elf Class as they try to find the missing list in time for Christmas in this musical show. Performances at Stahl theater from Nov. 24-Dec. 21 and from Nov. 28-Dec. 21 at the Beverly Arts Center.

Join Cinderella, her Fairy Godmother, a handsome Prince, and two selfish stepsisters in Rodgers and Hammerstein's most beloved tale. Performances run Nov. 17-Dec. 31.

A festive event with Santa and his friends runs from Nov. 17-Dec. 23.