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Thursday, May 24, 2012
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Acorn Express at The Morton Arboretum| Lisle |
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See gardens, woodlands, wetlands and prairies in a tram tour. 60-minute and 30-minute tours explain the rich Arboretum history, and describe the trees and plants you'll see. There's also an opportunity to see lovely wildlife in a native habitat.
Where: Morton Arboretum
When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: $4-6; (discounts for Arboretum members)
Railway Garden| Valparaiso |
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The new Railway Garden, a G-gauge model railway running through a 2.5 acre site, opens April 30. Visitors enter through a 1920s-era railway depot to see trains running through a garden of miniature plants, water features and a variety of landscapes. May 1 through October.
Where: Taltree Arboretum & Gardens
When: 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: $10, free kids 3 and under
XTREME BUGS| Brookfield |
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Walk along a winding trail and view gigantic animatronic bugs, plus more than 150 stationary insects, which will be part of six themed scenes. Guests can also see live creepy crawlies in Harry's Big Adventure: My Bug World! The interactive habitats feature several ecosystems to show how insects impact their surroundings, the environment, and human lives. Activities, including bug cooking demonstrations, cockroach races, a spider web climber, and other bug-themed entertainment is planned for guests throughout the summer.
Where: Brookfield Zoo
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: $5, $3 kids and seniors, in addition to regular zoo admission
Passport to the World: Nigeria| Chicago |
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Explore the rich traditions of the Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo tribes of Nigeria through performances and hands-on activities.
Where: Chicago Children's Museum
When: 5-8 p.m.
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Free
Circus Zirkus| Chicago |
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Children can immerse themselves in backstage preparation, perform routines in center ring or manage the behind-the-scenes action of lights and sound. Plus, try making a circus balance toy or dress up like a clown.
Where: Chicago Children's Museum
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Free with admission
Sweet Home Chicago: The History of Chicago’s Candy-Making Capital| Elmhurst |
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From Fannie May to Brach's Candies, Tootsie Rolls, Frango Mints, Lemonheads and more, Chicago has a tasty history of making candy loved the world over. Learn about Chicago's sweet history and how candy and the City of Chicago grew up together. May 11-Sept. 18.
Where: Elmhurst Historical Museum
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Free
A Century of Girls Leading the Way| Oak Park |
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A special exhibit on the history of Girl Scouting, with special focus on Oak Park, River Forest, and Forest Park. Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Where: Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Free with admission
Scouting in America| Joliet |
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Exhibit tells the story of Girl Scouting and Boy Scouting in America.
Where: Joliet Area Historical Museum
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Free with admission
Undiscovered Worlds| Chicago |
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Through the discovery of exoplanets, we have learned our solar system is not alone in the universe. IN this new space show, learn how, with new instruments like the Kepler Telescope and rapidly improving technologies, the discovery of exoplanets puts us one step closer to finding an Earth-like world.
Where: Adler Planetarium
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Free with admission.
Bikes! The Green Revolution| Chicago |
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Learn about the American bicycle and Chicago's bike culture. The exhibition details the roots of America's most democratic and sustainable form of transportation and considers why human-powered locomotion could be the way of the future for our rapidly evolving urban environment.
Where: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Free with admission
Household Jades of Qing Dynasty China| Elmhurst |
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Features a selection of jades used at the table, in the studio and as personal adornment. Qing Dynasty China produced exceptional carving for a growing jade market.
Where: Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Free with admission
Gods, Myths and Mortals| Chicago |
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Visitors go on an interactive journey through the world of ancient Greece, where they can meet the gods, experience ancient Greek daily life and interact with the epic poem The Odyssey through more than 25 engaging interactive components, including climbing into a 13-foot tall Trojan Horse. Kids play and learn as they navigate rocky caves and open seas on "The Odyssey: A Hero's Journey" and e-mail home their Hero Record, belt tunes in the Sirens Karaoke Cave, discover which Greek god they are most like, match wits with Aristotle in a game of 20 questions, test their arm wrestling prowess in the Gymnasium and marvel at a working replica of the Antikythera Mechanism, believed to be the world's oldest computer.
Where: National Hellenic Museum
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Free with admission
Blue Man Group| Chicago |
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Watch men painted blue do unusual performance art and original slapstick comedy. It's fun to sit in the front, but remember to wear a plastic poncho to avoid the flying food and liquids. Buy tickets at the box office, online, via Ticketmaster or by calling (773) 348-4000.
Where: Blue Man Group at Briar Street Theatre
When: Check website for performance schedule.
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: $49-$69
Wizard of Oz| Oakbrook Terrace |
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Family friendly show also offers breakfast buffet with Wizard of Oz characters on April 28, May 12, 19, 26 and June 16. Performances run April 25-June 16. Regular performances are at 10 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday starting on April 25 (excludes May 2, May 5, June 6, June 7, June 13, June 14). There will be two performances at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. April 28, May 12, May 19, May 26 and June 16.
Where: Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: $12
The Pirates of Penzance| Lincolnshire |
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The story concerns Frederic, who, having completed his apprenticeship to a band of pirates on his 21st birthday, is released from his servitude. Soon after, he meets the fair maiden Mabel, daughter of Major-General Stanley. The two fall instantly in love; but, as always, obstacles threaten to cause trouble for young Frederic. It turns out Frederic was born during the leap year which means even though he is 21 he has only had 5 birthdays, and is in fact indebted to the pirates for 63 more years. Bound by his own sense of duty, Frederic's only solace is that Mabel agrees to wait for him faithfully. Performances run April 11-June 10.
Where: Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: $40-$48
Youth Spectacle: The Commitment Project| Chicago |
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Hundreds of school-age youth from diverse Chicago communities have come together to create this performance. Performances will be May 22-25 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 North Cannon Drive, Chicago; and May 31 in Homan Square Community Center, 3517 W. Arthington St., Chicago. Produced by Chicago's acclaimed theater spectacle company, Redmoon, the Youth Spectacle will use shadow animation, sound installation, surreal visual art and performance to transform the Nature Museum's South Gallery and Terrace into a complex celebration of commitments. The final performance will take place at the Homan Square Community Center.
Where: Redmoon Theater
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Individual tickets at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum - $10 for adults, $3 for ages 17 and under, and free for children under age 3. Ticket access includes full access to the Youth Spectacle and Nature Museum. Preview performance at Notebaert May 22 and the Homan performance are free.
Aerial Dance Works| Chicago |
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In this physically stunning and emotionally charged program using suspended fabrics, bungee cords and tipping aerial hoops, ADC dancers masterfully breathe, rise, suspend and descend along the vertical dance floor. Appropriate for all ages. Performances are 7 p.m. May 17, 19, June 2, 9 and 2 p.m. June 10.
Where: Aerial Dance Chicago
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: $10-$30
Home Run! Reggie Jackson and the Original 500 Club| Kenosha |
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Exhibit includes bats, uniforms, contracts, team traveling suitcases and much more from Reggie Jackson. Items in the exhibit are presented in collaboration with the Mr. October Foundation for Kids, a non-profit organization to benefit at-risk children.
Where: Kenosha Public Museum
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Free with admission
The Platybus Comes to Luna| Schaumburg |
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Radio Disney AM 1300 will be on site at various Luna
locations, with "Perry the Platy-bus," a 27-foot Airstream trailer
complete with bill, tail and googly eyes inspired by Phineas' and
Ferb's pet platypus, Perry. The Radio Disney AM 1300 Road Crew will
also be on-site with entertainment and prizes. Monday-Tuesday in
Deerfield; Wednesday in Lake Zurich; Thursday in Addison; Friday in
Schaumburg.
Where: Luna Flooring Galleries
When: 2-8 p.m. Monday-Friday; Noon-6 p.m. Saturday
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Free
Hoffman Estates Jaycees Carnival| Hoffman Estates |
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Rides, games and food for all ages.
Where: Barrington Square Town Center
When: 6-10 p.m. Thursday; 6-11 p.m. Friday; 1-11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; 1-10 p.m. Monday
Ages: Family/All Ages
Cost: Fee per ticket; $20 unlimited rides
Stars Play Away| Chicago |
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Spark your child's enthusiasm for learning and fun. You and your child bond through a unique mix of movement, music and imaginative play, plus an interactive storytime entirely in Spanish.
Where: Menomonee Club for Boys & Girls
When: 9-10 a.m. and 10:15-11:15 a.m.
Ages: Toddlers, Preschool, Elementary
Cost: Free















