World War II Tribute  | Lowell

WWII military equipment including tanks, jeeps and half-tracks provide a backdrop for Allied and Axis reenactor encampments, skirmishes and battlefield maneuvers. WWII veterans will share their memories of the war and on the home front. Food concessions, Victory Gardens, USO entertainment. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt will appear. Patriotic ceremony on Sunday prior to the final battle at 3 p.m. honoring all veterans.

Teach your toddler about the baby animals living at the Arboretum. Connect babies with their parents, see how they grow while playing games, singing songs, and looking for different animal homes. April 25 and May 5.

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.

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.

Drop in anytime between 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the conservatory's Elizabeth Morse Genius Children's Garden to plant an imaginary garden, build a tropical habitat, help water the plants, or read a book under the tropical canopy. Runs through entire 2012.

How important are bees and bats? What is pollen? How does pollen get transferred from one flower to the other? Just how do bees see? Learn more about all of this. May 5-26.

Kids and adults get their hands dirty while learning how to grow healthy, inexpensive organic herbs and vegetables for the whole family to enjoy. Plant some seeds to take home to get your garden started and taste a garden-fresh snack.

Experience the magic of the birds and blooms found at Irons Oaks. Search the woods for native wildflowers and migrating birds and discover their hidden legends and folklore. Bring your own binoculars or borrow a pair.. Pre-registration required.

Seeds are the source of life for all the trees and plants in our forest preserves and gardens and this is the time of year they begin to come alive.Learn about how seeds like tiny acorns can transform into giant oak trees and create a "living locket" to take home and care for. Register by May 3.

Weekend features activities highlighting grizzly and polar bears. Zoogoers can learn what makes these animals so special, why they are endangered in the wild, and  conservation efforts. Guests have the opportunity to chat with zookeepers while examining bear artifacts, including teeth, fur, claws, and skulls, as well as radio collars that were used to track bears in the wild.

Velo Theatre presents this performance from May 2-9. Laden with letters and packages to deliver, a postman sets out on his bicycle. Opening one of the packages, he discovers a fantastic and magical world inside. Purchase tickets at (312) 494-9509 or chicagohumanities.org.

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.

Special architecture tour for kids. Registration required. May 5-May 26.

View an array of student poster projects exploring ways to reduce, reuse and recycle and learn how to become a greener citizen. Runs April 3-May 6.

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.

Exhibit tells the story of Girl Scouting and Boy Scouting in America.

Take a look back at the role of Americans before, during and after wartime. A variety of activities will be offered throughout the month, including flag trivia, rolling bandages, learning about the Pledge of Allegiance in the Schoolhouse, a Victory garden tour and more.

Visit activity stations commemorating the Civil War, World War II and the Vietnam War. Interact with replicas of artifacts on loan from the First Division Museum at Cantigny; view artifacts from Naper Settlement's museum collections; and learn about Naperville servicemen and women.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Seven actors share one tiny platform, just 3-by-7 feet of space, and create an original Superman tale. Set in a fictional 2050 Metropolis, the show's cast members use only their bodies and voices to create every prop, scene, sound effect, and character in a battle between Superman and Lex Luther. Performances are 10;30 a.m. May 2, 7 p.m. May 3, 12:30 p.m. May 4, 1:30 p.m. May 5 and 5 p.m. May 6. Purchase tickets at (312) 494-9509 or chicagohumanities.org.