A new exhibit at the Notebaert Nature Museum will let kids zip through a make-shift rainforest and experience what it’s like to be a tree frog as they glide through the air. Amazing Amphibians, the museum’s new temporary exhibit, opens Feb. 7 and includes interactive stations designed to teach kids about frogs and toads.
“This is going to be a really fun exhibit. We’ve developed a maze component where kids can go through the maze and answer questions about the amphibians’ habitat,” says Alvaro Ramos, exhibits and design manager."They can learn fun facts about frogs and amphibians and learn what they can do to help the plight of frogs and protect our environment.”
A zipline runs through a portion of the maze across a matted surface and can hold young children or adults. A leap-and-learn station lets kids test their leaping skills and compare them to local frogs.
The exhibit includes many live animals, from a Cuban tree frog to a tiger salamander. Interactive stations include a frog call station and a frog blog where kids can write about their experiences and close encounters with frogs.
“There will also be areas where people can learn how to encourage frogs to live in your garden by making a toad abode, and we showcase species of frogs from the Chicago area,” Ramos says. Other areas of the museum also include information about frogs and turtles, including a frog-feeding time each day.
The Amazing Amphibians exhibit is included in the price of admission, which is $9, $6 kids 3-12, $7 seniors and students. Thursdays are suggested donation days. Located at 2430 N. Cannon Drive in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, the museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information visit www.naturemuseum.org or call (773) 755-5100.
Museums on the cheap
Take advantage of some great deals to beat the winter doldrums. Feb. 12-15, the Chicago History Museum will have penny admission in honor of Abraham Lincoln’s bicentennial celebration. The Field Museum will have free admission, Feb. 1-6. The History Museum is located at 1601 N. Clark St., Chicago, (312) 642-4600, www.chicagohs.org. The Field Museum is at 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, (312) 922-9410, www.field
museum.org.
