The safety for our visitors and a respect for science are our guiding lights at the Nature Museum.

Public safety is our first priority, and given our intimate exhibit spaces as well as the hands-on nature of our Museum, we have decided that the Nature Museum building will continue to remain closed, until further notice. We hold the utmost respect for science-based decision making in public policy and we believe this is simply the most responsible course we can take.

During this time, we have closed our building, we have not closed our institution. Our staff continues to work remotely and we are transitioning as many events and programs to a digital platform as possible.

Until we all have more certainty as to when this pandemic will be contained, we cannot identify a new opening date. In the meantime, we are diligently following guidance from the CDC and public health officials in Illinois so that we can ensure a safe environment when it is time to reopen.

Please see below for additional information on cancellations and rescheduling.

HOW WILL THIS IMPACT YOU?

Field Trips – All field trips to the Nature Museum are postponed and we will be working with you to reschedule. Please know that we have many field trips currently scheduled; therefore, rescheduling will take our staff some time. We ask your patience as we work to reschedule your visit.

Ticketed Special Events – We are working to reschedule our ticketed special events. All tickets already purchased will be honored at the rescheduled time and information will be provided well in advance of rescheduled dates. We have no additional information on when those events will take place, but we will email all attendees with updated information as it is available. If you prefer to have your purchases refunded, please contact programs@naturemuseum.org.

Green City Market – Green City Market events are postponed while the Museum remains closed. To reach a Green City Market staff member, please contact admin@greencitymarket.org.

Summer Camp – For the safety of our employees and of our guests, we reached the decision to cancel in-person summer camp this year. We will issue full refunds to our registered camp families. We will be offering “summer in the city” experiences throughout the summer. Stay tuned for updates. Questions? Please contact camps@naturemuseum.org.

Butterfly Ball – Following guidance from the CDC, we have regretfully decided to cancel this year’s Butterfly Ball scheduled for May 1. For updated information on our plans and information on how you can still support the Nature Museum, please click here or contact butterflyball@naturemuseum.org.

As we all learn more about this outbreak, we urge everyone to follow the CDC’s recommendations: practice good hygiene and if you’re sick, please stay home. For more information, please visit www.chicago.gov/coronavirus

Last updated: September 8, 2020