Chicago - Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (formerly Chicago Academy of Sciences)

The Chicago Academy of Sciences was founded in 1857 to collect, preserve and present specimens and artifacts related to the ecology and natural history of the Midwest from the Great Lakes to the prairies. After having its original collection burned in 1871, the academy acquired enough material over time to fill the Matthew Laflin building, which served as the main depository from 1893 to 1995. In October 1999 the Academy opened the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park.

It houses a number of permanent exhibits including the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven with more than 1,000 butterflies representing over a 75 different species. The Ameritech Environmental Central exhibit informs visitors about major environmental problems and gives them the chance to act as urban planners and community developers. The Wilderness Walk sends visitors back 150 years when Illinois was mostly prairie to highlight the problem of urban sprawl and habitat loss. The Museum also hosts a number of temporary exhibits throughout the year along with environmental education workshops and programs.