Another Sunday with my sister in law in charge of how we spend our day. She is famous for finding…read morethese obscure museums and the like to check out. Of course, they are usually closed when we get there, but this time we lucked out. The Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University is really quite impressive. It's not very large, but they have a considerable collection of specimens. Taxidermied and preserved animals ranging from glass coral to polar bear. Not only are the specimens very well preserved (they put the sad furballs at the Field Museum to shame), but since most of the collection isn't behind glass you can get a really good look at them. If I didn't have the respect for museums that a Montessori school instills in a child I would be able to share a picture of me kissing a lion with you, that's how close you can get to them. The museum is located on the 2nd floor of the Birck Hall of Science. When we arrived the lights were off and we assumed Sue had confused their hours, but apparently they turn the lights on when someone arrives! We found the entrance and the docent welcomed us and turned on the lights. There is an annex across the hall with a dozen or so more stuffed creatures to check out. Aside from their impressive and well displayed collection the next best thing about this place...it's free! Free parking and free admission.

I was surprised how much my three elementary aged grandchildren liked this little museum. The…read moremuseum consists mostly of taxidermied animals and preserved specimens in glass jars. But it was all inches away from their eyes. Several pages of Scavenger hunt activities led them around the museum. Exhibits spill out into adjoining hallways, most of them decades old and representing students' projects. We spent about an hour there, fully engaged.

Clean and well organized. Welcoming and helpful staff. Thought we could purchase the Passport…read morehere, but were directed to the Illinois Rock and Roll Hall of fame around the corner. There is an admission to go past the lobby and gift shop and only interested in getting our passport, we took a few photos and left. Looks and feels nice though.

First time coming here. I wanted a place to enjoy some walking around and educational sight seeing…read more This place is hands down amazing for what's crammed into this museum. For a small fee, you get to immerse yourself for hours and go back in time and learn the origins of this town from an Indian trail to being part of the industrial revolution and beyond! This place features a couple of movie theaters which go very in depth which I didn't have time to get through. It's got a mock 1920s down town area, beautifully detailed area showing what it was like building the I&M canal. They even do parties with rooms downstairs and upstairs on the rooftop.

The Wilder Park Conservatory is located in Wilder Park. My husband and I went there to see the…read moreflowers on display. The conservatory also hosts a pond with fish. Although small, this is a fun place to bring the whole family. I highly recommend the Wilder Park Conservatory.

Very cute! Stopped by with husband and baby for a nice…read moreSunday stroll. Tiny but lovely! Located in Wilder Park. Conservatory is free, donations are encouraged, open daily I believe, free parking close by. Very well maintained, has a small fish pond. I believe they have flower shows from time to time. The nearby walking area (I think they use it for weddings also) is absolutely lovely! Beautiful green arches, flowers, garden, and a small tent for events. Wilder Park is also a large park where you can stroll, has a large child play area, and the Art museum is close by. The mansion is also located very close by (didn't get in to see it but seems interesting). Would definitely recommend!

This is an Italianate Victorian house from 1857, which the Aurora Historical Society got from the…read morefamily's descendants in the 1936. Open 1-4pm for tours on Sundays, with extended hours for some other events (July 4; October for "Death Comes to the Tanner House," additional hours for the winter holidays). Admission is free (donations encouraged). My tour started with being asked to sit down (!) and chat with the head of the historical society in the second parlor while we waited for a docent to free up; don't miss the glass case there with artifacts from the privy dig, which is just what it sounds like. Many original furnishings; I recommend getting a docent tour if you can; my docent (Bill) pointed out many features I wouldn't have noticed otherwise, such as the cable motif on the glasses in the dining room, commemorating the first intercontinental telegraph cable which meant people could speak with their families in the Old Country. The two music boxes (with giant metal discs) are also worthy of note; the one upstairs works and they'll play it if you ask. The straw matting in the upstairs children's bedroom was apparently common in Victorian houses but I'd never seen it before. Your tour finishes in the rather florid parlor, whose rather astonishing colors are based on paint drips discovered when they redid the molding and carpet; a sample of the original carpet is displayed on the wall.

My husband and I have visited many local historical museums, it was time to check the Elk Grove…read moreHistorical Museum off that list. The Elk Grove Historical Museum shares the grounds with the fire station. The museum campus is home to a building where artifacts and rotating exhibits are stored, a historic house, farmland, and a historic barn. When we were there the museum was displaying a special exhibit on Alexian Brothers Hospital. I encourage you to go when you can go on a tour and see all of these magnificent buildings. The history and stories behind the artifacts are worth a trip. I highly recommend visiting the Elk Grove Historical Museum!

It's easy to miss the turn off the 53; turn onto Leicester Road at the stoplight, across from the…read morehospital's statue of Jesus. This is a small local museum; there's an introductory building with the caretaker's office and a few placards about the history of Elk Grove, plus a temporary exhibition space; the farmhouse itself (the caretaker will unlock for you); and a horse barn. The farmhouse is two stories and features a kitchen; a parlor; a downstairs nursery with some medical exhibits; and upstairs, the master bedroom, a child's bedroom, and a room for boarders (currently hosting a vintage sewing machine). The friendly caretaker will let you peer into the stereo-opticon (a 19th century Viewmaster) and was ready to answer questions / open trunks / turn on the lights, etc. The master bedroom included a razor strop and a hatpin keeper with hatpins; there's a period dress in the trunk. The barn features some industrial items (wine press; whetstone/grinder; cream separator) as well as an open buggy and a sleigh. There's also a small kitchen garden and you can peer into the chicken coop if you like. Entertaining small museum without many labels; it will give you a glimpse of 19th century life. I asked plenty of questions and visited about 40 minutes.

This is a very small train museum. It will only take you less than an hour to complete. This museum…read moreshares some great history on Joliet Train Station history. The best part of this small museum is the viewpoint on the top floor where you can see all the trains passing by from every direction. It's a great small museum and only $5.

My husband and I visited the Glen Ellyn Historical Society on a Saturday morning. On this morning…read morethere was an antique car show on the campus of the museum. This was a fun event getting to see these well cared for classic cars. Inside the main building you will several permanent exhibits, bathrooms, a gift shop, and a model jail in their gift shop. The jail setup makes for some fun pictures. Stacy's Tavern, a historic home and business, was also open with knowledgeable tour guides to explain the building and answer questions. The Glen Ellyn Historical Society is fun for the whole family and comes highly recommend!

Was in the area for dinner and walked around downtown which looked pretty deserted on a week night…read morebut this piece of history caught my eye.

This is a very small museum run by a part-time (maybe 2 part-time?) curator set up in the Bartlett…read morecity hall. So it's a delightful surprise if you are, say, there to pay your water bill, but it's not really a museum. That said, the display on Prohibition with a section on root beer for the kiddies sounded interesting. It is very specific to the town - lots of "here is a piece from this old building that was torn down" or "here is china from an old restaurant" and there is limited room for signage - several items needed to be looked up in a 3 ring binder. That said, information on dances being held above a local bar that required reinforcing the ceiling/floor ("it's a 4 post wedding" meant lots of attendees) was quite interesting, and I was charmed by the display on a local poet, which had printouts of her cinnamon snap cookie recipe (haven't tried it yet). In addition to the main display, there are display windows along the hallway to the bathrooms , and a small plaque by the water fountain noting that Bartlett holds the world record for number of people blowing a train whistle at one time. While you're in the building, walk over to the hallway to the police station and check out a small grouping of memorabilia for the town's sister city in Taiwan.

Bartlett is so fortunate to have such a wonderful museum. The Director does a wonderful job. She…read moreposts information on Facebook. Plus, she holds informational session, which I hope will resume when allowed to.