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Kohl Children’s Museum Celebrates its 25th Anniversary

I was reminded not long ago how fortunate we are to have the Kohl Children’s Museum so close by. We used to go there a lot when my kids were younger, but now my daughter is past the ideal age for the museum. Since we had friends in from out of town with a younger child,  off we went to show them this wonderful local gem. And my daughter, despite being the ripe old age of 9, had a blast. And it was the same exhibits that appealed to her before, that grabbed her attention now: the child-sized grocery store, the mini Potbelly restaurant, the veterinary clinic and the Water Works. And all of us were fascinated by the temporary Monarch Butterfly exhibit, where we could see close-up the four stages of butterfly development.

This year, the museum celebrates its 25th anniversary. It was founded in 1985 by Dolores Kohl. The museum was originally located in Wilmette and moved to its current and larger home in Glenview in 2005.  It offers a wide array of enrichment activities and exhibits where children can play, explore and learn in an environment built specifically for them. There are 16 permanent exhibits to enjoy and usually there are 2-3 temporary exhibits. Right now, in addition to the Monarch butterfly exhibit, there is one featuring Curious George and another featuring Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl to show children how to care for our natural resources.

To celebrate its 25 anniversary the museum has a number of special activities planned, most of them geared to younger children. Here’s a run-down of activities for the museum’s anniversary kick-off week:

Sunday, July 25- Free Admission Day

• 12-1:30                             WTTW “Readers are Leaders” performance with Miss Lori’s Campus

Monday, July 26 – Science Day

• 10:00 and 10:45 am       Very Hungry Caterpillar Appearance
• 10:00 – 12:00                   Anderson Pest Solutions Insect Zoo
• 2:00 – 4:00  pm              Botanic Gardens Wiggly Worms Activity
• 3:00 and 4:00 pm          Bubble Juggler Geoff Akins Performance

Tuesday, July 27 – Health and Safety Day

• 9:30 am – 1:00 pm          Firezone Fire Engine Exploration
• 10 am – 12 pm                   Gymboree
• 10 am – 12:30 pm             Little Legends Soccer Clinic
• 2- 3 pm                               Operation Railroad Tracks Safety Presentation
• 3 and 3:45 pm                   Smokey Bear Appearance

Wednesday, July 28 – Arts and Literacy Day

• 9 am – 5 pm                        Free Family Photo
• 10 am – 12 pm
  and 1-4 pm                          Blick Art Materials Activity
• 2-5 pm                                 Writers’ Theatre Children’s Acting Workshop
• 3 and 3:45 pm                    Clifford the Big Red Dog Appearance

Thursday, July 29 – Music Day

• 10 and 11 am                        Karen Banks-Lubicz Concerts
• 1, 2 and 3 pm                       Mindy Hester and the Time Outs Concerts
• 3-3:45 pm                             Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat

Friday, July 30 – Grand Celebration

• 10-10:45 am                          Very Hungry Caterpillar Appearance
• 11 am – 1 pm                          Free cake and ice cream sponsored by Bobtail Ice cream and Tetra Pak
• 1 – 1:45 pm                             Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat
• 3 – 3:45 pm                            Clifford the Big Red Dog Appearance

The museum is located at 2100 Patriot Blvd. in Glenview (in the Glen).You can get directions here.

Summer hours are:
Monday-Saturday 9:30 am – 5 pm
Sunday 12-5 pm

Admission is $8.50 (free for children under 1 year; $7.50 for seniors)

Tags: Kohl Children's Museum