Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum:
Journey to the Stars
: A film in the planetarium’s Definiti Space Theater explores the life and death of stars; open end. $14-$19. Planet Explorers
: The new permanent exhibit features hands-on activities including a simulated rocket blastoff, remote-controlled rovers and orbiters and electric microscopes for examining specimens; open end. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Wed.; $5-$10. Shoot for the Moon:
Learn about NASA’s Gemini and Apollo space missions and about the life and career of astronaut Jim Lovell. Features an interactive training lab, the fully restored Gemini 12 spacecraft flown by Lovell and Buzz Aldrin in 1966 and more; open end. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Wed. $14-$19. 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive; 312-922-7827
Art Institute of Chicago:
Matisse — Radical Invention, 1913-1917
: See more than 100 paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints in this world premiere exhibit on the 20th century French artist; through Sun. Sound & Vision
: A series of 13 videos, photographs and installation pieces explores the meeting of art and music; through Aug. 29. Untitled (Alliance)
: British artist Roger Hiorns’ site-specific sculpture consists of two massive Boeing airplane engines; through Sept. 19. 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Wed.; $10-$18, free after 5 p.m. Thursdays. 111 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-443-3600
Brookfield Zoo:
Great Bear Wilderness
: Polar and grizzly bears, Mexican gray wolves, bald eagles, bison and a raven populate the new exhibit space, along with more than 30,000 new plantings that reproduce tundra, prairie and temperate forest landscapes; open end. $9.50-$13.50. Regenstein Wolf Woods
: An exhibit of streams, dams, earth mounds and dens houses male Mexican gray wolves, the most endangered subspecies of gray wolf in North America; through July 6. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; $8-$12, children under 2 free. 8400 31st St., Brookfield; 708-485-0263
Chicago Architecture Foundation:
Chicago Model City
: A large-scale, 400-block representation of downtown Chicago includes 1,000 highly detailed buildings. City photographs, maps and videos complement the display; through Nov. 30. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; free. 224 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-922-3432
Chicago Children’s Museum:
Block Party
: Take a trip through an imaginary neighborhood and play in pretend ticket booths, kitchens, ice cream stands and stages; through Aug. 15. Play It Safe
: Step into the shoes of a firefighter in the newly revitalized, interactive exhibit encouraging fire safety; open end. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thu.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Wed.; $9-$10, free every first Sunday of the month and Thursday evenings. Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand Ave.; 312-527-1000
Chicago History Museum:
History Pub Crawl
: Themed trolley tours include a handful of bars and drink specials at each stop. Tours start at the museum and destinations are then revealed; through Aug. 19. 6:45 p.m. Thu.: Craft Beer Me! Chicagoland Breweries; $20-$45. My Chinatown
: A multimedia exhibition features video clips, artifacts and photographs from current and former residents of the Chicago neighborhood; through Nov. 1. $12-$14, free on Mondays, free for children ages 12 and under. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.; 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Wed. 1601 N. Clark St.; 312-642-4600
DuSable Museum of African American History:
The Black Panthers — Making Sense of History
: An exhibit celebrating the 40th anniversary of the political party features more than 50 photographs chronicling the organization’s history; through Aug. 6. The Soul of Bronzeville — The Regal, Club DeLisa and the Blues
: Explore artifacts from Club DeLisa and other local entertainment venues in this exhibition celebrating local contributions to the American music tradition. Photographs, music, film footage, instruments, memorabilia and more are on display; through June 27. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Wed.; $3, free on Sundays. 740 E. 56th Place.; 773-947-0600
Field Museum:
Mammoths and Mastodons — Titans of the Ice Age
: Meet Lyuba, a 42,000-year-old baby woolly mammoth, at this new interactive exhibit on giant mammals of the Ice Age, including short-faced bears and saber-toothed cats. Touch fur, teeth and tusks while learning how these extinct creatures interacted with ancient humans; through Sept. 6. Waking the T. rex 3D — The Story of Sue
: A film in the museum’s Ernst & Young 3-D Theater tells the story of how the world’s largest and most complete T. rex dinosaur skeleton was found in South Dakota and what paleontologists have learned from it; open end. $18-$22, $15 for children ages 3-11.
9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive; 312-922-9410
Garfield Park Conservatory:
Sugar From the Sun
: A permanent exhibition details how air, water and light make sugar; open end. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu.-Tue.; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Wed.; free. 300 N. Central Park Ave.; 773-638-1766
Loyola University Museum of Art:
New Icon
: A group exhibition features sculpture, painting, drawing and video exploring iconography in contemporary society. through Aug. 1; 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Thu. – Sun.; 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Tue.; 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Wed.; Free with general admission, $5-$6. Free on Tuesdays; 820 N. Michigan Ave. ; 312-915-7600
Museum of Contemporary Art:
12 x 12 — New Artists/New Work
: Caleb J. Lyons’ exhibition features ceramics, paintings and video exploring the genres of abstraction, landscape and still life; through June 27. Rewind — 1970s to 1990s
: See works by 11 local and national artists, including Vito Acconci, Richard Artschwager and Matthew Barney, who address social concerns through the decades; through Sept. 5. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tue.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.; $7-$12, free on Tuesdays. 220 E. Chicago Ave.; 312-280-2660
Museum of Science and Industry:
Science Storms
: An interactive exhibit looks at tornadoes, lightning, fire, tsunamis, sunlight, avalanches and atoms in motion. Artifacts on display include the first copy of Sir Isaac Newton’s 1704 physics book “Opticks”; and Robert Millikan’s oil drop apparatus used in 1923 during his Nobel Prize-winning experiment to measure the charge of a single electron; open end. Smart Home: Green + Wired
: The “green” home reopens with a remodeled interior, new technologies and updated landscaping. It features energy-saving techniques and environmentally friendly and recycled materials; through Jan. 2. You! The Experience
: Tackle more than 50 hands-on activities exploring the human mind, body and spirit in this permanent exhibit, spanning 15,000 square feet; open end. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Thu.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun.; 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Wed.; $9-$15. 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive; 773-684-1414
National Museum of Mexican Art:
Rastros y Cronicas — Mujeres de Juarez
: Illustrating a history of violence against women in Ciudad Juarez, the exhibition showcases works by Mexican and Mexican-American artists sensitive to the struggle of victims and their remaining families who seek justice; through July 4. Translating Revolution
: Ansel Adams, Charles Alston, Eleanor Cohen and other American artists interpret Mexican muralists; through Aug. 1. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu.-Sun., Tue.-Wed.; free. 1852 W. 19th St.; 312-738-1503
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum:
Sanctuary — Flight of the Majestic Monarch
: The American premiere of this exhibit traces the history of monarch butterflies through paintings, photos and videos; through Sept. 19. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; $6-$9, includes general admission. 2430 N. Cannon Drive; 773-755-5100
Shedd Aquarium:
Invasive Species:
See Asian carp, round gobies, zebra mussels and other threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem in the aquarium’s permanent installment; open end. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Wed.; $11.95-$15.95, children younger than 3 free. Seahorses and Seadragons:
A permanent exhibit features six species of seahorses: pipefish, snipefish, trumpetfish, leafy seadragons, potbelly seadragons and weedy seadragons; open end. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Wed.; $11.95-$15.95, children younger than 3 free. Fantasea:
The Oceanarium show features sea lions, penguins, dolphins, beluga whales and other aquatic life. Show times vary; open end. $17.95-$24.95, children 3 and younger free. Wild Reef — Sharks at Shedd:
Floor-to-ceiling windows provide a diver’s-eye view of a Philippine coral reef, housing more than 25 sharks, 500 species of reef fish and the largest public display of live coral in the Midwest; open end. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu.-Fri.; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Wed.; $11.95-$15.95, children younger than 3 free. 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive; 312-939-2438, 312-559-0200
Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies:
Ground Level Projects — Jan Tichy
: A site-specific installation commissioned for the glass-enclosed space visible from the street and adjacent public areas. Free; through June 27. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu., Sun.-Wed.; free. 610 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-322-1700
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