Brookfield Zoo
8400 31st St., Brookfield; 708-688-8000, czs.org
On 216 acres, more than 3,000 animals live in walk-through settings that re-create their natural habitats, with different species sharing space just as they do in the wild. The Living Coast’s transparent water walls, squishy blue floor made to resemble the ocean floor and 60 animal species from the coasts of Chile and Peru give the illusion of ocean depths. In Tropic World, primates and other mammals and birds live together in a rain forest environment (thunder rumbles regularly, and rain showers down on the animals). There are dolphin shows daily, and many exhibits include hands-on activities.
Elmhurst Historical Museum
120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst; 630-833-1457, elmhursthistory.org
The regional history museum is located in the Glos Mansion, former home of Elmhurst’s first village president, Henry L. Glos, and offers a look at the lifestyle of past communities through exhibits, educational programs, tours and other programming. The museum also manages the Churchville Schoolhouse, a one-room schoolhouse from the early 1900s that has been restored and reopened to the public.
Oct. 26 through Jan. 6: “Centuries of Progress: American World’s Fairs, 1853-1982”: The national traveling exhibition documents the history of American World’s Fairs with photographs, video and memorabilia. The exhibit also features a special section, “Elmhurst Goes to the Fair,” with artifacts from the two Chicago World’s Fairs (1893 and 1933).
Kohl Children’s Museum
2100 Patriot Blvd., Glenview; 847-832-6600, kohlchildrensmuseum.org
Named one of the country’s 10 Best Children’s Museums by Parents magazine, Kohl offers interactive, hands-on exhibits for ages birth to 8 that encourage children to become effective learners through self-directed complex play.
Reva and David Logan
Center for the Arts
University of Chicago, 915 E. 60th St.; 773-702-2787, logancenter.uchicago.edu
The mission for this new facility is to be a creative hub for students, visiting artists and the public through programming in cinema, media studies, creative writing, music, theater and performance art. Some events and classes have taken place while the 11-story, 184,000-square-foot facility, designed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, is being completed.
Submit information to ctc-ent-events@tribune.com.
