We are the urban gateway to nature and science

History:
The Chicago Academy of Sciences was founded in 1857 as Chicago’s first museum, dedicated to the preservation and display of native specimens. Today the Academy’s collection, due to its age and type, places it among the most important in the world. In 1999, the Academy opened the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park. It has welcomed more than 1.5 million visitors and is a unique venue for the public, especially urban dwellers, to find new ways to reconnect with the natural world.

Mission:
Our mission is to create a positive relationship between people and nature through collaborations, education, research and collections, exhibits and public forums that fosters urban connections to our region’s nature and science.

What We Do:
The Museum provides award-winning exhibitions and programs to 70,000 students annually and trains and provides resources for more than 2,000 Chicago teachers. The Nature Museum is one of the city’s best examples of eco-friendly building technology, including a green roof, solar panels, natural light sources and native landscaping. The Academy and its Museum are engaged in important conservation and research work, such as its Butterfly Restoration Project.