T. rex, Stegasaurus, and Triceratops… check out these Dino-mite places that bring the prehistoric back to life. My kids are fascinated by the giant world of dinosaurs and we love to ROAR right along with these creatures. There are so many activities and connections to make between science, history, and play! From playing with dinosaur figurines, to digging into dino eggs, to teaching about the difference between omnivores, carnivores, and herbivores, we have a blast exploring with these prehistoric creatures.
Chicagoland has many unique places to discover if you’re looking for ways to bring these extinct animals back to life!
Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier (Chicago)
Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier
700 E Grand Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(312) 527-1000
The Dinosaur Expedition Exhibit at the Chicago Children’s Museum includes a life-size suchomimus skeleton and gives kids a chance to dig for bones in an excavation pit that recreates a Saharan desert expedition. Tickets are $21 ages 1 and up for Illinois residents. The museum is open every day except Tuesday. The museum does close in the afternoons at 2:00pm on weekdays, so be sure to start with this adventure first if you are heading downtown.
The Field Museum (Chicago)
The Field Museum
1400 S Dusable Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 922-9410
The Field Museum hosts many dinosaur fossils! A 46-foot long spinosaurus cast named Sobek greets visitors from its suspended swimming pose, while the titanosaur Maximo impresses guests as the biggest dinosaur that ever lived. Within the Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet, you can check out SUE, the famous T. rex fossil skeleton; the exhibit also includes sensory stations, where you can experience how SUE sounded, felt, and how its breath smelled (eek!). Currently, there are four dinosaur temporary exhibits to experience here.
Ticket prices vary; Free Day tickets are available on Wednesdays. Reservations are strongly recommended.The Field Museum is open daily. Rachel really enjoyed visiting the Field Museum with her kids.
Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County (Libertyville)
Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County
1899 W Winchester Road
Libertyville, IL 60048
(847) 968-3400
Within the Prehistoric Lake County exhibit, you’ll explore fossils that are up to 420 million years old, get up close with their dryptosaurus skeleton, and help excavate an ice age dig site.
Ticket prices range from $3-10, depending on age and residency; kids ages 3 and under are free. The Dunn Museum is closed on Mondays and is open every other day of the week from 10:00am – 4:30pm, except for Thursdays. They are open on Thursday from 2:00pm – 8:00pm with free admission 5:00pm – 8:00 pm.
Hologram Zoo
Hologram Zoo
318 Hawthorn Center
Unit 318
Vernon Hills, IL 60061
(312) 282-3346
We recently visited the Hologram Zoo and my daughter thoroughly enjoyed the Dinosaur Hologram Experience. She was put in a world where the dinosaurs walked around her, their eggs hatched, and she was able to fight off other dinosaurs from stealing dinosaur eggs. This is an experience that involves special glasses and the hologram experience requires a wand. Check out their website for pricing and more details.
Sandbox VR (Oakbrook)
Sandbox VR
560 Oakbrook Center
Oak Brook, IL 60523
(630) 320-8427
Sandbox VR is home to four different immersive experience worlds. Age of Dinosaurs has guests explore two prehistoric ages, entering the world of some of their favorite dinosaurs. Tickets start at $39 per guest, with groups of 2-6 players engaged in activities that take approximately 1 hour.
Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art (Oak Brook)
Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art
1220 Kensington Road
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523
(630) 833-1616
This museum features 20 dioramas of miniature wildlife, including dinosaurs! Each figure was carved from gems in Germany, while the backgrounds were hand-painted by an Elmhurst native.
Tickets to the museum are $10 for adults, $5 for ages 7-12, $8 for seniors, and free for ages 6 and under. Admission is free on Wednesdays. The museum is open every day except Monday. Check our our article on taking kids to the Lizzadro Museum for more info.
Burpee Museum of Natural History (Rockford)
Burpee Museum of Natural History
737 N Main Street
Rockford, IL 61103
(815) 965-3433
Come to the Burpee Museum of Natural History to view 21-foot-long Jane, the world’s most complete juvenile T. rex skeleton. The museum also showcases fossils that have been unearthed over the past 13 years by paleontologists in Hanksville, Utah. (If you’ve ever wanted to dig for dinos, they also offer expedition opportunities to travel to the Badlands of Montana and Utah, where you can learn how to excavate and protect fossils. How cool is that!?)
Tickets to the museum are $15 for ages 13+, $13 for ages 4-12, and free for kids 3 and under. It is open daily.
Jurassic Gardens (Volo)
Jurassic Gardens at VoloFun
27582 Volo Village Road
Volo, IL 60073
(815) 390-4853
Jurassic Gardens is a walk-through dinosaur adventure with animatronic dinos housed in a 15,000 square-foot space. In addition to all the life-like dinos you’ll see, your kids can also pan for dinosaur fossils, unearth dino skeletons, play games in an arcade, and learn facts in a dino-lab theater. Jurassic Gardens also features a huge themed playground and a new 9-hole mini golf course with snacks and drinks.
Admission to Jurassic Gardens is $17.95; children 4 and under are free. It is a part of the VoloFun campus, so if you are looking to extend your visit, there are many other activities to keep you busy there. It is open daily. Check out Katie’s review of Jurassic Gardens at the Volo Auto Museum for more tips.
I Dig Dinos (Griffith, IN)
I Dig Dinos
100 S Broad Street
Griffith, IN 46319
(219) 595-5498
This gift shop is fully immersive and interactive. It offers gem mining, fossil and skeleton digs, a sand table, crack-a-geode, an animatronic T. rex ride, plushie stuffing, and plenty of photo ops. Some areas are free for open-play, including coloring murals, play tables, a dino ranch, and a specimen lab.
You can purchase activity packages or different activities individually. I Dig Dinos is open daily from 10:00am – 5:00pm.
Dinosaur Discovery Museum (Kenosha, WI)
Dinosaur Discovery Museum
5608 10th Avenue
Kenosha, WI 53140
(262) 653-4450
At the Dinosaur Discovery Museum, check out fossils of dinosaurs and learn about the link between dinos and birds. Visitors can also read a story and meet Little Clint, a 3-year-old T. rex. In an interactive exhibit geared towards kids ages 3-10, visitors complete puzzles, activities, and and a dino dig related to Little Clint.
The museum is free to visit, with a suggested donation of $5. It is open daily 12:00pm – 5:00pm, excluding Mondays and holidays.
Indiana Dinosaur Museum (South Bend, IN)
Indiana Dinosaur Museum
7102 Lincolnway W Highway
South Bend, IN 46628
(574) 233-2577
Up for a road trip? Indiana Dinosaur Museum in South Bend is about two hours from Chicago. This spot is where dinosaur lovers of all ages can explore fossil digs, life-size dinosaur skeletons and exhibits spanning millions of years. The museum is open daily from 10:00am – 5:00pm, and shares a building with South Bend Chocolate Company, which also offers tours.
Other Dino Events
Libraries are a great spot to enjoy dinosaur events; they often offer dinosaur bingo, dino digs, special storytimes, and visits with paleontologists. You can also check out books to learn more about these extinct creatures.
Are your kids train-lovers, too? Check out these train destinations! If you’re looking for more places to see animals, our Museums and Zoos guide is here to help.
