Upcoming events
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04.13.2024 10:30 am - 04.13.2024 11:45 am
Geologist Sara Kurth teaches the techniques for rock and mineral identification. Learn to identify minerals through basic hands-on identification including observation skills and hardness tests. Great for rockhounds and scouts, this class completes the earth science badges for Cub and Boy Scouts. An optional kit is available for purchase, but not required for the class.
Class – 10:30 a.m – 75 minutes
Ages 8 yrs. and up
$10 per person – Museum Members Free
Reservations Required – Register here -
04.13.2024 1:30 pm - 04.13.2024 2:15 pm
Children can make their own gemstone jewelry with the Rockin’ Jewelry for kids. Learn to make a necklace, a keychain, and a pin. All materials included in individual kits. After the class, tour the Museum and complete a scavenger hunt. Completes the Jewelry Badge for Girl Scouts.
Activity – 1:30 p.m – 45 minutes
Ages 8 yrs. and up
$15 per person
Museum Members receive 10%
Discount with code
Reservations Required – Register here -
04.14.2024 2:00 pm - 04.14.2024 3:00 pm
Spirito Singers’ high school treble ensemble, Bravura, is thrilled to present Where the Light Begins, a concert that tells the story of hope in the face of grief and joy in the face of despair. It will feature music from around the globe and across the centuries. Bravura singers hail from dozens of communities across Chicagoland, and the ensemble has performed with the Joffrey Ballet, the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest, and at Carnegie Hall.
Performance – 2:00 p.m. – 60 minutes – Ages 10 years and Up
$15 per person – Museum Members Free
Limited Capacity – Reservations Required
Register here -
04.27.2024 1:00 pm - 04.27.2024 3:00 pm
Interested in the lapidary arts? Find out more at the WSLC meetings at the Museum. The Club will host a program each month, including presentations, demonstrations, and information on cutting and polishing stones! Programs to be announced.
Club Meeting 1 p.m.
Program @ 2 p.m. – 60 minute
Teens to Adults Welcome
Regular Museum Admission
WSLC & Museum Members Free
Register here -
05.05.2024 2:00 pm - 05.05.2024 3:00 pm
The Chicago Mosaic School is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of mosaic education. Join us as members of the school present a lecture on the world of mosaics and their mission to support learning and share expertise, all while developing the medium within a contemporary context.
Lecture – 2:00 p.m – 60 minutes
Students & Adults
Regular Museum Admission
Museum Members Free
Reservations Recommended
Sign up here -
05.11.2024 2:00 pm - 05.11.2024 3:00 pm
This year is a record year for the cicada emergence with two different broods (13 year and 17 year) emerging together over the central Illinois region. The next time these brood emergences coincide will be 2245! Learn about these periodical cicadas, their unique biology, and ecological impact. The lecture will also discuss the symbolism of cicadas in Chinese culture and the Museum's collection. Presented by Donald Baumgartner, a Medical Entomologist employed at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Chicago.
Lecture – 2:00 p.m – 60 minutes
Students & Adults
Regular Museum Admission
Museum Members Free
Reservations Recommended
Sign up here -
05.18.2024 10:30 am - 05.18.2024 11:45 am
Geologist Sara Kurth teaches the techniques for rock and mineral identification. Learn to identify minerals through basic hands-on identification including observation skills and hardness tests. Great for rockhounds and scouts, this class completes the earth science badges for Cub and Boy Scouts. An optional kit is available for purchase, but not required for the class.
Class – 10:30 a.m – 75 minutes
Ages 8 yrs. and up
$10 per person – Museum Members Free
Reservations Required – Register here -
05.18.2024 1:30 pm - 05.18.2024 2:15 pm
Children can make their own gemstone jewelry with the Rockin’ Jewelry for kids. Learn to make a necklace, a keychain, and a pin. All materials included in individual kits. After the class, tour the Museum and complete a scavenger hunt. Completes the Jewelry Badge for Girl Scouts.
Activity – 1:30 p.m – 45 minutes
Ages 8 yrs. and up
$15 per person
Museum Members receive 10%
Discount with code
Reservations Required – Register here -
06.08.2024 2:00 pm - 06.08.2024 3:00 pm
Helen Serras-Herman, acclaimed gem artist with over 40 years of experience, will be demonstrating her gem carving techniques and the tools she prefers to use. Helen will discuss the essential gem carving procedures, lapidary steps, and workmanship quality factors to look for in a gem carving. She will also do a short reading from her recently published book “Carved Gems - Inspiration & Expertise.”
Lecture – 2:00 p.m – 60 minutes
Students & Adults
Regular Museum Admission
Museum Members Free
Reservations Recommended
Sign up here -
06.23.2024 2:00 pm - 06.23.2024 3:00 pm
Beachcombing for rocks along the shores of Lake Michigan is not only fun, but also serves as a study into the geologic story of the Great Lakes region. Discover how sedimentary limestone containing fossils indicate that the Midwest was once a tropical ocean; and learn how the igneous and metamorphic rocks show the movement of glaciers during the Ice Age. Join Dave Dolak for this presentation and better appreciate your next stroll along the beaches of Lake Michigan.
Lecture – 2:00 p.m – 60 minutes
Students & Adults
Regular Museum Admission
Museum Members Free
Reservations Recommended
Sign up here