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Published on 5/12/08
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Got a junior paleontologist at home who’s counting the days until the ground thaws? Been to the Field so many times you know Sue the T. rex’s every bone by heart? Cure your family’s winter boredom and penchant for digging up history with these road trips you can easily make in a day.
That other T. rex...in Rockford
In 2002, Rockford’s Burpee Museum of Natural History (737 N Main St, 815-965-3433, burpee.org; $5, $4 for kids 3–17, free for all on Wednesdays) sponsored a fossil-hunting expedition to Montana. The group found toe and leg bones of a dinosaur—considered quite a feat for a small institution. A year later, the expedition returned to uncover the rest of the skeleton, and realized that it had an adolescent T. rex. The skeleton, known as Jane, is on display at the Burpee along with an exhibit explaining how researchers identified the dinosaur’s species, age and cause of death.
Visitors also can walk through exhibits on the geology and early life of North Central Illinois. The Children’s Gallery on the museum’s third floor has books and hands-on activities for younger kids on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays; older ones can watch museum curators prepare specimens on the lower level. The museum has a vending-machine area but no café, so bring a lunch or make the short drive to State Street for Capri Pizza (313 E State St, 815-965-6341) and treats at Chocolat by Daniel (211 E State St, 815-969-7990).
Mammoth fun...in Kenosha
Kenosha, Wisconsin, has two museums dedicated to prehistoric life funded by Chrysler Corporation, which needed to make up for the environmental damage left by the closure of its American Motors Corporation assembly plant. The woolly mammoth roamed Wisconsin long before Gremlins and Pacers did, and now the Kenosha Public Museum (5500 First Ave, 262-653-4434, kenosha.org/museum; free) houses what are considered to be some of the world’s finest mammoth remains. The mammoth is part of an exhibit about early Wisconsin life, showing how hunters interacted with their giant prey. It’s a little gory and may not be appropriate for the really young and/or squeamish.
More prehistoric treasures can be found at the Dinosaur Discovery Museum (5608 10th Ave, 262-653-4450 ; free). It houses casts of dinosaur skeletons and interactive displays on paleontology and evolution.
As if that weren’t enough, an electric trolley runs through downtown Kenosha. At a quarter a ride, the thrills don’t come much cheaper. The trolley runs weekdays 10am to 2pm and weekends 10am to 5:30pm. For lunch, stop at Trolley Dogs (5501 6th Ave, 262-652-3647) to grab a hot dog and watch the model trolley ride around the ceiling, or check out Frank’s Diner (508 58th St, 262-657-1017) for traditional comfort food served in an original diner.
Mummies...in Hyde Park
If you want to stay closer to home, the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute (1155 E 58th St, 773-702-9514, oi.uchicago.edu; suggested donation $5, kids $2) has a collection of artifacts and antiquities from Egypt, Persia, Palestine, and other Near Eastern sites that includes two mummies, one of which predates the pharaohs. On Sundays, the museum staff shows Discovery Channel–style documentary films on topics like Egypt’s ancient temples, many of which are appropriate for school-age children. For lunch, stop by Medici's (1327 E 57th St, 773-667-7394), Hyde Park’s legendary pizza restaurant—homemade desserts are available at their next-door bakery.
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