The Nature Museum will reopen July 8. (Courtesy of Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum / Facebook)

Though many Chicagoans found refuge in nature during the coronavirus pandemic, the physical Nature Museum in Lincoln Park has been shuttered since spring 2020. Now that the city and state have entered the final stage of reopening, the museum is re-emerging, and will begin welcoming visitors back as of July 8.

“Come wonder with us again,” the museum announced on its website.

Initially the museum will limit its hours of operation to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays during July and August, with an anticipated return to regular hours in September.

Because so many of the museum’s guests are young children not yet eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the museum will reopen at a reduced capacity. Adherence to common COVID-19 safety procedures will be encouraged.

The Nature Museum thanked its patrons for their support “during what has been one of the most challenging years in our institution’s 164-year history.”

For nearly 16 months, the facility operated as a “museum without walls,” producing digital content like the “Curious By Nature” series on YouTube, which just added a pair of new segments on the summer’s fascinating periodical cicadas. These types of online experiences and educational materials will continue to complement in-person visits, the museum said. 

Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 |  [email protected]