It is no secret that Brett and I have used our Association of Children's Museum Reciprocal Membership to it's greatest capabilities with trips to Children's Museums within a driving distance from our summer travels. This weekend, while visiting my family in Palatine and attending the NKOTBSB Concert, We drove the 20 minutes to Glenview to visit the Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago. This little museum is a gem and Lydia loved it! It was perfect for her age. A highlight for all of us was the Water Works exhibit. This is by far the best water exhibit we have seen in any of our trips (Yes it beats out Indianapolis)! The room was full of water experiments that were developmentally appropriate for Lydia to interact with. She knows she needs to put a smock on right away (we learned the hard way at the Rockford Museum Water Table) to keep her dry. We played in the space for about 20 minutes before revisiting other spaces and Lydia wanted to come back to the water space again!
We also really enjoyed the outside space at the museum. Although it was simple (ie: wasn't a beach like the Magic House in St. Louis) it was a wonderful time. There was a climbing apparatus that our daredevil monkey had to try. There was a tunnel that she loved running through. Engaging and interesting art sculptures were scattered throughout the 2 acre space. There was a sensory garden as well. I can just envision groups of school-aged kids running about the space on a field trip. It would be a blast!
The museum was not as large as some of the others that we have been to, and 2-2 1/2 hours would be an adequate amount of time there. We spent two hours there since we were meeting my family for a Father's Day meal and had to make our trip quicker than we typically would have.
The exhibits at the museum included:- Adventures in Art
- All About Me
- City on the Move
- Cooperation Station
- Habitat Park
- Hands On House
- Music Makers
- Nature Explorers
- Powered by Nature
- Water Works
- Baby Nursery
- Car Care
- Dominick's
- Pet Vet
- Play Library
- Potbelly Sandwich Works
Parent Pleasers: 5/5: The museum had a great, healthy food court with many options. We didn't eat at the food court, but were impressed with the kid friendly menu at reasonable prices. The gift shop also had unique items, but was not overwhelming. My deal finding skills scored a Melissa and Doug wooden puzzle on clearance for $4.00! There was two sets of bathrooms with sinks and toilets at toddler level so that Lydia could wash her own hands! There was sanitizer outside each exhibit space. There were staff members present at every space to monitor behavior and the space itself. There was ample seating for us to sit and Lydia to play. She even served us "dinner" at the PotBelly Restaurant exhibit!
Car Seat Curb Appeal: 2/5: For as wonderful as the inside was, the outside space left a lot to be desired. The grounds in the parking lot were overgrown with weeds and the exterior felt bland. This doesn't include the outside exhibit space, which was well-manicured and beautiful.
Overall Impact: 4/5: At Lydia's age, this was a perfect museum to go to for an afternoon. They had a few unique features that we have not seen in other places, including a vet clinic and car wash. I anticipate we will make return visits to the museum during future trips to visit our family in Palatine.
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