New Museum Pass Program

We have exciting news coming out of the library this week.  Not only will our Museum Pass program be continuing, but we have a new sponsor and pass participant... LegoLand!!!!

We are so happy to be able to continue to offer this program, and we couldn't have done it without them.  As before, your family will be able to check out one pass to a museum per 7 day period and each pass is good for 7 days.  We hope that you find time to stop in and get your pass, and check out all of the other museums we offer passes to.  You and your family could have a great day out of the house.  For information on the Museum Pass program and to see the new website and updated participants, look here. 

Good News! Museum Adventure Passes Extended

Very good news for families who loved using the Museum Adventure Pass Program this summer. We have received word that so far 12 participating museums have agreed to extend their discounted admissions to library patrons until October 31st! Please visit us in person at Youth Services desk on the second floor for details about the participating museums and their hours, and to learn which passes are available when. Discounted admissions do vary by museum, but we will be happy to explain these to you as well. Remember, you must use a Des Plaines library card to reserve with us, and only one pass can be checked out per family per week. After a busy week at school, your family deserves a relaxing "field trip" to one of these fine museums!

Last Chance for Museum Adventures !

Summer may be halfway through, but there's still time to enjoy a museum adventure or two !

The Museum Adventure Pass Program at the libraries expires this August 31st.

You still have five weeks to sign up in the Youth Services department for a weekly discounted pass to visit one of seventeen wonderful local suburban museums and parks. All you need is your Des Plaines library card! Four passes are available for each museum each week on a first-come first-served basis. Passes are good for one full week from the issue date, and you can select your favorite destination again in the weeks that follow.

So why not take a mini-vacation on us (and Macy's) to share with your children the wonders of Brookfield Zoo's animals, Cantigny Park's tanks, Chicago Botanic Garden's Japanese islands, Morton Arboretum's children's playland, or Mitchell Museum's Native American artifacts to name a few. A complete description of the participating museums including their web addresses is available at the Youth Services desk to help you with your selection.

To those families who have made use of the Museum Adventure Pass Program over the past year, a special thank you for using your Des Plaines library card to expand your children's world and to enrich their lives in this unique way.

Macy's Museum Pass Update!

Looking for fun things to do around town this month? Here is a list of the events going on at the museums included in the library's Macy's Museum Pass Program. Stop in to see if passes are available to these museums and enjoy their special events!

Brookfield Zoo
Great Bear Wilderness! This state-of-the-art, naturalist exhibit is the largest permanent exhibit ever built at Brookfield Zoo and is the new home to iconic North American animals: polar bears, grizzly bears, wolves, bald eagles, and bison. Come check it out! Ongoing event.

Elgin Public Museum
Adventures in the park - Camoflauge! Explore how mammals, birds, and reptiles all hide themselves to survive in the wild. Event: Saturday July 10, Noon -2pm.

Ladybug Release Party! The Elgin Community Garden Network along witht he Elgin Public Museum is hosting this insect-friendly program. Learn more about these insects and how they can improve your garden, then release hundreds of ladybugs to help control the Park's insect pets. Light refreshments provided, but feel free to bring a picnic to share with your family before the event. Children will receive free ladybug hats while supplies last. Call the museum or email elginladybugs@gmail.com to register. Event: Friday July 16, 7pm.

Adventures in the park - Moths vs. Butterflies. Have fun learning about the natural history of area insects: Nocturnal or Diurnal? Skinny body or plump? Furry antenna or sleek? Discover all of the differences between these winged insects. Event: Saturday July 24, Noon - 2pm.

Graue Mill and Museum
Monarch Magic. Learn all about these beautiful butterflies, the Illinois state insect. Event: Sunday July 18, 1-3pm.

Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
Dazzling Colors: The evolution of Plains Reservation Art. This exhibit allows the viewer to trace adaptations in materials, techniques, and styles of Native American cultures of the Plains region before, during, and after the Reservation Period. Exhibit: July 3 - October 13 2010.

Morton Arboretum
Steelroots: Tobin at the Morton Arboretum. Explore 14 dramatic steelroot scultures of abstract root forms in our outdoor galleries. Exhibit: April 9 2010 through January 31, 2011.

National Hellenic Museum
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: A Look Inside the Lightning Thief. This summer, Percy fans will get the chance to step inside the world of ancient Greek mythology in this exhibit. Visitors will get an up-close and personal look at some of their favorite props from the film and also test their knowledge of the gods and goddesses at the "Lotus Casino" Exhibit: June 3 - September 4 2010.

Remember to check back each month for an update on the events going on in the museums featured in our Museum Pass Program. Stop by the Youth Services desk on the 2nd floor for more information today!

Museum Passes for May

Want to know what is NEW with the Museum Pass Program? We have got your May fun right here!

Brookfield Zoo Events
May 1 and 2, Party for the Planet featuring the ChicaGO Green Expo
May 8, Giant Bear Wilderness Opening

Chicago Botanic Garden
May 15 and 16, A Bloomin' Festival and Malott Japanese Garden Children's Festival

Elgin Public Museum
May 5, Climate Change Lecture and Discussion Series

Graue Mill and Museum
May 2, Book Signing by Glennette Turner, author of The Underground Railroad in Illinois and other titles for children and Darwin Walton, author of What Color Are You?

Look on the blog each month for the upcoming special events at area museums! Stop into the library to pick up your museum pass (limit one per family per week).