More Than 20 Indoor Places to Visit in the Chicago Area on a Freezing or Boiling Hot Day

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF THE NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND BLOG UPDATED JUNE 2025 Spending outdoors is great unless the weather is life-threatingly cold or hot or other conditions (e.g., wildfire smoke) exist that make it unsafe. But on some days, we just need to stay safe. The good news: there are many nature … Continue reading More Than 20 Indoor Places to Visit in the Chicago Area on a Freezing or Boiling Hot Day

23 Indoor Places to Visit in Chicagoland on a Canadian-Wildfire, Smoke-Filled Day or Just a Rainy or Wintry One

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Many forests in Canada are on fire due to global warming and other factors, which has currrently made Chicago and other Midwestern cities very smoky. This smoke is hazardous to our health and today is not a good day to take a long hike or … Continue reading 23 Indoor Places to Visit in Chicagoland on a Canadian-Wildfire, Smoke-Filled Day or Just a Rainy or Wintry One

9 Indoor Spots to Visit in Chicagoland During a Snowy Weekend

This weekend in Chicagoland is expected to be snowy and cold. While you may not be able to take a long hike or go camping, there are many natured-oriented places, museums, and even an auto museum you can visit to get out of the house and stay out of the snow and cold. Try the … Continue reading 9 Indoor Spots to Visit in Chicagoland During a Snowy Weekend

The Field Museum: Dinosaurs, Mummies, a Bug’s-Eye View of the World, and Much More

Chicago is known for its stunning architecture, talented writers, cutting-edge food scene, winning sports teams, and its world-class museums. But if you’ve lived in Chicago your entire life, it’s easy to take our museums for granted. Many people visit these vast repositories of ideas, science, art, history, and nature when they are kids, and never … Continue reading The Field Museum: Dinosaurs, Mummies, a Bug’s-Eye View of the World, and Much More