The movement du jour is for a museum to describe its offerings as “immersive.” It’s become a cliché, but it does nod to a cultural trend that predated, then was amplified by, the pandemic: Experiences, not exhibitions, are coaxing folks off their couches and into cultural institutions.
That trend crops up in our museum preview this year. In fact, some of these suggested events don’t even take place within the confines of their host institution.
But if you find that a classic, walk-and-read exhibit can’t be beat — I tend to be in that camp — we have plenty of those, too. Adventurers, academics and all-around-curious-people, read on!
Kayaking for a cause: Dreaming of afternoons idling down the Chicago River? You can live out your summer fantasy while doing good thanks to the Shedd Aquarium, whose experts will lead conservation tours by kayak all summer long. Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 27 on the Chicago River; $65 per person; reservations at sheddaquarium.org
“Reptiles Alive!”: This exhibit builds on the work of Field Museum herpetologist Sara Ruane, also featured earlier this year as part of the museum’s rotating “Changing Face of Science” exhibition. If you come expecting the usual models or taxidermy, you’re in for a treat: 20 live reptiles, including a spitting cobra and emerald tree boa, are housed onsite for the exhibition. June 20 to April 5 at the Field Museum, 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; requires all-access pass, $43 adults, fieldmuseum.org
“Native Pop!”: For generations, activists have pushed museums — including many in Chicago — to depict Native Americans’ lives as they are, rather than presenting them like a relic of the past. The “now” is palpable in this Newberry Library showcase of Indigenous artists working in various pop mediums. Through July 19 at the Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., open Tuesdays through Thursdays 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; free admission, newberry.org
On at the Art Institute: In addition to its exploration of “Paris Street; Rainy Day” by painter Gustave Caillebotte, the museum is hosting the largest local retrospective of thought-provoking wartime sculptor H.C. Westermann in decades, open through May 2026. Contemporary art lovers will be agog at Raqib Shaw’s epic “Paradise Lost,” a 21-panel artwork that has never been displayed in its complete form until now (through Jan. 19). Meanwhile, the museum continues to show off its huge collection of Japanese prints with “The Dawn of Modernity: Japanese Prints, 1850–1900,” in which artists document Japan’s encounters with the industrialized West. All at the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave., open Wednesdays through Mondays 11 a.m.-5 p.m., except Thursdays, open 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; admission $26-$32, artic.edu
Become a researcher for a day: A new exhibition opening at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum allows visitors to try their hands at activities inspired by real-life fieldwork. “By A Thread: Nature’s Resilience” emphasizes that conserving the natural world isn’t a passive proposition: It requires everyone’s help, including yours. The exhibit opens the same day as the museum’s Summer Nature Fest. For $10 admission ($8 children), you can stick around for food and activities after the museum closes. June 20 to June 2026 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, open daily 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; adult tickets $12-$17, naturemuseum.org
A peek inside: The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry’s upcoming “Beyond the Surface,” exhibit is a deep dive into the X-ray photography of Andrei Duman, starting July 3. The images show the inner workings of everyday objects, such as the many components of a car or the delicate wiring of a corded telephone. If you can’t wait for that, a current exhibition in the spirit of the museum’s recent “007 Science” feature, “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing.” is open through February, though it’s a little light on the science. Both at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, open daily 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; admission $26 adults. “Marvel’s Spider-Man” requires an additional ticket costing adults $18-$22; reservations and more information at msichicago.org
Boozy zoos: The Brookfield Zoo is becoming a watering hole in the name of wildlife conservation. Next up are “Tequila and Tails” and “Wines and Vines,” the latter doubling as the opening of the Zoo’s new Tropical Forests habitat. (Non-drinkers rejoice: Mocktail tickets are available for a lower price.) Lincoln Park Zoo also revives its own drinker-friendly summer events with craft breweries and wineries posting up on zoo grounds. “Tequila and Tails” on June 14 and “Wines and Vines” on Aug. 23, both 6-9 p.m. at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, 31st Street and Golfview Avenue, Brookfield; non-member tickets $105 or $70 for mocktails, brookfieldzoo.org. “Craft Brews” on June 28 and “Summer Wine Fest” on July 25, both 7-10 p.m. at the Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St.; admission $57; tickets and more information at lpzoo.org
Waltz of the flowers: After experiencing the lushness of the Chicago Botanic Gardens in midsummer, step into Nichols Hall for a reprise of “Superbloom,” the dance work premiered by Chicago company The Seldoms in 2023. For those who can’t make the three performances, Art on the Mart has commissioned a video version to be projected in full view of the Riverwalk (Thursdays through Sundays July 10-Sept. 7). July 25-27 at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe; tickets $27-$29 adults. Show times and more information at chicagobotanic.org/superbloom
Museum multiplayer: On your hands and knees, begging your kids to do something besides playing video games all summer? Take them to the American Writers Museum, whose “Level Up: Writers & Gamers” shines a rare spotlight on the scribes behind their favorite titles. Open through Nov. 2 at the American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave., open Thursdays through Mondays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; admission $10-$16, americanwritersmuseum.org
Home is where the history is: If you haven’t yet been to the recently opened National Public Housing Museum in Little Italy, it’s high time to fix that. Spend an afternoon exploring its attentively curated exhibitions for free, or, for a small sum, take a guided tour through recreations of real families’ units on museum grounds, in the former Jane Addams Homes. 919 S. Ada St., open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays; free admission, $15-$25 apartment tours can be scheduled at nphm.org
Hannah Edgar is a freelance writer.