700 East Grand Avenue (at Navy Pier)
312-527-1000
www.chichildrensmuseum.org

Having a birthday party at a museum is probably not a child's idea of celebrating, unless that museum happens to be the Chicago Children's Museum.

All three of the birthday party options include all-day admission to the museum's exciting, age-appropriate, interactive exhibits. And because no party would be complete without the birthday boy or girl's favorite meal, hosts and hostesses are welcome to bring their own food or have it delivered.

To make planning your child's next birthday bash a piece of cake, call the museum birthday party coordinators at (312) 464-7715.

With 57,000-square-feet, the museum claims to be "as big as a kid's imagination." And with half-a-million visitors in 1998, the museum also claims to be the country's second most visited children's museum. While the primary audience is children through the fifth grade, including their families and educators, the museum's exhibits, workshops, and programs are designed to help children learn, explore, face challenges, and develop new understandings of the world.

The museum has 11 permanent exhibits: Dinosaur Exhibition (experience camp life, participate in scientific research, and even dig and uncover  bones); The Inventing Lab (get hands-on experience inventing, problem-solving, and scientific inquiry); WaterWays (learn about this important resource in a splashy way); Safe & Sound (learn about safety and reach a new comfort level with emergency care and doctor visits); Face to  Face: Dealing with Prejudice and Discrimination (help children to identify prejudice and develop constructive tools to respond to it); the Kovler Family Schooner (learn what life is like aboard a lake-faring vessel on a three-level fantasy version); InfoTech Arcade: Where Kids Connect (where children can voice their opinions and experience technology first-hand); PlayMaze (a toddler-size cityscape that encourages role-playing and language development in grown-up places); Treehouse Trails (an indoor nature environment with boundless opportunities for adventure and discovery); Under Construction (encourages children to build almost-real buildings using real materials and tools); and The Kraft Artabounds Studio and Gallery (a working art studio where all kids have to bring is their imagination to create their own paintings, sculptures, and other works of art).

Another reason to visit the Chicago Children's Museum is its Navy Pier location. Navy Pier offers unparalleled views of both Chicago's skyline and Lake Michigan, especially from the 150-foot-high ferris wheel (which operates weather-permitting). Navy Pier also has a wide array of eateries, shops, the IMAX Theater, musical carousel, and the country's largest glass-enclosed park.

Groups are welcome to the Chicago Children's Museum by appointment. For further information, call (312) 527-1000.