Skip to main content
Shedd Aquarium

Burpee Museum of Natural History

737 N. Main St., Rockford, IL 61103

Museums

See award-winning exhibits such as T. rex Jane: Diary of a Dinosaur, and Homer, a sub-adult or "teen-age" Triceratops. Four floors of exhibits include Windows to Wilderness, a woolly mammoth skeletal cast, Pennsylvanian coal forest, a Native American exhibit, Geoscience, and a viewing lab.

Come explore Burpee Museum and its award-winning exhibits such as Jane: Diary of a Dinosaur, and explore the history of the young T. rex skeleton found by Burpee Museum researchers in the badlands of Montana, called one of the ten most important dinosaur discoveries in the past 100 years. Burpee Museum also features Homer, a sub-adult or "teen-age" Triceratops! Homer was found in the Montana Badlands by Burpee volunteers, just like Jane. Visitors can view his skull and see Burpee staff members working on his bones in the lab. In addition to Jane and Homer, families can also experience four floors of engaging exhibits. Windows to Wilderness focuses on the nature of the Rock River Valley, and Burpee's Green Roof is the first rooftop garden in Rockford. Other exhibits include a Woolly Mammoth skeletal cast, Pennsylvanian coal forest with simulated thunderstorms, Native American exhibit with full-sized dwellings, Geoscience, and a viewing lab where visitors can watch Burpee Museum staff work on specimens from the museum’s collections and recent dinosaur discoveries. Don't miss Burpee Museum's annual PaleoFest in March.

Images

More Information

  • Mon: Closed
  • Tue: 10:00am – 5:00pm
  • Wed: 10:00am – 5:00pm
  • Thu: 10:00am – 5:00pm
  • Fri: 10:00am – 5:00pm
  • Sat: 10:00am – 5:00pm
  • Sun: 10:00am – 5:00pm

Adults 13 and older: $10, Children age 3 through 12: $9, Children up to age 3: Free, Members: Free, Contact museum for information about donation day

How to find us?

Back to Listings

What's happening nearby...

REO Speedwagon live at the BMO Center

BMO Center •  Nov 22 @ 7:30PM

Legendary rock band REO Speedwagon is set to bring their iconic sound to the BMO Center in Rockford for an unforgettable night of classic hits!

Read more about REO Speedwagon live at the BMO Center

2024 Holiday Festival of Lights - Rockford

Sinnissippi Park •  Nov 29 – Dec 31

Drive through Sinnissippi Park and enjoy dozens of spectacular holiday light displays. Festival of Lights has been a stateline family tradition since 1989.

Read more about 2024 Holiday Festival of Lights - Rockford

All Aglow

Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens •  Nov 30 – Jan 06

The outdoor gardens at Nicholas Conservatory are filled with sparkling holiday lights.

Read more about All Aglow

You might also be interested...

Riverfront Museum Park

Rockford

Home to Discovery Center Museum, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford Dance Company, and Rockford Symphony office.

Read more about Riverfront Museum Park

Midway Village Museum

Rockford

Midway Village Museum includes a Victorian village, with 26 historical buildings filled with artifacts of the era, and beautiful 19th century gardens.

Read more about Midway Village Museum

Ethnic Heritage Museum

Rockford

The museum features a room for each ethnic group it represents: African American, Irish, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, and Hispanic.

Read more about Ethnic Heritage Museum

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get inspired by top travel stories, gain access to exclusive promotions and contests, and discover even more reasons to #EnjoyIllinois.