Museums: Last chance to experience early life in northeastern Illinois before Discovery Museum closes for a year

Lake County Discovery Museum open only through August
Lake County Discovery Museum open only through August

Families can go to the Lake County Discovery Museum in  Lakewood Forest Preserve through August. Admission is free. The museum closes September 1, 2016.

The popular hands-on Mall of History and other Discovery Museum exhibits won’t be seen by the public again until the end of 2017 when the museum reopens in Libertyville and has an admission fee.

While there, youngsters can find out what it’s like to work on an early homestead and go to a one-room school house in the “Growing up in Lake County: Exploring History through the Stories of Children” exhibit.  The exhibit is also about the first African-American family in Lake County.

A fascinating adult-oriented special photography exhibit is “Around the World in 180 Days: Adlai E. Stevenson II 1953 World Tour.” It follows Stevenson on assignment for Look magazine to Europe and Asia where he met with Queen Elizabeth II, Israeli Prime Minister Ben-Gurion, India Prime Minister Nehru and visited markets and residents in 30 countries.

Tip: The Discovery Museum shop has a 70 percent off sale through the end of August.

Details: The Lake County Discovery Museum is at 27277 N. Forest Preserve Rd. in the Lakewood Forest Preserved, Wauconda, IL 60084. Museum hours: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sun. 1 to 4:30 p.m. For other information call (847) 968-3400 and visit Museum Exhibitions and Museum Planning.