Skip to main content
Home
View My Favorites

Search the middle of everything...

Shedd Aquarium

Things To Do

Places To Go in Illinois

Plan Your Trip

Accessible Travel in Illinois

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

burpee homer2
Burpee 3

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...

Rockford City Market

May 15 – Aug 28

Rockford City Market in downtown Rockford, IL features seasonal outdoor markets showcasing farmers and local goods, indoor food hall, wedding and event venue, and licensed commercial…

Read more about Rockford City Market

Rockford Juneteenth Celebration

Sinnissippi Park •  Jun 19 @ 1PM

The Rockford Juneteenth Celebration is a celebration for all races commemorating the day the slaves were freed in the south.

Read more about Rockford Juneteenth Celebration

RockYard Music Fest

Davis Park •  Aug 14 – Aug 15

Celebrate summer at the inaugural RockYard Music Fest, a two-day event happening August 14–15 at Davis Park in downtown Rockford.

Read more about RockYard Music Fest

You might also be interested...

Veterans Memorial Hall and Museum

Rockford

Memorial Hall is a tribute to Rockford citizens who have served in the Armed Forces.

Read more about Veterans Memorial Hall and Museum

Rockford Art Museum

Rockford

More than 1,900 works focus on modern and contemporary art, photography, outsider art, contemporary glass, and regional art.

Read more about Rockford Art Museum

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

Share your Moments

#EnjoyIllinois

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

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