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...

Fall ArtScene

Oct 02 – Oct 03 @ 5PM

Explore Rockford’s vibrant arts scene at ArtScene, a free biannual gallery walk featuring local artists, live demos, and artwork for sale.

Read more about Fall ArtScene

Eerie Autumn Lights

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden •  Oct 01 – Oct 25 @ 5PM

Every Thu–Sun in Oct: Explore Klehm Arboretum after dark with spooky lights, a straw bale maze, photo ops, treats and family-friendly fun!

Read more about Eerie Autumn Lights

Rockford IceHogs 2026-2027 Season

BMO Harris Bank Center •  Sep 28 – Apr 10

The 'Hogs are members of the American Hockey League and are proud to be affiliated with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League.

Read more about Rockford IceHogs 2026-2027 Season

You might also be interested...

Erlander Home Museum

Rockford

The cultural centerpiece of Rockford's Swedish-ancestry community, Erlander Home Museum is located in Rockford's first brick home, built by John and IngaStina Erlander family in 1871.

Read more about Erlander Home Museum

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens

Rockford

Tinker Swiss Cottage is a historic house museum located in the heart of Rockford, Illinois, built in the style of the architecture of Switzerland.

Read more about Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens

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

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.