Exploration Station...a children's museum

A hands-on place for exploration and discovery!

Bamboo the Museum Mascott

NOW HAS A NEW TIME!

Your children can discover the love of reading, improve their reading skills, or even boost their self – esteem by reading with a trained, licensed and certified therapy dog.

Exploration Station…a children’s museum
Reading with the Dogs will take place
at the Exploration Station on the

4th Tuesday of the month
from 6:00-7:00pm

If your child would like to read at the museum, you will register at the museum. All children must be pre-registered; there is a maximum of 30 children/day. Children must be accompanied by an adult. More details will be available at the time of registration.

Located on Perry Farm
459 N Kennedy Drive
Bourbonnais, IL 60914
(815) 933-9905 ext. 2
www.exploration-station.org

Bradley Public Library Fall Dates:
Reading with the Dogs will take
place at the Bradley Public Library
on the 2nd Thursday of the month

If your child would like to read at the library, you will register at the library. All children must be pre-registered for either program; there is a Maximum of 30 children/day. Children must be accompanied by an adult. More details will be available at the time of registration.

296 N Fulton Ave
Bradley, IL 60915
(815)932-6245
www.bradleylibrary.org

For more Information Click Here

Bradley Public Library

Exploration Station

a facility of the Bourbonnais Township Park District

Exploration Station ...a children's museum is a hands-on exploration and discovery museum for children and their families, teachers and care givers. At Exploration Station, children can climb inside the tower of a medieval castle, fly a jet plane, sail on a ship, become a soda shop clerk, drive a tractor and much more.

Special announcement:
Starting January 1, 2012 the Exploration Station…a children’s museum will start charging admission to non-Illinois residents during our free hours. This is due to SB 1670 (Public Act 97-0187) signed by Governor Quinn. Illinois residents will not be affected by this change, however, they will need to provide proof of residency.

Come look and see what it looks like inside various electronics by actually taking them apart! We encourage kids to explore and learn, what better way then to take it apart and see how it works!! Items can include VCR’s, remote Controls, phones, radios, etc. Parents are asked to attend with their child and explore along with them.

Date: Every 3rd Saturday

Time: 10:00 am

First Come, First Serve. Cost is free with Admission
Admission: $6 Non-residents, $4 Residents, Museum Members - Free

Age(s): All ages
Date(s): 3rd Saturday of the Month (Excluding Holidays)
Time(s): 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Location: Exploration Station… a children’s museum
Fee: Free with Paid Admission (Residents $4/Non-Residents $6/ Museum Members Free)
Min/Max: 20 Max (First come first Serve)

The Exploration Station...a children's museum is accepting electronic donations for this wonderful program. Here are the kids of items we are accepting at this time:

Acceptable items: VCR’s, Remotes, Stereos, Radios, Computer Towers, Clocks, Cordless Telephones, Tape Decks, Recorders, Blenders (no blades), CB Radios, Hair dryers, DVD Players, Controllers, CD Players, Mixers, Answering Machines, Remote Control Cars, Computer Key Boards, Video Game Consoles, Computer Hard Drives.

We are unable to accept: Cameras, Cell Phones, Fast Food Toys, Irons, Laptop Computers, Microwaves, Monitors, Printers, Rotary Phones, Televisions, Toasters, Toddler Toys

For more information please contact us at (815) 933-9905!

Blocks Exploration Station...a children's museum

What's New:

The New and Cool:

Flip Kits are Here!
We are proud to announce the arrival of FLIP Kits at the Exploration Station! FLIP kits are activity packages that include a book, a reading guide for parents and multiple FUN activities that are used as part of the suggested items. Any Kankakee Area resident can pick up a FLIP kit free of charge! Families are allowed to check out one FLIP kit at a time for a period of two weeks. Stop in to the Exploation Station to pick up yours today!

Seeking Donations of Electronics
The Exploration Station is collecting old, or broken electronic items such as phones, clocks, toasters, vcr’s, etc. to be used in upcoming children's programs where the children can take apart and see what is inside. (sounds like fun huh?) we are steering away from glass, so tv’s and computer monitors will not work.

Special Families with Special Needs Night
Don't Forget! The first Thursday of every month the Exploration Station holds an Evening “Special Families with Special Needs”; a night where families can come together to connect and play!
Upcoming Dates:
1st Thursday of Each Month
Fee: Residents: $2 per person/ Non-Residents: $3 per person. No pre-registration needed!
Time: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Place: The Exploration Station...a children’s museum
Please contact us (815) 933-9905 for more information!

Museum Hours:
Admission Prices
Admission to Exploration Station is $6.00 per person for adults and children (children 12 months and younger are admitted free and senior discounts are available).
Learn More

Exploration Station now has Donation Afternoons on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Free afternoons are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays after 2:00 p.m. with additional free afternoons offered during the summer months.

Special Announcement: Starting January 1, 2012 the Exploration Station…a children’s museum will start charging admission to non-Illinois residents during our free hours. This is due to SB 1670 (Public Act 97-0187) signed by Governor Quinn. Illinois residents will not be affected by this change, however, they will need to provide proof of residency.

September – March
Closed Mondays (except special holidays)
Tuesday & Thursday: 10:00a.m.–5:30p.m.
Wednesday, Friday & Saturday: 10:00a.m.–5:00p.m.
Sunday: 1:00p.m.–5:00p.m.
Office Hours: 9:00a.m.–5:00p.m.
Closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas, The day after Christmas (Dec 26), New Years Eve, and New Years Day.

April – August
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
& Saturday: 10:00a.m –5:00p.m.
Tuesday Thursday: 10:00a.m.–5:30p.m.
Sunday: 1:00p.m.–5:00p.m.
Office Hours: 9:00a.m.–5:00p.m.
Closed on Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Annual Fall Shutdown.

Don't Forget about our Annual Shutdown: Each year the children's museum closes for 2 weeks at the end of August and the beginning of September to update exhibits and work on major cleaning projects.
. Please call prior to your visit to verify facility hours. (815) 933-9905 option 2.

Birthdays & Parties:

New Birthday Party Monthly Specials
We have updated our birthday party packages and party times! We are also offering special deals for birthdays each month. For more party details check out our Birthday Party Pages!
Learn More

Overnight Packages Available!

Overnights are a perfect way to explore the exhibits of the Exploration Station...a children's museum after hours. Choose from a variety of packages and overnights can feature programs that can be tailored to scouts to fulfill badge requirements! Check out our printable overnight flyer by clicking here or call (815) 933-9905 for more information!

Exhibit Updates:

“Illumination” is a new light exploration room featuring science and math activities over light surfaces including unique light tables with color mixing and building activities and a ten foot light writer wall.
Learn More
This new exhibit was made possible by People’s Bank of Kankakee.

Field Trip News:
Children's Museum has partnered with local Strickler Planetarium for a great field trip package

Exploration Station...a children's museum and Strickler Planetarium have partnered to offer a discounted rate to any group wishing to visit both destinations. Any group that books a field trip to both the children's museum and planetarium will receive $1 off admission per student from each institution. The Strickler planetarium is just a few blocks away from Exploration Station on the grounds of the Olivet Nazarene University. For more information on the planetarium click here. For reservations to the planetarium please call 939-5395 or email (tbruner@olivet.edu).
Thanks for visiting our website!

To schedule a visit to the museum, contact Tammy Anderson at tammya@btpd.org or by calling 815.933.9905 ext. 352. Be sure to mention that you are visiting the planetarium as well in order to qualify for your group discount!

Parents Resources:
Web Page for Parents with Young Children
Check out the new Success by 6 "Parents Page" web site at www.parentspage.org. The Parents Page is written for parents of newborns through age 6, and includes many parenting tools produced by the United Way of America and the Ad Council. The "Kankakee County Cares" button is a resource of local services, ranging from parent support groups to early childhood education to child care resources. Most of the parenting tools are available in both English and Spanish.
Learn More

Children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult while at Exploration Station...a children's museum. And, on the same note, adults must be accompanied and supervised by a child in order to visit the museum.

Hmmm…so what are my kids really getting out of a children’s museum?

Do you ever wonder what your child gets out of his/her visits, or do you even know that there is so much more going on each and every time you come? Here is just some research information being collected on the importance of Children’s Museums:

Children’s museums encourage children to think for themselves, expand their problem-solving repertoire through creative exploration, and exercise both their bodies and their minds. Indoor and outdoor exhibits, programs, and workshops are designed to engage children in simple and complex forms of play that result in foundational learning. When children are at school or doing their homework, they report they are bored as much as 50% of the time. Children’s museums and other community learning environments give children experiences that keep the “fires of learning lit” by providing opportunities to learn through playing; children’s museums are redefining learning so that children are excited about what they learn not only for the future, but also for the present moment.
—Association of Children’s Museum, “The Case for Children’s Museums”

Bourbonnais Township Park District

Exploration Station ... a children's museum is a facility of the