Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum will charge non-members $5 to enter the Butterfly Haven starting Feb. 2; museum officials say proceeds will fund butterfly care and programs.

Chicago awards $2 million in grants to local cultural institutions impacted by federal funding cuts, supporting arts and culture with a strong focus on community engagement and equity.

Giancarlo Guerrero’s first full season at Grant Park centers American and American‑influenced works for the nation’s 250th, opening June 10 with Bernstein, Tower and Barber. The program pairs staples with premieres and special events.

David McGowan has built a classroom in Rwanda and Uganda to teach rangers and guides how to document wildlife through short films.

Keck’s 12‑sided House of Tomorrow is getting new triple‑pane glass and structural repairs in a $4 million restoration at the Indiana Dunes. The work aims to return the 1933 pavilion to its original look.

Chicago Children’s Theatre will present a monthlong Chicago Sensory Theatre Summit Feb. 2–Mar. 1 with workshops, sensory performances and a Red Kite prom for teens. The program pairs industry training with public-access events.

Sir Ian McKellen will perform One Knight Only at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Jan. 30, 2026, in a donated benefit that includes a free student matinee.

Gretchen Baker will take charge of the Chicago Botanic Garden on March 16, 2026, succeeding Jean Franczyk. Baker arrives from the Carnegie Museum with a background in exhibitions and public engagement.

Frank Gehry, the Pritzker Prize–winning architect behind Chicago's Jay Pritzker Pavilion, died Friday at 96. His daring, sculptural buildings remade skylines from Bilbao to L.A.

Michigan exhibitor Jordan Stancil is leasing Rogers Park’s New 400 and will relaunch it as The 400 Theater with upgraded projection and diverse programming.

A storage‑unit haul that included a 1985 Grammy and handwritten lyrics from Koko Taylor turned up at a Back of the Yards flea market, prompting efforts to recover the items. Collectors and museums are working to identify and return the pieces.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the IAC have allocated $16.2 million in arts grants to support Illinois's creative workforce, youth employment, and regional arts.

Chicago's MCA is fostering inclusivity by prioritizing bilingual access, integrating Spanish alongside English. Meanwhile, the Museum of Broadcast Communications is launching pop-up exhibits celebrating Johnny Carson and late-night TV history.