Waukegan Public Library to unveil new children’s exhibit
Walk, bike, or drive to the Waukegan Public Library’s all-new transportation exhibit, “The Places You’ll Go,” opening on Dec. 8 in its children’s department.
The exhibit, funded exclusively by North Shore Gas, features 2,200 square feet of car, bike, plane, train, and boat displays and interactive learning centers. The exhibit grand opening event from 1 to 3 p.m. is open to the public, free, and includes entertainment, refreshments, and fun activities for the whole family.
The library is located at 128 North County St., Waukegan.
“The Places You’ll Go” includes hands-on elements that teach children about the role of transportation in their lives. Covering the most relevant modes of transportation, the exhibit will include an auto repair shop, a train station with caboose, flight simulator and airplane cockpit, wind tunnel, and bicycles on stands.
The exhibit will also help develop map-reading skills, teach the elements of flight, and help children recognize street signs. In addition, a G-scale model train will run above the children’s department desk all year.
In addition to learning about practical modes of transportation, the exhibit will include information on energy-efficient ways to travel. Energy generators attached to children’s bicycles will teach children how much energy they could potentially generate just by riding their bikes. Information on solar powered cars and vehicles that use compressed natural gas will also be included.
“In addition to making sure that our exhibit is an exciting learning experience for families each year, we try to include an element of environmental education for both parents and children. For transportation, we thought it was important to include ways that kids can both save energy and make energy in their day-to-day lives,” said Elizabeth Stearns, assistant director of community services.
In addition to North Shore Gas, pieces of the exhibit were sponsored by Waukegan Tire, Michelin, and BRP and Evinrude Outboard Motors. The Waukegan Bike Project donated bicycles for kids and adults to pedal.
After the ribbon-cutting, students in grades 6 to 8 from Jack Benny Middle School will perform holiday songs for guests, children will be able to race remote control cars on a large track in the Bradbury Room, and families can take part in the NASCAR pit stop challenge to see how fast they can remove and replace sports car tires. Tickets to the Volo Auto Museum will be raffled off to guests.
The launch of “The Places You’ll Go” marks the fifth year of rotating exhibits in the library’s children’s department, following “Dig the Dinosaurs,” “Under the Sea,” “Creepy Crawlies,” and the most recent “Oink, Baa, Moo.” Each exhibit, including all programs, displays and installation, is funded exclusively by donations from North Shore Gas and the Morrison Family.
The library’s Early Learning Center will be closed beginning Nov. 25 until the grand opening while workers install the displays. For information about “The Places You’ll Go,” call Rena Morrow, marketing, programming, and exhibits manager at the library, at (847) 623-2041, ext. 231.