Plant Portraits | Chicago

Plant Portraits: The California Legacy of A.R. Valentien will showcase 35 of Valentien's watercolor paintings, which portray California's flower population. The exhibit will run now through Jan. 7, 2008. General admission to The Field Museum is $12 for adults, $7 for children 4 to 11, seniors and students get in free with ID. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. FYI: Call (312) 922-9410 or visit www.fieldmuseum.org.

Niki in the Garden | Chicago

Niki in the garden, an outdoor sculpture exhibition, runs through Oct. 31 at Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave. Admission is free for children, with a $5 suggested donation per adult. There are more than 30 sculptures to see.

FYI: Visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com.

Adler Planetarium | Chicago

Adler Planetarium has three floors of exhibits on astronomy, space exploration, telescopes and navigation. The museum is at 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive. Its hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends. The first Friday of every month it is open from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

FYI: Call (312) 922-STAR or visit www.adlerplanetarium.org.

Shedd Aquarium | Chicago

John G. Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive, offers the world's largest indoor aquarium with more than 8,000 freshwater and marine animals. The Oceanarium shows marine life of the Pacific Northwest region - home to whales, dolphins, sea otters and more.

Through summer 2008, Faust, the Komodo dragon, with his court of 25 other lizard species, continues his reign at Shedd. Faust is the first live Komodo dragon ever on display in Chicago.

FYI: Call (312) 986-2302 or visit www.sheddaquarium.org.