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On a visit to many cities across the US the only green attractions you'll find our public parks and botanic gardens, but in Chicago, one of the city's greenest, eco-friendly attractions is the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and in November it celebrates its 150th anniversary.

The nature museum is the public face of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, which was founded in 1857 as Chicago’s first museum dedicated to nature and science. The original museum was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, but the work of the Academy continued, and in 1999 the museum as it is today opened to the public and remains one of Chicago's best examples of sustainable design.

Eco-features in the building include 17,000-square feet of rooftop gardens (which visitors can explore), a water conservation system that helps purify the lake in Lincoln park, solar rooftop panels and natural lighting, and exhibits constructed of recycled and renewable materials.

The museum is also home to the region’s only year-round butterfly haven. Over the course of a year, you may see as many as 250 species of native and exotic butterflies here and on any given day, you’ll see at least 75 different species. Many of the other nature exhibits are interactive too, giving you a chance to get up close to tarantulas and other creepy crawlies.

Other eco-touches include the museum store, which is full of eco-friendly gifts and greening projects for kids; the cafe, which sells meals made from local, organic produce - and, during the winter months, the museum hosts the Chicago Green Market, where vendors sell organic foods and eco-friendly clothes and gifts.

The museum organization may be 150 years old, but it still manages to lead the field when it comes to green museums, and if you haven't had the chance to visit before, November 10 would be a good day to go, as admission will be free to mark the anniversary.You can find the entire article here http://aboutmyplanet.com/environment/chicago-nature