Celebrate Mom all weekend long with family-friendly events at Chicago Botanic Garden and Brookfield Zoo, an Evanston Symphony Orchestra concert, and more.
Model Railroad Garden
Opens May 11
Glencoe
Explore Chicago Botanic Garden with Mom this weekend, when the annual Model Railroad Garden will open for its 20th year.
Brick Safari
Opens May 11
Brookfield
Don’t miss the U.S. debut of this event that will bring more than 40 life-size LEGO sculptures of animals to Brookfield Zoo.
Mother’s Day at Skydeck Chicago
May 12
Chicago
Treat Mom to spectacular views of the city with a visit to Willis Tower’s Skydeck Chicago, where the first 100 mothers will receive a pink rose.
Virtuoso Voices
May 12
Evanston
Evanston Symphony Orchestra welcomes Michelle Areyzaga and the North Shore Choral Society for this tribute to Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday.
Visit the Illinois Holocaust Museum May 10-12 and Mom gets in free. Admission is also free for all on May 10 in celebration of the museum’s 10th anniversary.
Make a Difference:
- The Lovie Project at Classic Kids Photography returns May 12 to June 15. Schedule a “lovie” photo shoot to create modern display art of your child’s favorite stuffed toys and the shoot will be free with the donation of a new lovie for children at Primo Center for Women and Children. The Lovie Project will take place at all Classic Kids studios, including Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Anna Carlson writes the weekly Weekend 101 column and monthly Recommended Events. A graduate of the University of Missouri, her work has been published in Chicago Parent, Inside Columbia Magazine, and Central California Parent Magazine. She is a proud supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.