Exploration Station - Bourbonnais, Illinois

Amy

Very disappointed in the way staff and management handled my situation. Only after paying did I find out that many of the exhibits (including the main huge castle) were either under construction or completely gone, but then when I told them that’s what we came for, they refused to do anything regarding any kind of refund or even just a pass to come back another time when things are back up. We’re usually there for hours but this time we tried to be there as long as possible which was only 30-40 min. Cost about $40. Kids were bored and wanted to leave. Not worth it.

Bethany

Um. Where do I start? They took the castle out to add a weird room with a library. The area has so many local libraries that are free. My daughter cried about the castle. Rightfully so. That castle was awesome. Change could’ve been made anywhere else. Every time I’ve been here the last 5 years they’ve removed more cool things and added nothing interesting. :/ this place was my childhood. Sad to see it in this state.

Andrew S.

Large open spaces for the little ones to crawl around, I am a bit disappointed they took out the castle from when I was a young lad, but their peter pan exhibit looks promising. The front staff was nice, and other than that small interaction, my child and I had literally a whole open room to ourselves for play time.

Vijion 2.

Not for kids over 8.
I went with (3) boys...2, 4 and 10.

Several areas were shut down or limited access.

Water feature closed
Flight simulator open, but not working
Illumination area closed
Plus one other area I can't remember was closed

I just felt that maintenance was pour and the upkeep was lacking. I felt uninspired.

So much potential, just need to tighten up the ship and keep things functional and you open up this place for kids 2-12. But right now it's not great, just ok.

Anna B.

Such an amazing space. We had so much fun and staff was welcoming and kind. My kids are 4 and 2 and there was plenty to keep them busy for 2 hours. We could have easily stayed longer. The exhibits are engaging and everything was very clean. We went on a Thursday evening which is free (donation entry fee). We will definitely return.

Jackie S.

Prices are pretty high, which is pretty normal for children's museums, but I pay those prices so that my kids can play with new and exciting stuff.
I came last about 2 years ago and almost nothing has changed. The flight simulator isn't working. Anything with Velcro was worn out. Dinosaur dig doesn't have enough rubber to actually cover the fossil.
The vet area was super cute and may be new or updated recently.
Staff was nice and the place was clean.

Jordan S.

My daughter loves it here and I like the fact that it is always clean and they don't keep toys that are broken or damaged. They are constantly adding newer toys to each play area. The staff is super friendly and every Tuesday and Thursday after 1:30pm it is free to get it but they would appreciate donations of whatever you can afford. They also do special events quite frequently and they are reasonably priced events.

Brent S.

It can be difficult to find a place where the whole family can engage with imaginative play with their kids. The Exploration Station solved that with hands on interactive stations, castles, flight simulator, and much more so that families can make meaningful connections through play.