The Judy Istock Butterfly Haven is a part of The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum founded in 1857. The butterfly house features more than 200 species of native and exotic butterflies and is really neat way to escape the Chicago downtown fuss. One of the museum's ongoing scientific efforts is the study, care, and breeding of native butterflies for species population support in the Chicago area.

The museum itself focuses on the natural history of the Chicago region and child and adult education. It offers more than 100 educational programs in the natural sciences for adults and children. In the Butterfly Haven there is a a short video, a huge room with a wall of windows for butterfly observation, a trellis strung with vines, a rocky waterfall and a curving path lined with benches.