Why Chicago is a Great Place for Scouts to Earn Badges

Chicago has it all when it comes to the categories of badges you can earn. Is your troop interested in STEM topics? We've got a dozen or more museums that offer science-based Scout badge programs. Got an artsy troop? We have paint and sips and theaters that would love to help your scouts earn a patch. Looking for an outdoorsy patch? You don't even need to drive an hour outside of the city to find places to hike, camp, boat, or fish. We also have all of the kinds of weather, so you can earn snow-based badges in the winter and water fun badges in the summer. 

Top Places to Earn Scout Badges in Chicago

Forest Preserve Districts of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, or Will County

Types of Badges: Outdoors, art, bugs, hiker, flowers, gardening, geocaching, Gold Award, and Eagle Scout proejcts

Ages: Daisies through Juniors, Tigers through Webelos

Cost: $5-$20 per Scout; some billed per hour per interpreter

Kids these days don't get as many opportunities to wander around outdoors. Working on a Scout badge at a forest preserve, with the help of a guide or interpreter who knows what they're doing, can help kids get an appreciation of the outdoors and learn how to function without a screen or phone GPS. We did our Brownie Hiker badge at Fullersburg Woods in Oak Brook, and in just 90 minutes, the Girl Scouts learned how to prepare for a hike, how to read trail markers, and some helpful tips on how to find their way back if they get lost. They also saw a deer, and the first cicadas of that noisy summer of 2024. 

Cantigny Park

Types of Badges: Rosie Petal, Celebrating Community, Automotive Design, Detective, Playing the Past, Night Owl, Paws for Action, First Aid

Ages: Daisies through Cadettes, Cub Scouts

Cost: $5 per Scout

Cantigny has a lot of different elements: it's a park and garden and also home to a military history museum. The instructors for each badge have unique expertise that you won't find elsewhere, in a variety of topics from science to history to the outdoors. We did the Home Scientist badge (which no longer exists) here, and it was taught by former military scientists. They had five interesting stations for the scouts to travel to throughout the museum, each with an activity that fit one of the badge requirements, and made science exciting. We like that it was well-organized and educational, but still fun.

Double J Riding Club

Types of Badges: Horseback Riding, Outdoor Adventure, Animal Habitats, Animal Helper

Ages: Daisies through Cadettes

Cost: $25 per Scout, minimum of 10 Scouts

Double J Riding Club focuses on Girl Scout badges and offers them for horseback riding as well as badges related to other animals and outdoor activities. Most badge programs are 90 minutes or two hours and include all steps of the badge. They're particularly fun if your kids like horses, but there's also plenty of other farm animals to enjoy on site. They also offer badges about flowers and gardening. Programs run at 11 a.m. each weekend and 3 p.m. after school on weekdays, so you can book one at your convenience.

Morton Arboretum

Types of Badges: Geocaching, Into the Woods, Trees, Into the Wild, Night Owl

Ages: Juniors and Cadettes, Webelos 

Cost: $150 for up to 15 Scouts, $250 for 16-30 Scouts

Book a guided program for after school, in the evening, or a weekend morning for kids to learn more about everything from geocaching to what animals come out at night. Or, rent backpacks full of the materials you'll need for a self-guided adventure through the trees, woodlands, and prairies of the arboretum. The night-time adventures are fun for troops starting to think about overnight camping, and this is another great opportunity to get kids outside. 

Lyman Woods

Types of Badges: SO MANY. 

Ages: Daisies through Seniors, Lions through Webelos

Cost: $8.50-$12.50 per Scout with s'mores and campfire add-on available

This Downers Grove nature center offers more than 50 badge programs at literally every level of scouting. You can even book an overnight with a 90-minute guided program to earn a badge and have some extra fun. We did our Letterboxing badge at Lyman Woods and loved learning this somewhat old-fashioned scavenger hunt meets geocaching game. The guides are friendly and everything is set up for you, so even badges you had no idea how to approach are accessible here.

Hinsdale Humane Society and Naperville Area Humane Society

Types of Badges: Pets and Animals

Ages: All scouting levels

Cost: Free to $5 per Scout

When we started letting our Scouts choose their own badges, the Pets badge was first on the list. Hinsdale Humane Society hooked us up with a tour and taught the Scouts all about how to care for animals, how much to budget for pet food, healthcare, and hygiene, and they even let us pet a few animals. While these places don't always have a specific badge program, I have found that sharing a pdf of the badge requirements will help your guide talk and walk through most of the points required to earn your patch!

Cosley Zoo

Types of Badges: Tula Petal, Critter Care, Bugs, Pets, Senses, Animal Habitats, Backyard Jungle, Tigers in the Wild, Spirit of Water, Fur, Feathers, and Frems, and Into the Wild

Cost: $10 per scout, $80 minimum

Ages: Daisies through Juniors, Tigers through Webelos

This isn't the biggest zoo in Chicago, but it has Scout programs down pat. In 90 minutes, you can earn many different Girl Scout or Boy Scout badges centered around nature and animals. Cosley Zoo mostly has animals native to the Midwest, giving scouts a chance to learn about local ecology and see live animals. 

DIT Workshops

Types of Badges: STEM Career Exploration,Woodworker, Gardening, Paper Circuit, Knitting, Hand sewing, Entrepreneur

Cost: $25 per Scout 

Ages: Daisies through Cadettes

We called this local business when our Girl Scouts wanted to earn their Brownie Painting badge (now retired), and the owners made up a program for us based on the badge requirements we sent them. They've since created several other programs to help Girl Scouts earn a variety of badges at every level from Daisies through Cadettes. They involve everything from woodworking to 3D printing, and they've become a big hit in the western suburbs.  

DuPage Children's Museum

Types of Badges: Automotive Design, Engineer, Designing Robots, Gizmos & Gadgets, Outdoor Art, Stories and Shapes, Animal Observer, Animal Habitats, Mountain Lion, Tiger in the Wild, Roller Coaster Design, Fling Flyer Design, Crane Design, Race time

Cost: $20 per Scout (members), $25 per Scout (non-members)

Ages: Daisies through Juniors, Lions through Webelos

These are pre-scheduled workshops, mostly centered around STEAM topics, at the Naperville museum. Scouts can go on their own or with their troop. The fees include admission for one adult per scout, plus play time in the museum Each workshop is 60-90 minutes and lets kids design a vehicle or travel bot, create their own outdoor art, or learn about owls. These are great for doing on your own, or with sibling Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts together!

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Types of Badges: Animals, bugs, nature, gardening, conservation, ecology

Cost: $175

Ages: All ages and scouting levels

These 45-minute workshops may not complete your whole badge, but they usually take care of the parts that are hard to do yourself. Scouts can choose an outdoor workshop, where they learn about plants and animal habitats, from May through October, or an indoor workshop, featuring the nature museum's own animals and exhibits, during the winter months. These are great for badges related to ecology and conservation.

Elk Grove History Museum

Types of Badges: Three different Daisy petals, Celebrating Community, Bugs, Geocacher, Playing the Past, Trees, history related Boy Scout badges

Cost: $4-$5 per scout

Ages: Daisies through Cadettes, Cub Scouts through Webelos

There's a wide variety of badges available at this small suburban museum! Learn about what it was like in the northwest suburbs in the 1800s, explore bugs in the area, tell a story, and investigate local trees and plants at these two-hour programs. You can book your own time from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.

XTreme Dance Naperville

Types of Badges: Dance

Cost: FREE

Ages: Daisies and Brownies

Xtreme Dance in Naperville supports local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, and offers a free dance class for your troop to help you earn the Brownie Dance badge. You can also try to fit the dance class into one of your Daisy petals or your Fair Play or My Best Self Brownie badge. Show the instructors the requirements you're trying to meet so they can help best meet your needs.

Taste Buds Kitchen

Types of Badges: Art & Design, Snacks, Simple Meals, New Cuisine, Dinner Party

Cost: $265

Ages: Daisies through Ambassadors

Cooking is a great skill for your Girl Scouts to have, and it's not always easy to earn these badges in your meeting space (have you ever tried to get a dozen seven-year-olds to clean a kitchen?). This Bannockburn cooking school teaches kids to make cupcakes, smoothies, pretzels, tacos, calzones, chicken parmesan, and more to earn the food-related badge at each level. You may cringe at lighting a stove or letting your scouts handle knives, but these pros have it covered!

Little Medical School

Types of Badges: First Aid

Cost: Not listed

Ages: All ages and scouting levels

This kid-friendly medical learning center can come to your location to teach 8-12 scouts the basics of first aid to earn a badge and to have as a life skill. Kids learn how to call 911 and ask for help, how to treat minor injuries, and how to make a first aid kit. It's always great to have kids who know what to do in case of an emergency!

Shedd Aquarium

Types of Badges: Oceanography, Animal Observer, Marine Biology

Cost: $30-$35 per Scout

Ages: All ages and scouting levels

The Shedd Aquarium offers programs for Boy Scouts to earn their Oceanography badge and Girl Scouts to earn their Animal Observer badge on various dates throughout the year. Watch the aquariums programs and events page for upcoming dates. All scouts also earn a one-of-a-kind marine biologist badge from the Shedd Aquarium after these 90-minute hands-on workshops.

Naper Settlement

Types of Badges: Geocaching, Letter Boxing, Junior Detective, Home Scientist, Escape Room

Cost: $225+

Ages:Brownies and Juniors

All of the badges at this west suburban historical village revolve around finding clues and solving a mystery! Best for Brownies and Juniors, these 90-minute programs are fun for history buff Scouts and their leaders.

School of Rock

Types of Badges: Music

Cost: Varies by location

Age: Juniors

School of Rock franchises have teamed up with Girl Scouts to create a program for Juniors to earn their musician badges. The program includes demonstrations, exploring music in the community and different kinds of music from around the world, learning the basics of playing an instrument, and performing for your peers. 

Studio Nafisa

Types of Badges: Art & Design, Drawing, Jeweler, Girl Engineer

Cost: $20 per Scout

Age: Brownies and Juniors

This Aurora art studio has classes at their location or they can come to your location for a variety of arts based badges. Learn to draw, design, make jewelry, or even start learning engineering skills in these hour and a half to two hour meetings. Doing a badge here means you don't have to go out and buy all of the materials to make great art!

Red Oaks Nature Center

Types of Badges: 20 different Boy Scout and Girl Scout nature-related badges

Cost: $48-$90 for the first six Scouts, $10-$15 per additional Scout

Ages: All ages and Scouting levels

Little Scouts can complete a program in one hour, or bigger Scouts can choose 90-minute, two-hour, or even six-hour programs to earn more advanced badges at this North Aurora nature center. Some trail-based programs are only offered in the fall and spring, but there are badge courses available all year round. Boy Scouts going for their Eagle Scout award may be able to find counseling on different badges not listed in the brochure.

Suburban Park Districts:

Types of Badges: Mostly nature and sports-based badges

Cost: Varies by location

Ages: All ages and Scouting levels

We've found Girl Scout and Boy Scout badges in many suburbs, including Bartlett, Buffalo Grove, Geneva, Glen Ellyn, Joliet, Lombard, Naperville, Oak Brook Terrace, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, Skokie, and Wheaton. Each offer different badges depending on what their facilities are best suited for, and some charge different rates for resident and non-resident troops. Look for a park district near you with a nature center or historic building; these usually have their own related badge programs. 

Frequently Asked Questions
 

Q: Can troops schedule private badge workshops at these places?

A. We tried to focus this list on places that have specific badge programs that you book and pay for. That means most of these programs have an instructor dedicated to your group, and you'll be in a venue where you can do the badge without too much interference from outside parties. They won't be clearing the entire forest preserve from other visitors, but you'll be able to learn without extra noise or stranger danger.
 

Q: Do these badge programs align with official Girl Scout/BSA requirements?

A. In most cases, these Chicago Scout badge programs will meet all or most of the badge requirements. If you're not sure, confirm with the instructor before booking the program. I find it useful to send a copy of the requirements in advance. If a venue can't meet at least 60% of the requirements, we usually look elsewhere.

In some cases, I have found that sharing a pdf of the badge requirements will help your guide talk and walk through most of the points required to earn your patch.

Q: Can individual Scouts attend or do you need a full troop?

A. We've noted above where individual scouts are allowed or encouraged. Many older Scouts, like those pursuing their Gold Award or Eagle Scout Award, are individual members and should be able to investigate badge opportunities on their own. 

Q: Are scholarships or discounts available?

 A: Some museums offer reduced rates for Title I schools or non-profits; group discounts are often available too. Many of these programs are so inexpensive that they can easily be covered by your troop's fundraising proceeds.