Kenosha Public Museum

Family Shark Day

Saturday, January 17  |  1pm – 3pm  |  Free

Dive into the fascinating world of sharks at the Kenosha Public Museum! Special guest Dr. Steve Kessel from Shedd Aquarium will share stories about his thrilling research with sharks in the Caribbean. Then, continue the adventure by exploring The World of Sharks exhibition from the American Museum of Natural History in our second-floor galleries. Round out the day with hands-on shark-themed crafts led by our education team!

Winter Movie Night Double Feature: Finding Dory and Jaws

Friday, January 30, 2026  |  5:00pm – 10:15pm  |  Free

Sponsored by the Friends of the Museum and Educators Credit Union

Escape the winter chill and join us at the Kenosha Public Museum for a special movie night double feature! Grab your camp chairs and blankets, and cozy up for two ocean favorites back-to-back. We’ll kick off the evening with Finding Dory, a heartwarming family favorite filled with colorful ocean adventures and a gentle introduction to sharks. Then we’ll follow it with the legendary thriller Jaws–a classic that will have you on the edge of your seat…or blanket!

Don’t miss this one-night-only event that brings together family fun, classic cinema, and the fascinating world of sharks!

Event Schedule:

5 pm: Finding Dory starts (running time, 97 minutes)

7 pm: Explore The World of Sharks exhibit between showings

8 pm: Jaws starts (running time, 124 minutes)

African American Read-In: Honoring Ntozake Shange

Saturday, February 7  |  1pm – 3pm  |  Free

This program celebrates African American culture through the voices of Black authors across a range of literary forms, including poems, essays, historic speeches, short stories, and children’s books. Community readers lend their voices to works that are sure to inspire, challenge, and reflect upon the Black experience in the United States.

Ntozake Shange (1948–2018) was an influential American playwright, poet, and novelist best known for her groundbreaking choreopoem “for colored girls/ when the rainbow is enuf”, which brought a powerful blend of poetry, music, and dance to Broadway. Born Paulette Linda Williams in Trenton, New Jersey, she later adopted the name Ntozake Shange to honor her African heritage. Her writing illuminated the joys and struggles of Black women with candor, lyricism, and innovation, spanning plays, poetry, fiction, and children’s literature. Shange’s bold voice and inventive artistic style continue to inspire generations of writers and performers. 

2026 is the 37th year of the National African American Read In, an event sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English and its Black Caucus. Each year communities across the country are urged to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month. This program is presented in partnership with the Kenosha Literacy Council, the Coalition for Dismantling Racism, the Kenosha Media Center, the American Association of University Women, and the Kenosha Public Library.

Kohl’s Wild Theater: Leona Lionheart Saves the World!

Saturday, March 7  |  1pm – 2pm  |  Free

Presented at no cost by the Friends of the Museum

On Earth Day, 10-year-old Leona skips a class field trip only to be swept into an unforgettable journey through her imagination! Guided by magical narrators, Leona meets three real-life female conservation heroes. As she explores nature, science, and courage across time and continents, Leona discovers how imagination can lead to real-world change. Leona Lionheart is a joyful celebration of environmentalism, empowerment, and curiosity: and a reminder that every person has the power to shape the world around us.

Book by Zach Thomas Woods, music and lyrics by Matt Zembrowski

Based on “Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story,” “Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist,” and “Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa.”

Women in STEM

Saturday, March 21  |  10:00am – 3:00pm  |  Free

Bring the whole family and join the Kenosha Public Museum in celebrating Women in STEM! Meet and talk to real scientists from a variety of fields, and participate in experiments and hands-on experiences with them. Explore our hall of scientists and learn about some of the incredible scientific discoveries that have been made by women throughout history–from discovering the crater of the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs to figuring out how to send humans into space, from uncovering the structure of DNA to building the foundation of quantum physics upon which Einstein built his theories.