The Windy City, as it is affectionately known, has enough to keep visitors entertained for weeks if not months – including tons to see and do for families.
The Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago’s Millenium Park (Photo: Pedro Szekely via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Travelling with children in tow often presents a challenge, particularly if your kids have conflicting tastes and interests. And then there’s money to bear in mind, with some family attractions costing a small fortune. If you’re travelling to Chicago with little ones and are keen to pack your itinerary with attractions and activities that will keep everyone happy we’ve picked out some of the best opportunities for fun and adventure that the city has to offer.
Head to an urban park
Constructed atop a railroad yard and large parking garages, Millenium Park lays claim to being one of the largest green roofs in the world. The park is a hive of activity at all times of the year, with visitors able to be active or sedate as they wish, whether it’s taking a stroll around the impeccably landscaped gardens, splashing around in the Crown Fountain, or catching a concert at The Pritzker Pavilion. A particularly popular attraction with kids is Lurie Garden, which offers the perfect spot for them to explore nature.
Mon-Sun 6am-11pm
Attend a fun-packed street festival
The family-friendly Do Division Street Fest sees local vendors and restaurants line Chicago’s Division Street during the first weekend of June each year. Visitors can look forward to a stellar line-up of live musical acts, including several local bands, playing across two stages, lashings of mouth-watering street food and cold beer, and eye-catching designer runway shows. Families can enjoy a dedicated area complete with arts & crafts, and a line-up of kid-friendly musical acts.
Division Street between Damen & Leavitt / June each year
A DJ playing tunes at Do Division Street Fest (Photo: Vital Kopy Media)
Chicago Botanic Gardens
Situated around 30 minutes by road from Downtown Chicago, Chicago Botanic Gardens is spread over some 400 acres of pristinely manicured gardens and lawns. For kids, there’s a butterfly garden, a model railroad garden complete with Thomas the Tank Engine and an exploding volcano, and a Growing Garden where visitors can investigate vegetables and flowers up close, water the plants, and learn how to grow their own food. Meanwhile an on-site café serves up a range of refreshments and snacks.
Learn some valuable techie skills
Coding and engineering are among the professions that are expected to outlive the AI revolution, so what better way to prepare your kids for the future than to sign them up for a class at Digital Adventures? They’ve cracked the code by creating computer coding and engineering design classes that are geared towards harnessing a deep understanding of the material while having fun so that students can take what they’ve learned and independently build their own amazing inventions and innovations.
701 West Armitage Avenue / Mon-Fri 8am-8pm Sat 9am-5pm Sun 12pm-5pm
Children in a classroom during a computer class at Digital Adventures (Photo: Digital Adventures)
Explore a family-friendly museum
Let your kids dig for bones on a dinosaur expedition, mess around with tools in a DIY maker space, learn to change a tyre, or paint and sketch in a dedicated art studio. This is just some of what your little ones can look forward to at the hugely popular Chicago Children’s Museum, spread over three floors at Navy Pier, the city’s bustling lakefront treasure, where it serves to entertain and educate younger visitors in equal measure with a huge assortment of interactive, hands-on exhibits and displays.
700 East Grand Avenue / Mon-Sun 10am-5pm
A child explores the Dinosaur Expedition area of the Chicago Children’s Museum (Photo: Colleen Kelly via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
Take the scenic route round
Chicago is undeniably a feast for the eyes from pretty much any vantage point, but perhaps nowhere more so than from one of its highest viewing spots – the captivating Ferris wheel known as the Centennial Wheel. Transporting thrill-seekers some 200 feet high into the sky, the imposing structure offers stunning 360-degree views from its enclosed pods, enrapturing all who ride on it and giving them memories guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Navy Pier / Sun-Thurs 11am-8pm Fri-Sat 11am-9pm
You can book tickets for the Centennial Wheel at GetYourGuide
The Ferris wheel at Navy Pier (Photo: Marcin Wichary Follow via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
Get your rib on
What better way to celebrate Father’s Day than to get elbow-deep in mouth-watering ribs? That’s the option available to anyone lucky enough to be in Chicago in June when the annual Ribfest Chicago comes to town. Taking place in the city’s North Center neighbourhood, the family-friendly event features world-class ribs from almost 30 vendors, plus contests to award prizes for the best ribs. But the entertainment extends far beyond the food – there’s also a stellar line-up of live music, dancing, games, and arts & crafts.
Lincoln Avenue between Irving Park Road and Berteau Avenue / June each year
Visitors to Chicago Ribfest tuck into the festival fare (Photo: Steven E. Gross )
Spend a day at the zoo
Just a few minutes north of Downtown, Lincoln Park Zoo not only houses rare species, but is also rare in the world of zoos as being entirely free to enter. Once inside, there are over 200 species to enjoy including lions, tigers and bears, along with lesser spotted creatures such as critically endangered eastern black rhinoceroses and Jamaican iguanas. There are also several farm animals that can be fed and petted, plus a nature boardwalk lined with interactive exhibits that teach kids about the wildlife native to the Chicago area. An on-site restaurant offers a varied menu of kids’ foodie favourites and beautiful pond views.
Lincoln Park / Mon-Sun 10am-5pm
A tiger shows its best side at Brookfield Zoo (Photo: Avinash Bhat via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 )
Delve into outer space
Inspire the next generation of space explorers at the immersive Adler Planetarium. Located on the banks of Lake Michigan, young visitors can immerse themselves in the world of outer space at various interactive zones, or catch a captivating space show in one of the venue’s three theatres. There are also outdoor terraces offering stunning views of Lake Michigan and across the Chicago skyline.
1300 South Lake Shore Drive / Thurs-Tues 9am-4pm Weds 4pm-10pm
Steps leading up to the Adler Planetarium (Photo: yevkusa via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Sail the seas on a traditional schooner
For a sailing adventure to remember, an enthralling trip on the 148-foot, four-masted schooner named Tall Ship Windy offers a unique way to see Chicago’s scenic shores for all the family. During the journey, your experienced and knowledgeable crew will regale you with fascinating facts and tales about the vessel and the long history of sailing in the region. Kids also get the chance to practice hoisting the boat’s sails themselves. Both day tours and sunset tours are available.
You can book Tall Ship Windy cruise tickets at GetYourGuide
The four-masted schooner Tall Ship Windy at sea (Photo: Kyle James via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Soak up the views from up high
There’s nothing quite like seeing a child’s eyes light up as they are treated to a dramatic bird’s-eye view over a city. Situated on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Tower, the 360 CHICAGO observation deck offers jaw-dropping vistas across Chicago and the wider region. More adventurous visitors may also want to get a ticket for Tilt!, an adrenaline-fuelling experience which sees the floor, wall, and ceiling move downwards to a 30-degree angle as you take in the views below.
875 North Michigan Avenue, 94th Floor / Sun-Fri 9am-11pm Sat 9am-2.30pm
You can book 360 CHICAGO tickets at Viator
Take a scenic riverfront stroll
For families who enjoy a tranquil stroll, the Chicago Riverwalk offers a one-and-a-half mile stretch of scenic pedestrianised walkway for them to take in the views from the western end of the Loop across Lake Michigan. Along the route, you can also stop to enjoy a range of kid-friendly activities including educational programmes and pop-up “PlayCubes”. There are also plenty of food and drink outlets to keep those energy levels up as well as benches and seating areas for a well-earned rest.
Chicago Loop
Discover what lies beneath
Housed within an impressive Beaux-Arts building situated on the fringes of Lake Michigan, Shedd Aquarium gives kids the chance to explore a rich variety of marine life through floor-to-ceiling exhibit windows and a range of fun-packed aquatic-themed activities. The third largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere, highlights include Amazon river tanks, colourful coral and fish, swimming beluga whales and encounters with playful sea otters.
1200 South Lake Shore Drive HOURS Mon & Thurs-Fri 9am-5pm Tues 9am-9pm Weds 9am-10pm Sat-Sun 9am-6pm
An exhibit at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium (Photo: Josh Hallett via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Watch some kid-friendly theatre
Chicago has a vibrant performing arts scene and at its beating heart is the Chicago Children’s Theatre. The city’s largest professional theatre company devoted to kids and families, the venue plays host to a busy and diverse programme of affordable shows throughout the year, all written and produced by in-house theatre staff. Whether your little ones are fans of life-sized puppets or other classic theatre favourites, you’re certain to find a performance to satisfy their tastes.
100 South Racine Avenue