This website uses cookies to ensure the best experience, which you consent to by clicking Got It. Learn more about how we handle your personal data and rights by reviewing our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Probably not, but we will. Speciality Museums. Wonder Works is best for little ones, ages birth to eight years old. Two rides, 10 LEGO build-and-play zones, and a 4D cinema are just a few of the great LEGO-themed experiences youll have here. One of the best children's museums in the country, there's something for kids of all agesfrom babies to school-age childrento enjoy here. We have enjoyed Daniel Tigers Neighborhood, the Imagineers, and the current exhibit about becoming part of different famous paintings. If you've got the chance, do some more sightseeing . Museum of Contemporary Photography. Located on the grounds of Lincoln Park, the setting couldnt be lovelier either. There are plenty of hands-on exhibits detailing space exploration and astronomy, as well as numerous sky shows! This is certainly a museum for older kids, but they'll enjoy everything from the mural gallery to the Hall of Immortals. Chicago Children's Museum. Speciality Museums. The Chicago Children's Museum, located on Navy Pier, is one of the biggest Chicago Attractions in the city. Field Museum sits on the citys lakeside Museum Campus, which means youre right next door to the Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium, too. The art classes in question incorporate art and artists from the museum's exhibitions, crafting a thematic arc for the duration of instruction. Kids will love the 20-foot-tall steamship and parents will love that the museum is small enough that they can watch their kids from all angles of the room. I would have rated this as a 5 star, but quite a few of the interactive buttons were not working. Continue exploring with man-eating tigers, mummified Pharaohs, rare gemstones, and giant bug. Check out our ever-growing list of Chicago free museum days in 2023, plus some of our museums, Cloud Gate, aka The Bean, is one of Chicagos most popular sights. Family-Friendly Museums: Attractions in Chicago - 10Best Photo courtesy of the Museum. But whether you're going for a specific event or just to have fun, you should have a great time at any of these fantastic (and educational) museums for kids and families. Bike tours Sign up for Bobbys Bike Hikes kiddie edition, Bobbys Tike Hike, designed specifically for kids aged 10 and under. Its one of the Chicago Childrens Museums permanent exhibits, and features nearly 100 miniatures donated by founder and curator Michael Horvich. Chicago is home to some incredible museums, and your list of things to do in Downtown Chicago should certainly include some of them. Address. We already have this email. The 10 Best Attractions for Young Kids in Chicago - TripSavvy In other words, whether youre in love with all things art or hopelessly devoted to science, these museums are cant-miss stops during any Chicago visit. Visit Chicago Children's Museum. Maggie Daley Park Maggie Daley Park is a magical place where youll find a Skating Ribbon, a 3-acre Play Garden created in the spirit of Alice in Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a mini golf course that takes you through Chicago-themed obstacles (like a mini Willis Tower), and a climbing wall right on the lakefront. 4701 Oakton St.SkokieOnline: skokieparks.org. Chicago Children's Museum. This museum is massivemost people dont see everything in one visit, so plan accordingly and wear your favorite walking shoes. Located a short walk from Millennium Park, this is the first museum of its kind in the nation, with exhibits that explore the history of American writing in all its guises, including fiction, poetry, journalism, and more. World-renowned, the zoos 2,000+ residents have captivated and educated visitors since 1934. Take a break from reading about these authors by reading something different or exploring the interactive spaces and murals in the Negaunee Foundation Childrens Gallery. 11 Must-See Museums Near Downtown Chicago | Choose Chicago There are designated spaces for babies and toddlers and older kids can run around and get their sillies out. (Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press) 6 min . Other fun events include interactions with turtles, live animal feedings, and storytimes. Since 1930, Chicagoans have been learning and exploring at this planetarium, which includes interactive permanent exhibits, the Doane Observatory, and highly-rated Sky Shows. There are plenty of options, such as the Children's art Museum, 360 Chicago skyline view atop John Hancock Building, Navy Pier, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Millenium Park, Adler Planetarium, Museum of Science, Maggie Daley Park, Field Museum, kayak tours, Lincoln Park Museum, and Chicago Architecture Center or even some family. Get a little bold and adventurous at the Museum of Contemporary Art, located just one block east of historic Water Tower Placeon The Magnificent Mile. Weve rounded up the GOAT (greatest of all time) museums for kids, all with special family programming and events, that are fitting for various ages and interests. THE 5 BEST Chicago Children's Museums (Updated 2023) - Tripadvisor Kids on the Fly, Chicago Children's Museum at O'Hare Airport. Families living north of the city also enjoy their own children's museum, with 17 permanent exhibits as well as several rotating exhibit spaces. Learn about famous politicians, artists, musicians, and athletes that lived in this neighborhood, take part in enriching S.T.E.M. The Polar Play Zone is designed with littles in mind, which means kids have the run in the penguin play place, submarine, and touch tanks with real starfish and stingrays. At the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, Youll find thousands of artifacts, books, posters, photographs, maps, and manuscripts, ranging from military medals to swords, that tell Americas history through the eyes of the citizen soldier. Chicago Childrens Museum Kids can stretch out, crawl, and use all five senses throughout interactive exhibits such as WaterWays, Dinosaur Expedition, and Treehouse Trails. As if that wasnt enough to entice you, the center offers more than 85 walking, bus, and boat tours, including the Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise aboard Chicagos First Lady, voted Chicagos #1 tour by TripAdvisor users. Check out the MCA Stage, too, where provocative performances are staged throughout the year. 1 The Location. NASCAR bets big on Chicago street race making inroads with new fans The museums Nature Trails activity guides kids along a nearly one-third mile trail to experience all the wildlife that thrives around the parks North Pond. Chicago Children's Museum At the Chicago History Museum in Old Town, kids of all ages can learn more about what the city was like before they were born, and how the culture is the same or different now. 3 Africa and the Halls of the Pacific. Best of all, the Chicago Childrens Museum is located at Navy Pier a goldmine of family-friendly things to do on Chicagos scenic lakefront. Best Chicago Museums For Kids and Families - Mommy Poppins RECOMMENDED: Discover more of the best Chicago attractions. Watch sharks feed, sea otters swim, stingray glide, and dolphins play at Shedd Aquarium, one of the largest aquariums in the world. All rights reserved.Privacy policy | Terms of use | Sitemap. The Sensing Chicago exhibit is geared toward younger kids, giving the basics about the Great Chicago Fire, letting them catch a fly ball at historic Comiskey Park, giving them a ride on a high-wheel bicycle, and providing a you-become-the-hot-dog demo (sans ketchup, of course). more, Speciality Museums Natural History Museums, Thanks for making travel with kids even more stressful OHare. Play and learning are bridged together at this museum, where kids can: tackle the Cloud Buster, a 30-ton, 37-foot-tall steel dreamscape that celebrates adventure and risk-takingqualities that are inherent to childhoodexcavate dinosaur bones, explore the way water moves through pulleys and pipes, pretend to fight fires, and discover how our skyline full of buildings is created through architecture and engineering. Dorothy's Playground is an awesome park for birthday guests. Photo courtesy of the DuPage Children's Museum. Young ones go wild in the buzzing, clanging, colorful Chicago Children's Museum. This is the worlds only pinback button museum, and home to buttons from every year since the pinbacks patent in 1896. As soon as you step through the door, youre going to be wowed by Driehaus Museums glistening marble floors, grand staircases, ornate decorative arts, imposing fireplaces, and antique furnishings. Learn about the specimen and archival collections: birds, eggs, and nests; mammals; amphibians, and reptiles; insects and spiders; fossils, and more. Chicago has some of the best childrens museums in the world where interactive play, with a focus on engaging youth development, is the modus operandi. Then you havent visited the Art Institutes Thorne Miniature Rooms. Field Museum, Museum Campus, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, South Loop. Both Bobbys Bike Hike and Bike and Roll Chicago give you the option of buying infant/toddler tickets that include special equipment such as child seats, comfy trailer carriers, and tag-a-long attachments. 26. Everyone from new walkers to fifth graders can find something to love about this multi-level museum at the west end of Navy Pier. 10. 4. These, Chicago has something for every kind of date, from cozy bars perfect for a first date to romantic restaurants worthy of milestone anniversaries. Pop-up programs, an after-dark series for grown-ups, and amazing planetarium shows are just part of what makes the Adler a major Chicago attraction. Thanks for subscribing! A fabulous mural created by celebrated illustrator and author Paul O. Belinsky adorns the gallery, depicting friendly squirrels reading classic kids books. Why the Field Museum Is the Best Kids Museum in Chicago Explore Shedd Aquarium. Check outthe best children's museums in Chicago forhands-on learning disguised as play, and be sure to explore our full guide to things to do in Chicago with kids. Theres also free admission to the Ryan Education Center, which hosts special events, interactive workshops, and family programming for kids 14 and under. Check out our ever-growing list of Chicago free museum days in 2023, plus some of our museums, The holidays are a magical time in the city, especially with kids in tow. What theyve found, is that the community as a whole benefits. Whether its, The holidays are a magical time in the city, especially with kids in tow. But the best attraction for kids is the Children's Museum. A membership to the Chicago Children's Museum is something to enjoy for children of literally all ages. The museum hosts rotating exhibits, as well as special events such as Halloween whodunits and Mothers Day teas, throughout the year. Interactive exhibits give kids the chance to experience immigration firsthand, with features such as a replica of a century-old Swedish farmhouse, and a 20-foot immigrant steamship that replicates the journey to America. 38 Chicagoland Museums for Families - Chicago Parent This childrens museum is a designated shoe-free play space, with things to climb, jump and run on. Kohl Children's Museum has a fun outdoor exhibit called Habitat Park where kids can explore sculptures along a trail or ride trikes through Tiny Town. The love of learning is nurtured here through music, art, water play, and nature-focused exhibits. They can also learn about musical instruments in the Ravinia exhibit, or play cafe, grocery store, doctor, bookstore, or parking garage at various exhibits throughout the museum. THE 10 BEST Things to Do in Chicago with Kids (Updated 2023) - Tripadvisor Chicago Children's Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go Dont forget to take in a dolphin show at Seven Seas, and sign up for seasonal giraffe feedings, penguin encounters, and education-focused animal kingdom experiences. Explore the Chicago Botanic Garden Image Credit: Chicago Botanic Garden Now open. By visiting ChooseChicago.com, you are consenting to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Pay the entrance fee and enjoy discovering this leading interactive exhibit for kids. Learn about Chicago's Night Sky and draw your own constellation on the lower level. You can pick your own pumpkins, go trick-or-treating,, Whether they want to be astronauts, authors, dinosaur hunters, or the next sports great, see kids play, learn, and explore at these kid-sized, family-friendly Chicago, No matter where you go in Chicago, youll find a diverse selection of places to eat and drink in every corner of our city. Specialties: Chicago Children's Museum is a place where families and caregivers with infants and children are encouraged to create, explore, and discover together through play. The Childrens Museum in Oak Lawn has designed activities and exhibits that engage children in social activity in response to that fact. Voted "One of the Top Five Immersive Art Experiences in the Country" by USA Today, WNDR Museum is filled with more than 20 interactive artworks and multi-sensory installations by cutting-edge artists and designers. Geared toward all ages, this is a great way to get kids in on the act, with audience suggestions as the actors inspiration. Kids can learn about healthy eating and shop at a mini Jewel-Osco store, learn about legendary African-American inventors, and take tours of the Bronzeville neighborhood. Sloomoo InstituteKids and kids at heart and invited to experience the Sloomoo Institutes interactive slime museum. Address: Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. Illinois residents can receive free admission on the following days in 2023: Jan. 16 - 20, 24 - 27, 31. Photo courtesy of Chicago Playgrounds. June 30, 2023 at 5:32 p.m. EDT. And everyone in the family loved the weather and transportation exhibits. There's also plenty for non-dinosaur loving kids to do here, too. Central Downtown / The Loop Near North Side Theater District Show all Good for Good for a Rainy Day Budget-friendly Good for Kids Hidden Gems 47 places sorted by traveler favorites Clear all filters 2023 1. Take a Shoreline Sightseeing boat from Navy Pier or Willis Tower and explore all three. The scale model of many of Chicago's downtown blocks is the highlight of this museum. Millennium Park In the Millennium Park each summer, kids splash around in Crown Fountains shallow pool and dash under water spouting from the lips of video-projected Chicago locals. Youll see rollerbladers and BMX bike enthusiasts making the most of the parks multi-skill-level concrete ramps and grinding rails all with a lakefront view. The collection spotlights historical currency and artifacts, so if youre wondering what money looked like in Colonial times, this is the place to go. They can test their skills against some of the all-time greats, including Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen; use CSI-type technology to unravel some of Chicagos most famous sports mysteries; hop into a professional simulator that puts them in the drivers seat of a high-octane race car at Chicagoland Speedway; and even go head-to-head with Chicagos greatest sports legends thanks to custom virtual-reality games. The Pritzker Playspace at the Chicago Children's Museum. These meticulously reproduced miniature rooms bring the world of art and architecture to a kids level. Here's why the Field Museum of Natural History is one of the best children's museums in the world. CHICAGO CHILDREN'S MUSEUM - 280 Photos & 197 Reviews - Yelp Photo courtesy of the Museum. 2023. Special Holiday Hours. 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.Online: msichicago.org, A post shared by DuPage Children's Museum (@dupagechildrens). Come wearing your thinking capor just romp around. From toddlers to teens, theres a family friendly activity or attraction to satisfy every interest and fuel all imaginations. Chicago History Museum. It is conveinently located between Mac and a bar, so Dad got a beer and sat beside the play area while i popped into Mac, happy family! Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, Lincoln Park. Waterways is also a fun experiment learning how to make water flow in different directions (just like engineers did with the Chicago River), but the exhibit is temporarily closed pending the lifting of the last COVID restrictions. In the Genetics exhibit, kids can see chicks hatching from eggs. Kayaking Take the kids on a kayak tour of Chicagos waterways from Monroe Harbor or the Chicago River. Visit the Amazon Rising and Wild Reef exhibits, see an aquatic show with dolphins, ask questions during an animal chat, and watch a 4-D movie. Come experience the joys of sensory play, soothing ASMR, and contemporary art. There are even designated spaces for the tiniest of babies to tag along. Get a delicious meal, and spend the day lost in knowledge. Your options triple when you consider that most of thetop Chicago museumsfeatureexhibits designed specifically for little ones. Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., Streeterville. And its the place to feel the excitement of summer fireworks, sightseeing cruises, Segway tours, an amazing maze, the Chicago Childrens Museum, fun stores, and movies at a mind-blowing IMAX theatre. Then adventure through an underground cave, climb on a giant spider web and learn about the how food goes from farm to plate. This subterranean playspace managed by the Skokie Park District features a giant "Lite Brite" wall, a theater complete with costumes, a water-filled stream where kids can "fish" (raincoats provided) and a train table. Pritzker Military Museum & Library, 104 S. Michigan Ave., 2nd Floor. Its also a great museum. Located in Willis Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world, glass boxes extend approximately 4 feet from the skyscrapers facade, more than 1,300 feet above ground level. By visiting ChooseChicago.com, you are consenting to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Enjoy Chicago's lakefront with a visit to Navy Pier, one of the most popular attractions in the city. PlayMakers LaboratoryPlayMakers Laboratory has been celebrating the power of childrens imaginations since 1997, with arts programs that focus on storytelling, theatre, and social-emotional skills. Chicago Sports Museum The Chicago Sports Museum combines high-tech interactivity with unique sports memorabilia and an impressive collection of game-used treasures and other artifacts. Rotating exhibits are featured on the second floor. The Loops major museums are among the largest of their kind in the country, home to collections you wont see anywhere else in the nation. Downtown Chicago's #1 Museum | The Art Institute of Chicago NOW OPEN Van Gogh and the Avant-Garde: The Modern Landscape May 14-Sept 4 Closed now, next open tomorrow. Many things to do for children of all ages. Many staff to supervise the children also. Art Institute of Chicago Downtown. Related: The 30 Best Things To Do in Chicago [Free, Kid-Friendly Activities, Museums] 2. Its been voted one of the top museums in the world by TripAdvisor users, its one of the oldest and largest art museums in the country, and its home to one of the biggest collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art outside the Louvre in Paris. Kids can make their way through a faux forest at the Treehouse Trails exhibit, dig for dino bones at the Dinosaur Expeditionor create something new in the Tinkering Lab using hammers, saws and more. Adler Planetarium, Museum Campus, 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive. And look in to the homes of reptiles and amphibians in the Istock Family Look-In Lab. American Writers Museum Visit the Childrens Literature Gallery at the American Writers Museumto get the kids all fired up about reading. Emerald City Theatre Creating fun productions especially for young audiences, Emerald City Theatre performs atThe Broadway Playhouse on The Magnificent Mile. With a world-class collection of over 300,000 pieces, The Art Institute of Chicago is a good place to start. Chicago History Museum Climb aboard the very first L train car, ride a high-wheel bicycle, hear the Great Chicago Fire, catch a fly ball at Comiskey Park, smell the Union Stock Yard, dive into a giant Chicago-style hot dog all at the Chicago History Museum. Mommy Poppins is a family activity website that helps people find things to do with kids. Blue Man GroupBlue Man Group is the epitome of theatre fun a multi-sensory, performance art experience that keeps kids wide-eyed from the moment the curtain goes up. As guests travel through WNDR, they are taken on a multi-dimensional journey in which they serve as an extension of each creator by interacting with various installations such as the WNDR Light Floor made of 100's of motion sensor LED panels for guests to stride and dance across, the Midwests only Infinity Mirror Room by iconic Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, and much more. Chicago Childrens Museum, 700 E. Grande Ave., Streeterville. The first and only African American childrens museum in America, Bronzeville Childrens Museums exhibits and galleries highlight Black culture. The museum is housed in the former Nickerson Mansion, which became known as the Marble Palace a fitting place to bring Chicagos Gilded Age to life. The views are spectacular, stretching across Lake Michigan. Chicagos museums are packed with fascinating, immersive exhibits on every topic you can imagine and the fun doesnt have to stop when the sun, 2023 Choose Chicago. A room from Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle at the Museum of Science and Industry. 414. Before stepping aboard, check out the centers exhibits, including the Skyscraper Gallery, with its towering scale models of the tallest buildings in the world, and the City of Chicago model, which recreates the Great Chicago Fire and other significant moments in the citys history. 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Browse the museums permanent collection, which includes more than 2,500 works, displayed in rotation, spanning media and movements from the 1920s to the present. 1200 S. Lake Shore Dr.Online: sheddaquarium.org. There couldnt be a better location for the Chicago Architecture Center than the legendary Ludwig Mies van der Rohe skyscraper at One Illinois Center, overlooking the Chicago Riverwalk. Oh, and dont miss screenings at the five-story, wraparound Giant Dome Theater. Walk under and get face-to-face with Mximo the Titanosaur, the largest creature to ever roam the Earth. These, From Frank Lloyd Wrights Prairie School to skyscraper cool, youll find architecture thats just your style in Chicago. Although not strictly a museum, Shedd Aquarium is part of Chicagos Museum Campus, along with the Field Museum and Adler Planetarium so think of it more as a living museum filled with exotic aquatic life. The Chicagoland area is home to several institutions that cater only to kids, offering dynamic, family-friendly programming year round. Location . While its impossible to fit all of Chicagos legendary venues into just a few days, this jam-packed itinerary, 2023 Choose Chicago. Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle and the Swiss Jolly Ball exhibit are fun to look at and a great break for your brain after trying to absorb so many facts.