Best Family Attractions in Chicago
© 2025 Best Family Attractions in Chicago
You’re planning a vacation with your family and you want to see the attractions that will appeal to the entire family, and the kiddos as well – especially the kiddos - right? Here we’ll provide a list of the attractions that everyone in your family can enjoy. If you can’t see all of the attractions, you can certainly select those which most interest your family. All are located in the city of Chicago and are listed by area. Click on the attraction below to see more information:
Downtown Chicago
Children’s Museum (Navy Pier)
Maggie Daley Park (Loop)
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Hyde Park, Chicago
Before diving into the family attractions, do you need to book a hotel? If so, click on the links below to start up your hotel search:
Chicago Children’s Museum
Navy Pier (Downtown)
The Children’s Museum is a fun, interactive museum which has activities for all ages, but is especially geared toward kids ages 4-8.
At the museum, kiddos can shop in the grocery store or wash a car in the children’s version of a suburban town, or climb the multi-level jungle gym made of steel, wood, rope and wire. They can also see a life-size skeleton of the Suchomimus dinosaur and go on a kiddos’ dinosaur expedition. The little ones can dress up like a firefighter, drive a firetruck, and put out a fake fire. They can also put on a poncho in water city and spray water at targets to see what happens! If the kiddos enjoy building things, they can build a skyscraper using wooden “beams” and real tools.
Once you and your family have explored the Children’s Museum, you can also check out the rest of Navy Pier, where you will find food, rides, shopping and even fireworks twice a week (in the summertime). You’ll be able to capture precious photo ops not only in front of Navy Pier, but also with the Chicago skyline in the backdrop!
Location:
700 East Grand Ave
Navy Pier
Chicago
Hours - Typical hours are listed below, but be sure to check the latest hours prior to your visit (if you don’t plan on purchasing tickets in advance).
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday - 10-2
Friday to Sunday - 10-5
Closed Tuesdays
Exceptions to the hours above:
March 22- April 6: 10-5 daily (except April 5: 11-5)
April 26: 10-2 (early close)
Parking
Navy Pier Garages - Navy Pier has 2 on-site parking garages, the West Garage and East Garage.
Additional Garages – The following nearby garages have discounted parking available with validation (validation is available from Navy Pier Guest Services located at the west main entrance of the Pier):
Ogden Plaza Self Park – Located at 300 E. North Water Street
Cityfront Place Parking Garage - Located at 400 N. McClurg Ct.
© 2025 Best Family Attractions in Chicago
Maggie Daley Park
Loop (Downtown)
Maggie Daley Park has multiple imaginative, themed playgrounds for kids to enjoy including swings, slides, and jungle gyms. Kiddos can slide down from a lighthouse in one area of the park, climb on to a boat in another, walk across a suspension bridge in yet another playground. Also, be sure to checkout the beautiful, peaceful gardens along Randolph Street – the grownups in the group will especially enjoy this!
The park also has the following seasonal activities available (see approximate availabilities next to each – to obtain the latest information check out the park’s website prior to your visit):
Ice Skating Ribbon & Rink Cafe – November-March
Climbing Wall, rollerblading, and micro scooters – May-September
Mini-golf Course – March-October
The Maggie Daley Park grounds are set against the backdrop of the city, so it serves as the perfect setting for great pics with the family. Also, be sure to take a walk on the pedestrian bridge to visit Millenium Park!
Location:
337 E Randolph St
Next to Millennium Park
Loop area
Chicago
Parking:
Metered – Available on upper Randolph Street
Garage – The closest garage is the Millenium Lakeside Garage located under Maggie Daley Park. Enter from 5 S. Columbus Drive (located between Monroe and Randolph Streets). The Millennium Park Garage, located under Millenium Park across the street, can also be accessed from 5 S. Columbus Drive.
© 2025 Best Family Attractions in Chicago
Shedd Aquarium
South Loop (Downtown)
The Shedd Aquarium has aquatic animals from various habitats including the Amazon River Basin, Great Lakes, as well as ocean and coral reef environments. Kiddos will especially enjoy the Animal Spotlight shows which are held throughout the day – typically these shows include dolphins, but can include sea lions and beluga whales as well! There is also a seasonal stingray touch experience (available late-May to mid-Sept), as well as the seastar and the sturgeon touch experiences. A stingray feeding experience is also available (although it’s not for kids younger than 6).
There’s definitely a lot to see at Shedd Aquarium, but if you’re looking for more, you can purchase tickets for the following tours and encounters which include the price of admission (keep in mind that kids younger than 6 are not allowed for most of these activities):
Must see tour – 75-minute tour of the aquarium led by a guide
Sea Lion, sea otter, penguin, and beluga encounters – Come face-to-face with these animals and learn all about them (must be 5 ft tall for the beluga encounter)
Shark Feeding Tour – Go behind the scenes to see how sharks are fed
The following experiences are also available and require an extra fee, in addition to general admission:
4D Movies – Penguin, Shark, and Octopus
Virtual Reality experiences
If you get a chance, be sure to take in the great views of the city skyline from Shedd Aquarium - along with the rest of Museum Campus – for the perfect photo opp with your family!
Location:
1200 S. Dusable Lake Shore Drive
Museum Campus
South Loop area
Chicago
Hours: The museum usually opens at 9 am, however, closing times can vary. Check the latest hours prior to your visit (if you don’t plan on purchasing tickets in advance). You can check the link below or call 312-939-2438.
Dining:
Bubble Net Food Court (Abbott Oceanarium, Lower level 1) serves family-friendly food
Soundings Café (Abbott Oceanarium, Ground level) – coffee, pastries, and sandwiches
Deep Ocean Café – open seasonally (Polar Play Zone, underwater level) – serves hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, popcorn, and select ice cream treats
Parking: Several parking lots* are available nearby and accessible from the main Museum Campus Drive entrance:
East Museum Lot – Next to the Field Museum
Adler lot – Located next to the Planetarium - on Lynn White Drive just off of Solidarity Drive.
Soldier Field North Garage
*Please note availability in these parking lots will be limited on game days at Soldier Field, which include April 13, May 10, and Nov 1, as well as Bears games which will begin in August (exact dates TBA).
© 2025 Best Family Attractions in Chicago
Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park
The Lincoln Park Zoo is the only attraction on this list which is located outside of downtown. Although it’s approximately 3-6 miles from the other attractions, a trip to this zoo will be well worth it! The kiddos will get to see a wide array of animals such as the meerkat, polar bear, giraffe, snow leopard, and pygmy hippo! As an added bonus, there’s no admission fee!
If the little ones still want to see more, there are additional activities available at the zoo. The first two listed below are usually available daily, and the last is generally available several times a week:
Seal Training & Feeding – at the Kovler Seal Pool
Ape Cognition and Care – at the Regenstein Center for African Apes
Jamaican Iguana Care – at the Small Mammal and Reptile House
There are also additional activities available for which you can purchase a ticket:
Lionel Train Ride
Carousel
Virtual Reality experiences
Location:
2400 N. Cannon Drive
Lincoln Park area
Chicago
Hours: Typical hours are listed below, but the zoo may close early for special events, so check the zoo’s website or call 312-742-2000 prior to your visit.
10 am – Gates, buildings, and Farm-in-the-Zoo open
4:30 pm – Buildings and Farm-in-the-Zoo close
5 pm – Gates close
Dining:
Park Place Café – Italian and Mexican food available as well as sandwiches, wraps, and burgers
Eateries open seasonally: Patio at Café Brauer, Bird’s Eye Bar & Grill, Eadie Levy’s Landmark Cafe
Parking:
Street parking - Per availability on Stockton Drive
Parking Lot - The entrance to the Zoo Parking Lot (paid parking) is at 2400 N. Cannon Drive
© 2025 Best Family Attractions in Chicago
Hyde Park
Museum of Science and Industry
If you have children who are older and are interested in science, check out the Museum of Science and Industry, located in Hyde Park, Chicago, about 6-8 miles south of the downtown attractions. This museum has interactive and educational exhibits and is ideal for kids who enjoy learning about various science topics. For example, the science of storms exhibit demonstrates the laws of physics behind weather and other natural phenomena, including avalanches and sunlight, in a way that’s interactive and interesting for young students.
The whole family, along with the kids, will also enjoy seeing the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft in the museum’s space center. Walk into a Boeing 727, and learn about jet lag and other side effects we experience during flight. You’ll also see the restored U-505 Submarine and learn the intriguing story behind its capture by the US Navy during World War II. Explore many other interesting exhibits such as Farm Technology, the Model Railroad, Bicycle History, and Model Ships at this large, three-floor museum!
If you want to see more, there are also extra exhibits available for an additional charge:
Coal Mine Tour
U-505 Boat on-board Tour
Giant Dome Theater Shows
Select Temporary Exhibits such as Bond
Location:
5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Hyde Park (south of Downtown)
Chicago
Hours: Hours are generally 9:30am -4pm, but can vary due to season or special events. Be sure to check the latest hours prior to visiting (if you don’t plan on purchasing tickets in advance).
Dining:
Museum Kitchen (Lower Level, Lower Court) – Sandwiches, salads, burgers, and pizza
Stan's Donuts (Lower Level, Lower Court) – Donuts, coffee, milkshakes and other beverages
One Small Snack (Lower Level, Space Center)– Café which offers grab and go options
Parking:
Garage - Entrance to the underground Museum of Science and Industry garage is located in the northwest corner of the building, at E. 57th Street and S. Cornell Ave.
Metered - available East and South of the museum on Columbia Drive.
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