With kids · Chicago · United States

Chicago with kids

Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.

Updated 23 October 2026By the AMZBooking editorial team

Quick answer

Chicago is one of the easiest big US cities for children: the Museum Campus puts dinosaurs, an aquarium and a planetarium side by side, the zoo is free, and summer adds beaches, Navy Pier and splash time at the Crown Fountain. The L is stroller-friendly at stations with lifts, but not every station has one. Top picks: Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Museum of Science and Industry. Families usually base themselves in Streeterville and the Magnificent Mile.

Family picks: 8
Best area for families: Streeterville and the Magnificent Mile
Rainy-day options: 5
Busiest months: June–August

Best things to do with kids

Museum · Museum Campus

1.Field Museum

One of the world's major natural-history museums, the Field holds Sue, one of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons ever found, a cast of the giant titanosaur Máximo in the main hall, a walk-through Egyptian tomb and the Evolving Planet fossil galleries. It shares the lakefront Museum Campus with the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium.

Arrive at opening and do the Field in the morning; the Shedd is a five-minute walk away for the afternoon.

Time needed: 3–4 hours
Cost: Mid-priced

Kids
Rainy day
History
Iconic

Aquarium · Museum Campus

2.Shedd Aquarium

Opened in 1930 in a Beaux-Arts building on the lake, the Shedd's highlights are the Caribbean Reef, a circular tank in the central rotunda, the Wild Reef shark exhibit, Amazon Rising and the Abbott Oceanarium, where beluga whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins swim in front of windows that look out onto Lake Michigan.

Walk the lakefront path from the Shedd to the Adler Planetarium afterwards for the classic skyline photo.

Time needed: 2–3 hours
Cost: Mid-priced
Book ahead: Buy timed tickets online; on summer weekends and school holidays the entry queue can stretch around the building.

Kids
Rainy day
Iconic

Museum · Hyde Park

3.Museum of Science and Industry

Housed in the Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, this is one of the largest science museums in the Americas. Highlights include U-505, a German submarine captured in 1944, a replica coal mine reached by a mine-shaft lift, the streamlined Pioneer Zephyr train and a huge model railroad running from Chicago to Seattle.

Allow at least half a day and pick two or three big exhibits; the Metra Electric to 55th–56th–57th Street is the easiest way there from downtown.

Time needed: Half a day
Cost: Mid-priced
Book ahead: The U-505 on-board tour and the coal mine need separate timed tickets that sell out on busy days; add them when you book entry.

Kids
Rainy day
History

Zoo · Lincoln Park

4.Lincoln Park Zoo

Founded in 1868 and still free, Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in North America. Gorillas and chimpanzees live in the Regenstein Center for African Apes, lions in the Pepper Family Wildlife Center, and small children love the Farm-in-the-Zoo. The Nature Boardwalk at South Pond, next to the zoo, frames a classic skyline view.

Zoo parking is limited and paid; take the 151 bus up from Michigan Avenue instead.

Time needed: 2–3 hours
Cost: Free

Free
Kids
Outdoors
Nature

Waterfront · Streeterville

5.Navy Pier

Opened in 1916, the kilometre-long pier juts into Lake Michigan with the 60-metre Centennial Wheel, the Chicago Children's Museum, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and docks for lake cruises and speedboat rides. It is commercial and crowded in summer, but walking the pier is free and the view back to the skyline from the east end is one of the best in the city.

Walk to the far east end for skyline views and fewer people; summer fireworks over the lake are held on some evenings, so check the pier's calendar.

Time needed: 2–3 hours
Cost: Free

Kids
Views
After dark
Free

Park · The Loop

6.Millennium Park and Cloud Gate

Chicago's showpiece park holds Anish Kapoor's mirrored Cloud Gate sculpture (universally called the Bean), the Crown Fountain's two glass-block towers that show the faces of Chicagoans and spout water in summer, Frank Gehry's Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Lurie Garden. Free concerts fill the pavilion lawn on summer evenings.

See the Bean early in the morning before the crowds, then cross Gehry's winding BP Bridge to Maggie Daley Park.

Time needed: 1–2 hours
Cost: Free

Iconic
Free
Kids
Photo spot
Outdoors

Park · The Loop

7.Maggie Daley Park

Linked to Millennium Park by Frank Gehry's BP Bridge, this park has a play garden with giant slides and climbing nets, rock-climbing walls and, in winter, a looping ice-skating ribbon instead of a conventional rink. The play garden is free; skating and the climbing walls are paid.

Skate-rental queues are long on winter weekends; a weekday afternoon is much calmer.

Time needed: 1–2 hours
Cost: Free

Kids
Free
Outdoors
Active

Museum · Museum Campus

8.Adler Planetarium

America's first planetarium opened in 1930 at the end of the Museum Campus peninsula. Inside are dome shows, space exhibits and a collection of historic astronomical instruments; outside, the lakefront path in front of the building gives one of the widest skyline views in Chicago, especially at dusk.

Even if you skip the museum, walk out to the Adler around sunset for the view back across the harbour to downtown.

Time needed: 2 hours
Cost: Mid-priced

Kids
Views
Rainy day
Photo spot

Rainy-day ideas

Field Museum — Arrive at opening and do the Field in the morning; the Shedd is a five-minute walk away for the afternoon.
Shedd Aquarium — Walk the lakefront path from the Shedd to the Adler Planetarium afterwards for the classic skyline photo.
Adler Planetarium — Even if you skip the museum, walk out to the Adler around sunset for the view back across the harbour to downtown.
Museum of Science and Industry — Allow at least half a day and pick two or three big exhibits; the Metra Electric to 55th–56th–57th Street is the easiest way there from downtown.
Garfield Park Conservatory — Take the Green Line to Conservatory–Central Park Drive, which stops right next to the entrance.

Where families should stay

$$$$ · Best for families, shopping, luxury and first-timers

Streeterville and the Magnificent Mile

East of Michigan Avenue between the river and Oak Street, Streeterville packs large hotels between the Magnificent Mile's flagship stores and the lakefront. Navy Pier, the Museum of Contemporary Art, 360 Chicago and Ohio Street Beach are all within walking distance, and the Lakefront Trail runs along its eastern edge. It is polished and convenient rather than characterful.

Good: Walk to Navy Pier and the lakefront; Big hotels with family rooms and pools; Shopping on the doorstep
Watch out: Expensive hotels and parking; No L stations east of Michigan Avenue
Nearby: Navy Pier, 360 Chicago, Magnificent Mile, Ohio Street Beach, Museum of Contemporary Art

Family travel tips

Children under 7 ride CTA trains and buses free with a paying adult.
The Crown Fountain in Millennium Park is a free splash area on hot summer days; bring a change of clothes.
Book the Shedd and the Museum of Science and Industry's extra exhibits ahead on weekends and school holidays.
The Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier is aimed at under-10s and works well on a rainy day.
Check the CTA website for lift-equipped stations before travelling with a stroller.

Day trips for families

Indiana Dunes National Park (About 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes by train) — Sand dunes, beaches and wetlands along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, with views back to the Chicago skyline on clear days.
Chicago Botanic Garden (About 1 hour by train and a short walk) — Spread across islands in the northern suburb of Glencoe, the garden includes the Malott Japanese Garden, a rose garden, a fruit and vegetable garden and walking paths around the lagoons.
Starved Rock State Park (About 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours by car) — Sandstone canyons along the Illinois River, with seasonal waterfalls after spring rain and frozen falls in cold winters.

When to go with children

The best months overall are May–June and September–October. June–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.

Questions travellers ask

+Is Chicago good for kids?

+What can kids do in Chicago?

Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, Lincoln Park Zoo and Navy Pier.

+Where should families stay in Chicago?

Streeterville and the Magnificent Mile: Flagship stores, lakefront high-rises, Navy Pier and 360 Chicago.