20 Fun Things To Do In Chicago With Kids in 2026 – Top Attractions, Cost, Activities & Tips

Chicago is one of the best American cities for families. The things to do in Chicago with kids span world-class free museums, a genuine lakefront beach system, an extraordinary aquarium, hands-on science centres, architecture boat tours that hold children’s attention, and a food scene that offers something for every age and budget.

The city is dense with family-friendly activity in a compact area. The Museum Campus on Lake Michigan clusters three major institutions within a 10-minute walk of each other. Millennium Park is a free outdoor playground for all ages in the middle of downtown. The Chicago Riverwalk provides waterfront access without a car. The El train system connects most major family destinations reliably.

This guide covers what actually works for families in Chicago, what it costs, how to time it, and how to get the most out of the city with children in tow.

Must Check: 26 Things to Do in St George, Utah

The best things to do in Chicago with kids include visiting the Shedd Aquarium, exploring the Museum of Science and Industry, playing in Millennium Park at Cloud Gate, riding the Chicago Architecture Foundation boat tour, spending a day at the Field Museum, visiting the Chicago Children’s Museum, swimming at North Avenue Beach, and taking the Chicago L train elevated railway.

Chicago Family Attractions At a Glance

Attraction	Best Age Group	Approx. Cost	Time Needed
Shedd Aquarium	All ages	$40-$50/person	3-4 hours
Museum of Science and Industry	Ages 4 and up	$21.95/adult, $12.95/child	3-5 hours
Field Museum	Ages 5 and up	$30/adult, $22/child	3-4 hours
Chicago Children’s Museum	Ages 0-10	$19/person	2-3 hours
Millennium Park	All ages	Free	1-3 hours
Chicago Architecture Center boat tour	Ages 7 and up	$48/adult, $22/child	90 minutes
Navy Pier	All ages	Free entry, rides extra	2-3 hours
Adler Planetarium	Ages 5 and up	$14-$24/person	2-3 hours

Things To Do In Chicago With Kids: Museums and Learning

1. Visit the Shedd Aquarium

The John G. Shedd Aquarium at 1200 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive is the most visited indoor aquarium in the world, having drawn over 130 million visitors since its opening in 1930. It covers 600,000 gallons of water across habitats representing freshwater rivers, tropical reefs, and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Key exhibits:

1. Abbott Oceanarium – A 3-million-gallon indoor ocean environment housing Pacific white-sided dolphins, beluga whales, and California sea lions. Dolphin and sea lion training demonstrations run four times daily.
2. Wild Reef – A 750,000-gallon recreation of a Philippine coral reef with over 500 species of fish, multiple shark species, and a 4,500-pound manta ray. One of the largest coral reef habitats in any US aquarium.
3. Amazon Rising – A recreation of the Amazon River seasonal flood cycle, housing electric eels, piranhas, and river turtles
4. Abbott Oceanarium Beluga Encounter – A structured beluga encounter programme for ages 3 and up, $35-$50 extra per person
5. Stingray Touch – An open-top tank where children and adults can touch southern stingrays and horseshoe crabs, included in general admission

Admission: $39.95 for adults, $29.95 for children aged 3-11, free for children under 3. Book online at sheddaquarium.org for $5 per ticket discount over gate pricing. Illinois residents receive significant discounts on select days.

The Shedd is consistently ranked the most essential of all things to do in Chicago with kids by families who have visited. Arrive at opening (9 AM) to access the dolphin show in the least crowded session.

2. Explore the Museum of Science and Industry

The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) at 5700 South Lake Shore Drive in Hyde Park is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, covering 14 acres of exhibit space in the former Palace of Fine Arts building from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

Key permanent exhibits:

• Coal Mine – A simulated descent into a working coal mine with authentic mine cars, working equipment, and darkness. One of the most memorable experiences among the things to do in Chicago with kids for older children.
• U-505 Submarine – The only German WWII submarine on public display in the United States, captured in 1944. Visitors can tour the interior. The U-505 Tour is $18 extra per person.
• Science Storms – A two-story exhibit with a 40-foot indoor tornado, a real lightning storm demonstration, and tsunami wave tank
• ToyMaker 3000 – A fully automated toy-making assembly line producing 15,000 tops per day that children can watch from viewing areas
• Fairy Castle – A 1/12-scale castle built by silent film actress Colleen Moore, furnished with the smallest Bible ever printed and miniature furnishings from multiple cultures

Admission: $21.95 for adults, $12.95 for children aged 3-11. IMAX shows cost $13 extra. The museum is open daily 9:30 AM to 4 PM. Allow a minimum of three hours; most families need five.

3. Visit the Field Museum of Natural History

The Field Museum at 1400 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive sits at the heart of the Museum Campus and holds one of the largest natural history collections in the world at over 40 million specimens.

Key attractions specifically for children:

1. Sue the T. rex – The most complete T. rex fossil ever discovered, 40.5 feet long and 13 feet tall at the hips. Discovered in South Dakota in 1990 and purchased by the Field Museum in 1997 for $8.4 million. Now displayed in the Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet.
2. Evolving Planet – A full floor chronicling four billion years of life on Earth through fossil specimens, reconstructions, and interactive displays
3. Ancient Egypt – A recreated burial preparation chamber, actual Egyptian mummies (including a mother and child mummy in the same wrappings), and objects from tomb excavations
4. Underground Adventure – A walk-in experience that shrinks visitors to the size of an insect to explore soil ecosystems. Particularly effective for ages 5-9.
5. Inside Ancient Egypt – A recreation of an Egyptian tomb with original artefacts and a multi-chambered walk-through

Admission: $30 for adults, $22 for children aged 3-11, free for children under 3. Book at fieldmuseum.org. Free admission days for Illinois residents are offered periodically through the museum’s community access program.

4. Visit the Chicago Children’s Museum

The Chicago Children’s Museum at 700 East Grand Avenue on Navy Pier is designed specifically for children aged 0-10 and covers 57,000 square feet of interactive play and learning space.

Key exhibits:

• Tinkering Lab – An open-ended making and building workshop where children use real tools, including hammers, saws, and drills with supervision, to build wooden constructions
• Cityscape – A child-scale city with a grocery store, a fire station, a veterinary clinic, and construction equipment
• WaterWays – An outdoor water play area with pumps, channels, and water-powered mechanisms (seasonal, summer only)
• Play It Safe – A fire safety simulator where children can operate child-sized fire equipment
• Dinosaur Expedition – A simulated archaeological dig where children excavate fossil replicas

Admission: $19 per person for adults and children aged 1 and up. Free for children under 1. Open daily 10 AM to 5 PM, Friday until 8 PM. The Friday evening extended hours are less crowded than weekend daytime visits.

5. Spend Half a Day at the Adler Planetarium

The Adler Planetarium at 1300 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive is the oldest public planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, opened in 1930. It sits on a peninsula at the eastern end of the Museum Campus with 360-degree views of Lake Michigan.

What the Adler offers:

Experience	Age Suitability	Cost
Fulldome show (standard)	Ages 5 and up	Included in admission
Space Visualization Lab	Ages 8 and up	Included in admission
Planet Explorers	Ages 3-8	Included in admission
Definiti Space Theater premium shows	Ages 7 and up	$5-$8 extra
Doane Observatory (Friday evenings)	Ages 6 and up	Included in admission

General admission: $14 for adults, $10 for children aged 3-11. Premium shows cost extra. The Adler is the most affordable of the three Museum Campus institutions and works as an add-on to a Field Museum or Shedd visit on the same day if you start early.

Things To Do In Chicago With Kids: Outdoors and Free

6. Play in Millennium Park

Millennium Park covers 24.5 acres in the heart of downtown Chicago between Michigan Avenue and Lake Michigan. It is free to enter and access at all times.

Family-specific features:

1. Cloud Gate (The Bean) – Anish Kapoor’s 110-ton polished steel sculpture reflects the Chicago skyline and surrounding park in a curved mirror. The underside of the sculpture, where children can look up at distorted reflections of themselves, is specifically captivating for ages 2 and up.
2. Crown Fountain – Two 50-foot glass brick towers facing each other across a shallow reflecting pool, each displaying digital faces of Chicago residents. The fountains spit water from the faces’ mouths in summer, producing a water play area for children that costs nothing.
3. The Great Lawn – An open green space used for free outdoor concerts including the Grant Park Music Festival (classical music, free) and Chicago’s summer festival calendar
4. Lurie Garden – A 2.5-acre public garden designed by landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson and garden designer Piet Oudolf, with seasonal planting and a small canal

Millennium Park is one of the most genuinely excellent free things to do in Chicago with kids at any time of year. In winter, the skating ribbon adjacent to the park operates with free ice skating (skate rental $15).

Also Read: Things To Do In Burlington VT

7. Spend a Day at Navy Pier

Navy Pier extends 3,300 feet into Lake Michigan at 600 East Grand Avenue and is Illinois’s most visited attraction, drawing around nine million visitors per year. Entry to the pier is free.

Family activities at Navy Pier:

• Centennial Wheel – A 200-foot Ferris wheel with climate-controlled gondolas. $18/adult, $15/child. Offers clear views of the Chicago skyline and lake.
• Chicago Children’s Museum – Located within the pier complex (separate admission, see above)
• Wave Swinger – A classic fairground ride ($8 per person)
• Crystal Gardens – A six-story indoor botanical garden with year-round palms and flowering plants. Free entry.
• Architecture boat tours – Multiple operators depart from the south dock
• Chicago Shakespeare Theater – A professional theatre on the pier with year-round productions including family-focused shows

Navy Pier restaurants range from $8-$12 fast casual to $25-$40 sit-down. The food options are noticeably cheaper on the land side of the pier than at the waterfront restaurants directly on the lakefront.

8. Go to North Avenue Beach

North Avenue Beach sits at the end of North Avenue in Lincoln Park and is the most popular urban beach in Chicago. It extends along Lake Michigan and has lifeguards on duty daily from June through Labor Day (11 AM to 7 PM).

What North Avenue Beach has:

1. A 1,000-foot sandy beach with graduated depth from knee-high at the shore to swimming depth 100 feet out
2. The Beach House building (shaped like a steamship) with concessions, changing rooms, and restrooms
3. Beach volleyball courts with nets ($25/hour reservation or free if courts are open)
4. Kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals at $20-$25/hour from the concession
5. A small children’s play area at the north end of the beach

The beach itself is free. Parking is expensive and fills rapidly on warm summer days. Take the CTA #151 bus from downtown or the Red Line to North/Clybourn and walk 15 minutes.

9. Visit Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo at 2001 North Clark Street is one of the last remaining free admission zoos in the United States. It covers 35 acres, houses over 200 species, and draws 3.5 million visitors per year.

The zoo has operated continuously since 1868, making it the second-oldest zoo in the US after the Philadelphia Zoo. Key exhibits:

• Regenstein African Journey – African elephants, hippopotamuses, pygmy hippopotamuses, and zebras in savanna-style habitats
• Kovler Lion House – Renovated lion and big cat facility with Amur tigers, African lions, and snow leopards
• Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo – A dedicated children’s zoo with river otters, brown bears, bobcats, and a beaver habitat
• Regenstein Center for African Apes – Chimpanzees and western lowland gorillas in indoor and outdoor habitats

Free entry year-round. Parking at the adjacent lot costs $22-$35. The zoo sits within Lincoln Park, Chicago’s largest public park, making it easy to combine with a walk along the lakefront path.

Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the most surprising things to do in Chicago with kids for out-of-town visitors who expect to pay for a quality zoo. The quality genuinely rivals paid institutions.

10. Ride the Chicago Architecture Center Boat Tour

The Chicago Architecture Center river cruise covers 1.5 miles of the Chicago River through the city’s iconic canyon of skyscrapers. It is the highest-rated attraction in Chicago on most review platforms and works for children aged 7 and up who have any interest in buildings or history.

What the tour covers:

1. Over 50 buildings discussed during the 90-minute cruise, from the 1890s Chicago School through modern supertalls
2. The point where the Chicago River was reversed in 1900, one of the most significant engineering feats of the 19th century
3. The Merchandise Mart, for decades the largest building in the world by floor space
4. Marina City, the corn-cob-shaped residential towers built in 1964
5. The Tribune Tower, clad with pieces of other famous buildings embedded in its base including fragments of the Colosseum and the Taj Mahal

Admission: $48 for adults, $22 for children aged 3-12, free for children under 3. Docent-led tours depart multiple times daily from the Chicago Architecture Center at 111 East Wacker Drive. Book at architecture.org. Covered and open-air deck options available; covered decks are preferable with young children in variable weather.

Things To Do In Chicago With Kids: Entertainment and Food

11. Watch a Chicago Cubs or White Sox Game

Chicago has two Major League Baseball teams. The Cubs play at Wrigley Field in Wrigleyville and the White Sox play at Guaranteed Rate Field in Bridgeport. Both venues are genuine cultural experiences specific to Chicago.

Wrigley Field, built in 1914, is the second-oldest MLB stadium in active use. Attending a Cubs game at Wrigley is one of the most specifically Chicago things to do in Chicago with kids for sports fans. The ivy-covered outfield walls, the manually operated scoreboard, and the rooftop bleachers on buildings across the street from the stadium make it unlike any other baseball venue.

Ticket prices by seating area:

Section	Cost Range	Notes
Bleachers (outfield)	$25-$60	Best atmosphere, standing sections
Upper deck reserved	$20-$45	Best value seats with full view
Terrace reserved	$45-$90	Mid-level, good sightlines
Field-level box	$80-$200+	Premium pricing

Children aged 2 and under: free in a lap. Children aged 3 and up: same price as adults. Get to Wrigley 45 minutes before first pitch to find parking and walk the neighbourhood.

12. Eat Chicago’s Signature Foods

Chicago has several genuinely distinctive food traditions that children consistently enjoy. These are not generic American foods; they are local variations with specific Chicago identity.

Chicago food experiences worth prioritising:

1. Deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s – Chicago-style deep dish is a casserole-style pizza with a buttery crust, cheese directly on the dough, toppings, and chunky tomato sauce on top. A 9-inch pizza serves two to three people at $20-$25. The Malnati’s locations at 439 North Wells Street (River North) and 1120 North State Street (Gold Coast) both handle families well.
2. Chicago-style hot dog at Gene and Jude’s or the Wieners Circle – A Chicago dog uses an all-beef Vienna Beef frank on a poppy seed bun with yellow mustard, white onion, neon green relish, tomato, sport peppers, and a pickle spear. No ketchup. Cost: $4-$6.
3. Italian beef sandwich at Al’s Italian Beef – Thinly sliced roast beef on Italian bread, dipped in the beef cooking juices, and topped with giardiniera peppers. Al’s Beef at 169 West Ontario Street is the most accessible location. Cost: $8-$10.
4. Garrett Mix popcorn – Garrett Popcorn Shops sell the Chicago Mix, a combination of cheese popcorn and caramel corn, from multiple downtown locations. A small bag costs $7-$10.

Giordano’s and Lou Malnati’s both offer kid’s portions and handle the wait for deep dish (typically 30-45 minutes) well with good service.

13. Go to a Chicago Fire or Chicago Bulls Game

Beyond baseball, Chicago’s professional sports calendar offers multiple family-friendly options:

• Chicago Bulls (NBA) at the United Center, 1901 West Madison Street. Regular season runs October through April. Upper deck tickets from $25. Children aged 2 and under free in lap.
• Chicago Fire FC (MLS) at Wintrust Arena, then at the Soldier Field area. MLS season runs March through October. Family packs including four tickets and concessions are available from $75.
• Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) at the United Center. Regular season October through April. One of the most passionate hockey fan bases in the NHL. Upper deck tickets from $35.

The United Center at 1901 West Madison Street hosts both Bulls and Blackhawks games. The arena has specific family sections in some areas and a dedicated children’s area in the lower concourse.

Things To Do In Chicago With Kids: By Age Group

Age	Best Activities
Ages 0-3	Crown Fountain water play, Lincoln Park Zoo (free), Children’s Museum, Cloud Gate reflection
Ages 4-7	Shedd Aquarium, Children’s Museum, Millennium Park, Lincoln Park Zoo
Ages 8-11	Museum of Science and Industry, Field Museum (Sue the T. rex), Navy Pier, Cubs game
Ages 12+	Architecture boat tour, Chicago L train exploration, deep dish pizza, sports games

Things To Do In Chicago With Kids: By Budget

Budget Per Day	Best Options
Free or minimal	Lincoln Park Zoo, Millennium Park, North Avenue Beach, Chicago Riverwalk walk
Under $50/family	Navy Pier (entry free, one ride), Crown Fountain, Adler Planetarium
$50-$150/family	Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, or MSI (pick one per day)
$150+/family	Shedd Aquarium plus Adler, Cubs game field box, architecture tour and deep dish

Practical Tips for Families Visiting Chicago

1. Buy the Chicago CityPASS or Go Chicago Card if visiting 3+ paid attractions. The CityPASS ($108/adult, $89/child) covers the Shedd, Field Museum, 360 Chicago or Art Institute, Adler, and MSI. It pays for itself immediately and skips ticket queues.
2. Use the CTA L train and buses. The Red Line stops at every major tourist area from Wrigley Field to the Museum Campus. A single-day unlimited pass costs $10. Children under 7 ride free with a paying adult.
3. Visit the Museum Campus on a weekday. The Shedd, Field, and Adler all see dramatically smaller crowds Tuesday through Thursday compared to weekends. Planning the Museum Campus on a weekday reduces queuing time significantly.
4. Book the Architecture Center boat tour in the morning. The 11 AM departure has the best light for photography and the least heat in summer. Afternoon departures in July and August can be very warm in the open-air sections.
5. Plan Millennium Park for morning or evening. The park is most manageable before 10 AM and after 5 PM in summer. Midday visits during school holidays involve very large crowds around Cloud Gate.
6. Eat deep dish pizza at lunch rather than dinner. Most deep dish restaurants have shorter waits and better availability at lunch. The 30-45 minute baking time for deep dish makes it a poor choice when children are hungry immediately.

Best Time for Things To Do In Chicago With Kids

Season	Conditions	Best Family Activities
Spring (Apr-May)	50-65°F, variable rain	Museums, architecture tour, zoo
Summer (Jun-Aug)	75-85°F, hot afternoons	Beach, Navy Pier, outdoor concerts
Fall (Sep-Oct)	55-70°F, excellent	All activities, baseball playoffs, architecture tour
Winter (Nov-Mar)	20-40°F, cold but manageable	MSI, Shedd, Children’s Museum, free zoo

Summer provides the fullest range of things to do in Chicago with kids, but late September and October offer ideal temperatures, smaller crowds, and lower hotel rates. Winter is genuinely cold but the indoor museums are excellent and significantly less crowded than summer visits.

FAQs: Things To Do In Chicago With Kids

What is the single best thing to do in Chicago with kids?

The Shedd Aquarium is the most universally recommended choice because it holds all ages’ attention across 3-4 hours, the beluga whales and dolphin shows work for children from toddler through teen, and the Wild Reef shark habitat is genuinely extraordinary. Book tickets online in advance to save money and skip ticket queues.

How do you save money on things to do in Chicago with kids?

The Chicago CityPASS covers five major attractions at around 40% off individual gate prices. Lincoln Park Zoo is free year-round. Millennium Park and the lakefront are completely free. The CTA day pass at $10 covers all transport. Eating pizza by the slice and hot dogs from street vendors costs $5-$8 per person.

What are the best rainy day things to do in Chicago with kids?

The Museum of Science and Industry, the Shedd Aquarium, the Chicago Children’s Museum, the Field Museum, and the Adler Planetarium all provide full half-day or full-day indoor activities. The Chicago Riverwalk is partially covered. The Chicago Cultural Center at 78 East Washington is free and has a beautiful Tiffany glass dome worth seeing.

Is the Chicago Architecture Foundation boat tour suitable for young children?

The tour works best for children aged 7 and up who have some capacity for sustained listening. The 90-minute format is manageable for most children this age. For younger children, the open-air deck provides enough movement to stay engaged. The boat has restrooms and a small snack bar. Children under 3 are free with a paying adult.

What neighbourhood should families stay in for Chicago with kids?

The River North and Streeterville neighbourhoods place families within walking distance of Navy Pier, Millennium Park, the Chicago Riverwalk, and the Architecture Center river cruise departure point. Lincoln Park is 15 minutes north by taxi and puts families near the free zoo, North Avenue Beach, and Lincoln Park itself. Both suit family visits well.

Is Chicago safe to visit with kids?

Chicago’s tourist areas, specifically the Magnificent Mile, River North, Millennium Park, Lincoln Park, Hyde Park (MSI), and the Museum Campus, are safe for families throughout visiting hours. Use standard urban awareness, stay on main streets after dark, and use CTA rather than walking long distances between neighbourhoods at night. The areas where most things to do in Chicago with kids are located are well-patrolled and tourist-friendly.

Must Read: Best Things to Do in Bozeman MT

Conclusion

Chicago is one of the genuinely great American cities for families precisely because it does not ask children to be quiet or to engage politely at a distance. The things to do in Chicago with kids put children inside working coal mines, standing at arm’s reach from beluga whales, touching stingrays, pressing their faces against Cloud Gate’s reflective surface, and watching a century-old Ferris wheel lift them above the lake.

The city rewards full engagement. Plan the Museum Campus for a weekday, use the CityPASS if visiting multiple paid attractions, and leave time for the free experiences that often turn out to be the best memories. The things to do in Chicago with kids that families talk about on the drive home are rarely the most expensive ones.