Kids & Family in Chicago, IL

25 places · 15 free · 10 indoor · Updated 2026-10-19

Streeterville

Chicago Children's Museum

Free for IL residents first Sunday and Monday of each month. On Navy Pier.

700 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611Daily 10am-5pm, Thu until 8pmindoorAges 0–10verified yesterday
$17
Navy Pier Inc.

Free to walk around. Free fountain for kids. Fireworks Wed + Sat nights in summer.

600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611Sun-Thu 10am-8pm, Fri-Sat 10am-10pm (seasonal)verified yesterday
Free

Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park Zoo

Free. Every single day. 365 days a year. One of the last free zoos in the country.

2001 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614Daily 10am-5pm (summer hours extended to 6:30pm)verified yesterday
Free
Chicago Park District - Oz Park

Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion statues. Free playground behind them.

2021 N Burling St, Chicago, IL 60614Daily 6am-11pmoutdoorverified yesterday
Free
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Walk through a greenhouse full of live butterflies. Small enough for toddlers to handle.

2430 N Cannon Dr, Chicago, IL 60614Daily 10am-5pmindoorAges 0+verified yesterday
$10

Hyde Park

Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

There's a captured WWII U-boat inside. Also a coal mine ride. Free for IL residents on select days.

5700 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60637Daily 9:30am-4pmindoorverified yesterday
$22.95

Museum Campus

John G. Shedd Aquarium

Beluga whales, penguins, touch pools. Polar Play Zone is built for under-5s.

1200 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605Daily 9am-5pmindoorverified yesterday
$29.95
Field Museum of Natural History

SUE the T. rex upstairs. Fossil dig and beaver dam building downstairs (ages 2-6).

1400 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605Daily 9am-5pmindoorAges 2+verified yesterday
$30
Chicago Park District - Northerly Island

Free. 91-acre peninsula. Prairie trails, skyline views, bird watching.

1521 S Linn White Dr, Chicago, IL 60605Daily 6am-11pmoutdoorverified yesterday
Free
Adler Planetarium

Sky shows for kids as young as 4. The rooftop terrace has the best skyline view in Chicago.

1300 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605Daily 9am-5pmindoorAges 3+verified yesterday
$16-30

Loop

Maggie Daley Park

Free. Climbing walls, slides, skating ribbon in winter. Regularly called the best playground in the country.

337 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601Daily 6am-11pmoutdoorverified yesterday
Free
Chicago Public Library

Entire floor dedicated to kids. Free storytime, crafts, STEM -- daily.

400 S State St, Chicago, IL 60605Mon-Thu 9am-9pm, Fri-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pmindoorverified yesterday
Free
Chicago Riverwalk

Free 1.25-mile riverwalk. Play fountains in summer. Kayak rentals. Architecture boat tours.

E Riverwalk S, Chicago, IL 60601Daily 6am-11pm (May-Oct for full amenities)outdoorverified yesterday
Free
Millennium Park - Crown Fountain

Giant faces spit water on your kids. Free. They will get soaked.

201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601May-Oct, fountain active 6am-11pmoutdoorverified yesterday
Free

East Garfield Park

Garfield Park Conservatory

Completely free. Kids dig in soil, play in a stream, climb a vine sculpture.

300 N Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL 60624Wed-Mon 10am-5pm, Wed until 8pmindoorverified yesterday
Free

Wicker Park

Chicago Park District - Wicker Park

Renovated playground, splash pad, free Park District programs. Toddler and big-kid areas separate.

1425 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622Park open 6am-11pm, fieldhouse hours varyverified yesterday
Free

Brookfield (suburb)

Chicago Zoological Society

Kids pretend to be zookeepers at Play Zoo. 216 acres. 14 miles from downtown.

8400 31st St, Brookfield, IL 60513Daily 10am-5pmverified yesterday
$29.95

Lisle (suburb)

The Morton Arboretum

1,700 acres. Tree-climbing structures, splash pad, hedge maze. 25 miles from downtown.

4100 IL-53, Lisle, IL 60532Daily 9am-5pm (extended summer hours to 7pm)outdoorverified yesterday
$17

North Park

Chicago Park District - North Park Village Nature Center

Free. 46 acres of actual prairie, wetland, and forest inside city limits.

5801 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60646Trails: daily 8am-5pm, Nature Center: daily 10am-4pmverified yesterday
Free

Washington Park

DuSable Museum of African American History

Free on Tuesdays. First museum in the US dedicated to African American history.

740 E 56th Pl, Chicago, IL 60637Wed-Sun 10am-4pm, Tue free day 10am-4pmindoorverified yesterday
$7

Citywide

Chicago Park District

50+ free pools across Chicago. Indoor pools open year-round. No membership needed.

Multiple locations citywideHours vary by location and session -- check Park District scheduleverified yesterday
Free

Glenview (suburb)

Kohl Children's Museum

Best for under-8s. Water play, grocery store, construction zone. 17 exhibits.

2100 Patriot Blvd, Glenview, IL 60026Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm, Sun 12-5pmindoorAges 0–8verified yesterday
$15

West Rogers Park

Chicago Park District - Indian Boundary Park

Free zoo inside a city park. Ducks, alpacas, goats. Fieldhouse with free programs.

2500 W Lunt Ave, Chicago, IL 60645Park: 6am-11pm, Zoo: daily 9am-4pm, Fieldhouse variesverified yesterday
Free

Logan Square

Logan Square Farmers Market

Free kids zone at the Sunday market. Face painting, crafts, music.

3107 W Logan Blvd, Chicago, IL 60647Sundays 10am-3pm, May-Octoutdoorverified yesterday
Free

South Loop

Chicago Park District - Grant Park Skate Park

Free skate park. Concrete ramps, rails, quarter pipes. Helmets recommended.

360 S Columbus Dr, Chicago, IL 60605Daily 6am-11pmoutdoorAges 8+verified yesterday
Free

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