Chicago, Illinois Kids Activities

Museum of Science and Industry's "Train Story" covers 3500 square feet.

Go for the "wow" to get the kids involved. Chicago's got it all. On a clear day, the Sears Tower Skydeck presents a view (for those brave enough to look) fifty miles in every direction. Buckingham Fountain's lights are breathtaking when they come on at dusk on a hot summer night---stay up late for the 10 p.m. show before the fountain shuts down at 11. The coal mine and trains at the Museum of Science and Industry and the sky shows at the Adler Planetarium have left generations of children slack-jawed with wonder. Start any trip to Navy Pier with a ride on the 5-story tall Ferris wheel. At the amazing Shedd Aquarium on the lakefront, visit the Oceanarium, then suit up for the Polar Play Zone. Take the Wendella Water Taxi for stops near the Chicago River (Millennium Park, Navy Pier); at $4 for a weekday pass and $6 for an unlimited Saturday or Sunday pass, it beats street taxis and parking your own car. Wendella also operates summer evening "fireworks cruises" near intriguing (for visitors) Lower Wacker Drive.

Sears Tower, 233 South Wacker Drive Suite 3530, Chicago IL 606062, telephone: (312-875-9447), sales@theskydeck.com
Buckingham Fountain, Congress Parkway & Columbus Drive, Chicago, 60605
Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, 60637-2093, telephone: (773-684-9844)
The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, 1300 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, 60605, telephone: (312-922-7827)
John G. Shedd Aquarium, 1200 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, 60605, telephone: (312-939-2438)
The Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co., 615 W. 41st Street, Chicago, 60609, telephone: (773-648-5000)
Wendella Boats, 405 North Wabash P2E, Chicago, 60611, telephone: (312-222-9225).

Navy Pier has just about everything a kid could want--and more.

Find family fun where the primary focus is kids. Millennium Park, between Randolph and Monroe east of "BoulMich" (Michigan Boulevard), is a new area that hosts concerts, activities and events all year long; its Family Fun Festival runs all summer (events vary), and the park itself gives kids a healthy dose of the Chicago traditions of innovation in architecture and urban parks. Move on north to the reinvented Navy Pier at the east end of Grand Avenue and work your way through the Family Pavilion or enjoy the other rides in Pier Park (or Amazing Chicago's mazes on a rainy day). The Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier offers a seemingly endless assortment of fascinating interactive science and technology.

Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., Chicago, 60602, telephone: (312-742-1168)
Chicago Children's Museum, Navy Pier, 700 East Grand Avenue, Chicago, 60611, telephone: (312-527-1000)

Nearing its sesquicentennial, Lincoln Park Zoo is still free and has areas designed for kids.

Chicago's middle name is money, but if you plan ahead, you can save some cash. Purchase a membership at a participating ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers) museum and get free admission for the family at member museums. Contact a membership department and ask for ASTC reciprocal agreements at the Chicago Children's Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Field Museum, and Adler Planetarium. Multi-attraction passes such as the Chicago Go Pass or City Pass will save money, too. Most museums have "free days" (check with the museum or the Convention and Tourist Bureau). Lincoln Park Zoo, a treasure on North Clark Street, is open 365 days a year, and admission is free every day. Take a plunge in Lake Michigan at the Oak Street beach (Chicago's answer to Venice Beach) or picnic in Olive Park just north of Navy Pier.

Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, 60605, telephone: (312-922-9410)
Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, 60614, telephone: (312-742-2000)
Oak Street Beach, 1000 N. Lake Shore Drive
Milton Olive Park, 500 North Lake Shore Drive
Smart Destinations (Go and Explorer passes), 85 Merrimac Street, Suite 300 Boston, 02114, telephone: (866-628-9031)
Chicago City Pass, 27 Arrow Root Lane, Victor, Idaho 83455, telephone: (888-330-5008)