Chicago Children's Museum
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Chicago, Ill. 60611
(312) 527-1000
Cost: $12, $11 seniors, free kids under 1 and members. Visit website for free admission days.
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday
This Navy Pier museum is three stories high and filled with engaging, educational exhibits including a dinosaur dig and a water play area (bring a change of clothes--kids will get wet). Kids also enjoy the Artabounds Studio and Treehouse Trails exhibits. Learn about fire safety in the Play it Safe exhibit where kids can practice safely exiting a smoky bedroom. Exhibits geared toward preschoolers and toddlers are gated. Older kids will love climbing on the museum's Climbing Schooner--three stories of ship's rigging from cargo hold to crow's nest-or building a skyscraper in the award-winning Skyline exhibit. Check out Tinkering Lab, where children and families can innovate and interact directly with the real, three-dimensional world around them designing, building and testing with real tools and materials. When you're ready for lunch, Navy Pier offers a food court and numerous restaurants. Plenty of indoor parking is available, but be prepared--Navy Pier parking is some of the most expensive in the city. For those who live in or near the city, the museum does offer a membership option that includes parking.
