Chicago Children's Museum
Print
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.-6 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday
Chicago Children's 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 Big Backyard 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 Schooner--three stories of ship's rigging from cargo hold to crow's nest. 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. However, the museum does offer a membership that includes free daily parking.
The museum's latest exhibit, Circus Zirkus: Where You're the Star of the Show, encourages kids to practice a variety of circus skills (trapeze, spinning hoop, twirling plates), dress up in costumes, create posters and perform in the center ring.
