Children's Museum in Chicago

Another mom already mentioned this, and I was just going to agree about the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, if it's nice out. I like the Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview. As for the zoos, I like both of them..whichever you choose will be fine.

Kohl's Children Museum in Glenview I feel would be best. Parking at the Pier is pricey. I also prefer Lincoln Park Zoo to Brookfield.

The children's museum at Navy Pier is great. You can spend a good chunk of the day at the Pier with that and the train ride, the carousel, free shows, a food court, and then take the ferry over to Museum Campus and hit the Field Museum (the Playlab is great for little kids) or Shedd Aquarium or Adler Planetarium (Planet Explorers is the fun kid part). I'm sure Kohl's is a great museum too, though. Lincoln Park Zoo is free. Be sure to look for the polar bear if you go. There is a conservatory for plants that is free just north of it and beyond that is the Nature Museum with a butterfly garden and great hands-on sections for kids. Since you are staying pretty far from downtown, makes sense to go where there are a lot of activities to maximize your travel time. (Half hour drive with no traffic and there is almost always traffic, but you can take the train which will take you over an hour and a half to get to the Pier or the Zoo.) If you are driving, be sure to look up discount places to park. Science Museum is great too! Have fun!

Most people will say Brookfield is better. It's huge, and the new bear exhibit is amazing! Great merry go round too! I think Lincoln Park is pretty small.

I've never been to the children's museum at Navy Pier, but the Dupage County Children's Museum is awesome!! Since you are going to Navy Pier anyway, I'd just go to that one. I've heard it's at least good.

With a 1 and 3 year old, I would vote for the Shedd Aquarium. For children's museums, I like Kohl's Children's Museum in Glenview (in the North Suburbs) better than the one dowtown for your aged children. If you are staying near the airport, it will be an easy drive up the interstate, and you can probably get there faster than the one at Navy Pier. I haven't been to Brookfield Zoo, but the Lincoln Park Zoo is great as well.

Dupage childrens museum in Naperville is really nice. Your children will really enjoy a variety of things to do there. I've been to the childrens museum at the Navy Pier which is nice, but you have to pay for parking which is much more expensive than the other museums I've suggested. There is also one in Oaklawn, IL. I would rate Naperville #1 and the parking is free as well. Remember anything you do downtown, you will have to pay for pricey parking.

I have a membership at Brookfield zoo because I really enjoy going there. I've been to Lincoln Park zoo as well. There is plenty of parking at Brookfield Zoo and is the largest. If you plan on shopping in Lincoln Park or near downtown I would suggest going to Lincoln Pk zoo.

We love the Children's Museum at Navy Pier. Lots of great activities for little ones, but like other people have mentioned be prepared to pay a lot for parking!

You can find other fun Chicago activities at Macaroni Kid Chicago Loop, chicagoloop.macaronikid.com.

Enjoy your trip!

I didn't read the other answers so I apologize if this is a repeat. FYI, the airport (assuming you're talking about O'Hare) can be quite a ways from the city, depending on traffic. If you're near O'Hare I'd recommend Brookfield zoo as it will be much easier to get to. You have to pay for it, but it's a wonderful zoo. That said, Lincoln Park zoo is beautiful as well. You'll have to pay for parking there (probably about $20), but the zoo is free. But it'll take some time to get there and back. The children's museum at navy pier is amazing, and then you can combine that with navy pier, so that would probably be a good option. The Kohl children's museum in glenview is great too. And the museam of science and industry is great too. Sounds like you'll have a great trip!

We like Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview. There is plenty of parking and it's suburban, so plenty of outdoor activities too. It's next to a cluster of stores, restaurants and a movie theater (Glenview is meant to be like an old-fashioned small town). If you are going to Navy Pier anyway, there is also a Children's Museum down there. Parking is expensive and not always easy for Navy Pier. I prefer Brookfield Zoo, again because parking is so easy (but not free!). Both zoos are great. If you are staying south of O'Hare airport, you'll be close to Brookfield. If you're staying north of O'Hare you'll be kind of close to Glenview for Kohl Museum. Have a great time, whatever you decide!

The Museum of Science & Industry is wonderful for children & adults. I believe there is a children's area within that museum. It has been a few years since we went to the Children's Museum at Navy Pier but when we were there, MANY of the exhibits were "out of order"/broken. It was during the summer and there were multiple day camp groups there with no supervision other than a few teenaged counselors who had no control over the children. Museum employees didn't seem to know how to control them either. I have not been to the Lincoln Park Zoo since I visited Chicago as a teen but I think it still has free admission. My most recent trip to the Brookfield Zoo was last week (chaperoned a field trip). It was very dirty as it has been all 4 times I have been there since moving to the Chicago area as an adult. The cages/exhibits are always very dirty, animal feces everywhere. There was even some in a doorway to a building we were entering last week and people were stepping in it because they didn't see it. Some of the exhibits with windows even have feces smeared on the glass. It seems like they rarely clean the exhibits. I don't think I've ever seen anyone cleaning when I've been there. It does help to go when it isn't real warm because the stench from the feces isn't as bad then. They are renovating some of the older exhibits so hopefully it will be nicer when that is done as long as they take care of it. There was some litter on the ground but not as bad as past visits, possibly because it's early in the season. All we heard when we moved here was that we had to go to the Brookfield Zoo. After all the hype, we have been extremely disappointed. I think it is the worst zoo I have ever been to. The Shedd Aquarium is very nice. If your 3 year old is a girl, she may enjoy American Girl Place. Have fun!

I hope you have a great time here!

I used to live in the city and wen to Lincoln Park quite often. Now I live closer to Brookfield, but will still go to Lincoln park. Brookfield is a lot of walking distance, but is a beautiful zoo. It is not really close to the airport though. Lincoln Park has so much character and is located in such a wonderful area.

The Children's museum at Navy Pier is great but is really crowded. Their is Kohl's Children Museum in Glenview which is about 25 minutes away from O'hare. Given it is that weekend it will probably be busy everywhere you go.

Navy Pier is great to walk around and people watch.

Science and Industry may not have too much for your age children.

Hi E.,
Our favorite Children's museum is the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. It is the best of both worlds for this reason - it has a children's museum like area in it! We are members and sometimes we will go to the museum and all the kids (twin 5 yr. olds) want to do is play in the children's area. This area is large so kids are not on top of each other, especially weekdays. It does have a special area for the little ones with crawling mats, balls, water tables,etc. There is a bathroom/changing area right there so you don't have to walk far. The other area right there is a huge exploration area from puzzles, to water tables with lazy ball rivers, reading areas, water kleidoscopes, magnet exploration, etc. for the bigger ones. I think your 1 and 3 yr. old will love this area of the museum. We almost always also visit the hatching chicks, the 'zoo' area (right near childrens museum area), trains, planes and barn area within the museum. I would suggest going to Brookfield as it is larger so more options (bring stroller) and more animals than Lincoln. But if your looking to save money, Lincoln is free (pay for parking $19/3-4 hours) and Brookfield is not - you pay for entrance and parking. Have fun!

Hi E.,

The children's museum at Navy Pier is great for small kids. We recently went with our 9, 5, and 1 yr old. They have two huge, gated-in toddler rooms with tons for the little ones to do. My 1 yr old had the time of his life. Either my husband or I stayed with him in the toddler rooms while the other took our older two around to the rest of the exhibits. The pier itself is fun too especially in the summer. Lots to see and do. The Kohl's children's museum in Glenview is also very nice. It has a lot of pretend play areas like a Potbelly' sandwich shop, Dolly Day Care, Pet Vet Station, a Dominick's store with shelves of groceries, shopping carts, cash registers.. So cute. My daughter LOVED that place when she was little. The pitfall to that is they do not have a cafeteria so you can't bring your own lunch. They do have a restaurant, but it's pricey. I would not recommend the Museum of Science and Industry on a holiday weekend. We went there on the Saturday of spring break. It was soooo crowded. There were lines for EVERYTHING. A 20 minute line to get in to the place, lines for every single exhibit we wanted to look at, lines to sit down at the lunch tables, for the bathrooms, skipped the children's area because it was 40 minute wait to get in, and last but not least, a 45 minute traffic jam getting out of the parking garage. Besides I feel that place is much better suited to older children. Aside from that children's area, there is very little that would interest a 3 yr old and 1 yr old.

As for zoo's, we prefer Lincoln Park. It is smaller and easier to get around in with little ones/strollers. You pay to park in their lot, but the admission to the zoo is free. You can bring a brown bag lunch and eat outside on picnic tables, or you can buy their food. It's a bit pricey, but pretty decent food. The grounds are beautiful. They have a children's zoo, an awesome indoor climbing structure, a nice carousel, and a good variety of animals. The Brookfield Zoo is huge and spread out. I hate it because I feel like I walk all day and hardly see any animals. The exhibits are so far apart and often the animals will be inside which is so hard to deal with when you have a stroller. They usually have tons of special exhibits that all cost extra so unless you plan on spending extra for each thing, your kids will be disappointed.

The Shedd Aquarium is a nice idea too. Kids love looking at all of the fish in the older part of it, and the Oceanarium section is amazing. The dolphin show is great, the otters are super fun to watch. It's perfect for both kids and adults. The only negative is the crowds, but you have to expect that in Chicago on a weekend.

Have fun!

My kids like DuPage children museum in Naperville. It's smaller but I think more hands-on compare to Navy Pier Children Museum.
Brookfield Zoo is a lot bigger than Lincoln Park.
Depend on how long you will be staying and if you will have a car or not.

Hi E. All of the museum are fantastic. All the zoos are nice places to visit. The difference between Brookfield and Lincoln Park, is that Brookfield is bigger and has more attractions. Now as far as Navy Pier goes be prepared to spent some money!!!! There are things to do at Navy Pier and It been a few years since I went and it was a little pricey for my taste. But check it out .

if the weather is nice, take them to North Avenue beach (but go early) They will feel like they are at the ocean

I adore my city but you need to keep your kids capacities in mind when planning your trip. Brookfield zoo is great but huge, perhaps LPZ is more manageable. The Childrens museum at Navy Pier is a great choice because you can wander the Pier as well.Be warned, a trip to Navy Pier will cost you. I LOVE the Kohl museum so you can't go wrong there. It is located in Glenview so the trip won't be too far(no parking fee either!) The Nature museum is just north of LPZ and has an amazing butterfly habitat, it's also small so very doable. Science and Industry is always great. Just pace yourselves and you'll have a wonderful time.I will also mention the Botanic Garden, it is north but it is a fabulous place to wander, the kids can run around and the garden is spectacular.

Hi E.,

Check out www.kidwinks.com. You can find parent reviews on all of the options you've described here and more. Here's a direct link to the children's museums: http://www.kidwinks.com/FamilyFun/Museums/ChildrensMuseums/

Here's a link to the zoos: http://www.kidwinks.com/FamilyFun/Animals/Zoo/

You can use the Events Calendar to look for events on any particular day, and there is also a Kids Eat Free Calendar - just click on a day to find where kids eat free or cheaply.

I recommend you sign up as a kidwinks member (it's free), and use the address of the hotel you're staying at as your address in the profile. You can then sort any search results on kidwinks (including the 2 calendars) by distance, so you can easily see what's closest to you.

Enjoy your trip to Chicago!

J.

The Chicago Children's Musuem downtown is great, but it tends to get quite crowded. The DuPage Children's Musuem and the one in Gleniew are great - easier to get to, easier parking, not as crowded. The Museum of Science and Industry is great, too. It has a little bit of everything and something for everyone. Brookfield Zoo is much bigger (more spread out). Lincoln Park Zoo is very cool, old buildings, more condensed, and it's free (after you pay to park somewhere). The Morton Arboretum in Lisle has a great Children's garden. They usually have activities for the kids. The tadpoles might be in the pond by Memorial Day weekend - that is very cool. It's not too far from the DuPage Children's Musuem if you decide to go there. If you are staying near O'Hare, there are a lot of great parks for the kids in Park Ridge. I'm sure you can find them on the city website (Park Ridge is just northeast of the airport). There are also some great restaurants in/around Park Ridge - Perry's Pizza, Barnaby's pizza, Canton Tea Garden, Don Juan's, Nonno Pino's, Wally's, Original Pankcake House, Siam Thai, Le Peep. Have a great weekend. There's so much to do in the Chicago area.

The Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview is great, but I'd probably just head downtown - the Planetarium is really cool and the Planet Explorers section is just for kids. I'd either do that or the Shedd Aquarium. Both of them are right on the lake - beautiful. In either case, and certainly if you decide you're going to go to the Shedd, buy your tickets online in advance so you can just go right up to the window. That line gets insanely long and I don't know how people wait in it with tiny kids. They do have valet parking at the Shedd in case the area in front of it is full - there is a garage too, but I think valet is only like $20 and the garage costs almost that much? Worth asking when you pull up there because the valet guys should be right there. The planetarium is basically right next to the Shedd.

For the zoo, I'd personally do Lincoln Park. It's right by the lake, it's free although parking costs $20. But I love it. Actually if you can find parking on the street in front of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and just bring your stroller, you can walk over to the zoo - it's basically across the street - and parking there is free. Then you can also check out the butterfly room at the Nature Museum - the whole museum is cool, but the star is the butterfly room. It's awesome. There is a fee to get into the nature museum though, about $8.50 a person I think.

Wherever you decide to go, do your research online first to be sure you're well prepared. All of those places mentioned above have websites, there are links to them below. Be sure there aren't any restrictions, limited hours, etc. due to the holiday weekend. Have a blast!!

http://www.lpzoo.org/
http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/
http://www.sheddaquarium.org/
http://www.naturemuseum.org/
http://www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org/exhibits

with one and three year old I would do Brookfield Zoo---It does cost, but its nicer than Lincoln Park which is free. If you do Science and Industry museum, visit the idea factory, baby chicks, and trains. . . .the rest of the museum not much for your age group. There is the Chicago Children's Museum which I think is ok--crowded alot. IMHO the nicest children's museum is the Kohl Children's museum. Google it. Its a little bit of a drive, but cleaner and much nicer than the one at the pier. Navy Pier and that stuff is really just a money suck, sorry. I would do Kohl and Brookfield if it was me with your kids ages. Have fun!

Hi, this is probably been said, but I would recommend the Kohl Children's Museum over Navy Pier for kids in the 1-3 age group. It's more geared towards younger kids overall. The Children's Museum also has things for young kids but also has stuff for older kids so you have to walk around to find the areas appropriate for the little ones. I have a 21-month old and we like Kohl's better. It's also cheaper as you aren't paying huge fees for Navy Pier--unless you wanted to walk around the area anyway.
Lincoln Park Zoo is also much more manageable for little ones. It is by the lake, so if you wanted to just hang out and picnic in the park, you can do that too and you know you didn't spend a lot of money. Also, if you wanted to take a long walk from there, it's not too far from North Ave Beach. Water would be cold but still good people watching and playing the sand. Brookfield is HUGE, and you might only get through a small portion of it.
Science and Industry is also a fun one for the kids! Sounds like you'll have fun whatever you do!