Chicago Attractions for Kids

There are so many Chicago attractions for kids that it makes one wonder if the town wasn’t built with children specifically in mind. Like so many other big cities, a Six Flags isn’t far away, but the Windy City has so much to offer that is uniquely its own that it simply makes sense to take advantage of those things that are specific to Chicago, rather than ones that can be obtained practically anywhere.

The famed Navy Pier is where the fun begins. Here you can find the Chicago Children’s Museum, the Ferris wheel and carousel at Navy Pier Park, and the Amazing Chicago Funhouse Maze. Those alone are enough to keep the children happy for days on end but wait—there’s more! (insert thumbs up and car salesman voice here)

Stop in at the Legoland Discovery Center Chicago or American Girl Place for the things that kids can really relate to. Then head over to the world-famous Field Museum for a look at the largest and most complete T-Rex on display anywhere. The Field Museum is also home to many other dinosaur exhibits, always popular with the kids, as well as countless other displays and exhibits of awe-inspiring and educational natural history.

The Museum of Science and Industry simply must not be missed. Explore beyond the Earth by visiting the Museum’s Henry Crown Space Center, then gaze at the dark mysteries of underwater warfare by climbing through the interactive displays housed inside the captured German submarine U-505. Go back in time by visiting the 1900s era display, Yesterday’s Main Street. Stop off at The Farm. Go down inside the Coal Mine. Pay a visit to Reusable City for a captivating look at our modern struggles to preserve global resources from overuse and destruction. From the earth’s core to outer space and across the ocean depths, MSI covers it all.

Chicago is the place where everyone can be a kid again—at least for a little while.