If you’re looking for a family getaway that’s relatively close to home and doesn’t require each parent to use a lot of PTO, a long weekend trip to Chicago is a great option. There’s tons to do in the Windy City for families with kids of all ages.
Here’s what we found on a recent trip with our 3- and 5-year-old sons.
Family-Friendly Highlights
Our boys love skyscrapers, animals, fossils and nature, so the things at the top of our list were the Skydeck, Shedd Aquarium and Field Museum.
Skydeck
The observation deck located on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower offers unsurpassed views of the city. We visited this first, so we were able to look down and point out all the places we’d be going on our trip. Thrill-seekers can step “outside” the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere by entering the Ledge’s glass boxes, which extend out 4.3 feet from the Skydeck at 1,353 feet in elevation. I really, really wanted to do this (as did my 5-year-old), but once we reached the Skydeck, the wait time for the Ledge was 45 minutes. It was late afternoon and both boys were getting hungry, so I knew this just wasn’t going to happen on this trip. (For an additional fee, visitors can purchase a Fast Pass to jump to the front of the line.)
Shedd Aquarium
Though I’d been to Chicago before, I’d never visited Shedd Aquarium — and my expectations were very high. I was not disappointed in the least, and neither were my husband and kids. We toured the entire facility; attended an Aquatic Presentation that introduced us to Pacific white-sided dolphins, beluga whales and more; checked out touch experiences (sturgeon and sea stars); and spent time in the Polar Play Zone, which is specifically geared toward kids. The fact that we made it through the entire aquarium before anyone asked for a snack speaks volumes — my boys were as mesmerized as I was! Our favorite highlights were the Aquatic Presentation (tickets are free, but you must reserve your spot on the day of your visit); the Abbott Oceanarium underwater viewing gallery; and Wild Reef, home to sharks, stingrays and live coral.
The Field Museum
The massive banners outside the Field Museum broadcast all our dinosaur-loving kids needed to know: SUE IS BACK. More specifically, the fossil skeleton of SUE, a 40-foot-long and 90-percent-complete Tyrannosaurus rex, recently was reinstalled in a dedicated suite inside the Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet. Even to an adult, the exhibit was awe-inspiring. After getting an up-close look at SUE’s skull alongside a mural that recreates what her world might’ve looked like 67 million years ago, visitors enter the room where the full fossil skeleton is located. Periodic audio recordings coordinated with lights that highlighted different parts of the skeleton, educating visitors about T-Rex anatomy and SUE’s life. Behind the massive structure, a panel of screens show videos of how a T-Rex would have hunted its prey.
Of course, SUE isn’t the only dinosaur on display at the Field Museum. We also said hello to Máximo the titanosaur (literally — you can text him and he always responds), and several other fossil skeletons, both of dinosaurs and evolving mammals.
We did not get through the entire museum — a nearly impossible feat given its size and the depth of its collections — but also enjoyed the Grainger Hall of Gems, Inside Ancient Egypt, Cyrus Tang Hall of China and many of the animal collections.
Opening June 28, Fantastic Bug Encounters will be a particularly family-friendly exhibition. In this hands-on experience, visitors will discover how bugs’ adaptations are changing the world through interactives, larger-than-life models, and a bug zoo where visitors will be able to see (and even hold) live bugs from all over the planet.
Other Things to Do
We also had time for the following activities:
Navy Pier shops & restaurants. The day we trekked to Navy Pier, it was raining, so we didn’t consider any of the outdoor rides (including the nearly 200-foot-tall Centennial Wheel). In addition to shopping and dining, there’s also the AMC Navy Pier IMAX theater and the Chicago Children’s Museum.
Magnificent Mile shopping. Our boys are probably like most kids in that they aren’t interested in shopping until they drop. However, since our hotel was close by, we were able to browse and window shop in a couple short bursts at this great stretch of famous retail stores. Kid-focused highlights include Disney Store, Lego Store, and the Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop.
Lucky Strike & For the Win Chicago. In search of more rainy day fun, we spent a couple hours in FTW Chicago, located above Lucky Strike. The bustling arcade provided our boys with plenty of entertainment — and tickets to redeem for prizes.
Explore parks on foot. Before we left town on Monday, we grabbed a hearty breakfast at Yolk. and explored Grant Park (home to the enormous Buckingham Fountain) and Millennium Park (home to the famous Cloud Gate sculpture).
Food — Lots of Food. We only stayed in the city for three nights, but we made sure to hit a few quintessentially Chicago spots: Pizzeria Uno, Giordano’s (yes, we ate deep dish pizza two days in a row. I have no regrets.), Stan’s Donuts, Goddess & The Baker, and the Rainforest Cafe (not Chicago-centric, but fun for kids).
Tips for Traveling to Chicago with Kids
- Though it’s a 5-6 hour drive away depending where you live in Northeast Ohio, you should plan on some extra drive time to accommodate Turnpike construction and, depending when you arrive in Chicago, heavy traffic in the city. Pack extra snacks and consider making a bathroom stop before you get near downtown.
- The best place to stay will depend on your budget and the age of your children. You likely can save hundreds of dollars over the course of your trip if you book a hotel in the suburbs (cheaper nightly rates and parking is usually free!) and take a train in for a long day of sightseeing. However, I’ve found that with the age of my kids, an hour or two of mid-afternoon downtime is needed to refresh everyone’s energy levels (even if there are no naps, just going back to the quiet, comfortable hotel room does wonders). For that reason, we booked a room in the center of downtown so we could come and go whenever we needed. As a bonus, we were able to walk to a lot of attractions.
- Chicago was easier to navigate, sidewalks were less crowded, and restaurants were more spacious than when we took our kids to New York City two years ago, but even so, it’s best to pack lightly for the day’s adventures. We took a small umbrella stroller and one backpack for essentials like water, snacks and jackets. Not having a full-size stroller made navigating crowds in the museums and at Navy Pier much easier.
- Don’t overschedule. Remember before you had kids, when you jammed your travel itinerary with must-see sites — and actually managed to check them all off your list? You’ll move much slower with kids; do yourself a favor and plan for less activities each day. We planned one main attraction for each morning, and a less time-consuming option for each afternoon. This left plenty of time to explore each site, to have some downtime, and to add in additional stops if we had extra time.
Other Attractions for Families
Our brief visit was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fun things to see and do in Chicago. Other options include: Legoland Discovery Center Chicago, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago White Sox or Cubs game and/or stadium tour, river architecture cruise, Museum of Science and Industry, Adler Planetarium, Chicago Art Institute, hop on/off bus tour, and much more.