101 Family Day Trips from Chicago
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Get Wild on a Hike
Waterfall Glen | |
Fullersburg Woods | |
Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center | |
Maple Grove | |
North Park Villiage Nature Center | |
Shabbona Lake State Park | |
Starved Rock Lodge |
Time Travel Today
Chicago History Museum | |
Illinois Holocaust Museum | |
DuPage County Historical Museum | |
Trailside Museum of Natural History |
Splash into Some Water Fun
Buckingham Fountain | |
Skokie Water Playground | |
Montrose Beach | |
Great Wolf Lodge | |
Pelican Harbor Aquatic Park | |
Grand Bear Resort | |
The Water Works | |
Wheeling Park Family Aquatic Center | |
Timber Ridge Lodge |
Parks and Rec
Millennium Park | |
The 606 | |
Maggie Daley Park | |
Oz Park | |
Grant Park | |
Chicago Riverwalk | |
Lakefront Trail | |
The Loop | |
Knoch Knolls Park |
Spend the Day at a Museum
All Aboard Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and Boats!)
Illinois Railway Museum | |
Volo Automobile Museum | |
Dad's Slot Cars | |
Chicagoland Speedway | |
Chicago Water Taxi |
Grow Some Fun at the Farm
Lambs Farm | |
Blackberry Farm | |
The Children's Farm | |
Forest View Farm |
Play Ball!
Chicago Bulls | |
Chicago Bears | |
Chicago Blackhawks | |
Chicago Cubs | |
Chicago White Sox | |
Chicago Red Stars | |
Chicago Fire FC |
Treat Yo' Self
Donut Vault | |
The Original Rainbow Cone | |
Homer's Ice Cream | |
Lickity Split Ice Cream | |
Candyailty | |
Little Popcorn Store |
Connect with Nature
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum | |
Garfield Conservatory | |
Chicago Botanic Garden | |
Urban Adventure Quest | |
Lincoln Park Conservatory | |
The Morton Arboretum | |
The Sky Deck | |
360 Chicago Observation Deck |
Amuse Yourself at These Amusement Parks
LEGOLAND Discovery Center | |
The Forge | |
Nickle City | |
Six Flags | |
Santa's Village | |
Pirates Cove | |
Bellaboos | |
Centennial Wheel | |
Navy Pier |
Talk to the Animals
Lincoln Park Zoo | |
Shedd Aquarium | |
Brookfield Zoo | |
Randall Oak's Zoo |
Get Active Indoors
Hot Ground Gym | |
Skokie Park Exporitorium | |
Little Beans Cafe | |
Purple Monkey Playroom | |
Kidville Playpark |
Challenge Yourself
Kids Science Labs | |
Ultimate Ninjas | |
Windy City Ninjas | |
iFly | |
Gather | |
Brooklyn Boulders | |
Glazed Expressions |
Cultivate Some Culture
Chicago Children's Theatre | |
Blue Man Group | |
Playmakers Laboratory Theatre | |
CSz Theater | |
Muntu Dance Theater | |
Chicago Magic Lounge | |
Hubbard Street Dance |
Limiting our list to 101 ideas meant some great destinations may have been left off the list - if there is something you’d like to see added, share it with us!
Most of these destinations are within an hour from downtown Chicago. For those that are a bit farther away:
= Less than 1 hour away
= 1 to 2 hours away
= 2 to 3 hours away
= Just over 3 hours away