Top 20 Places to Take Kids in and around Chicago

Located in the Loop community, Maggie Daley is a new 20-acre park located on the spot of the former Daley Bicentennial Plaza. Maggie Daley Park connects to Millennium Park via the BP Pedestrian Bridge.

Today, Maggie Daley is a magnificent recreation center offering a children's playground, a climbing wall, mini golf, picnic groves, a skating ribbon, tennis courts and a formal garden. The Maggie Daley fieldhouse hosts Chicago Park District programming, including the Park District's popular Summer Day Camp. 

 We believe in the power of play. When we play, we learn. We create. We strengthen and grow. Chicago Children’s Museum’s mission is to improve children’s lives by creating a community where play and learning connect.  

We fuel a journey of discovery across time to enable solutions for a brighter future rich in nature and culture. Every day we contribute to groundbreaking scientific research thanks to almost 40 million specimens and artifacts in our collections and over 150 scientists on staff. Discovering, collecting, collaborating, researching, educating, conserving, solving—there’s a lot of work to do. And we’re on it.

The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago—one of the largest science museums in the world—is home to more than 400,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits designed to spark scientific inquiry and creativity.

The Adler Planetarium—America’s First Planetarium—is more than a museum; it is a laboratory, a classroom, and a community exploring the Universe together. Each year, over 550,000 visitors experience the museum’s interactive exhibitions, live planetarium shows, hands-on, minds-on STEM education programs, and world-class collections. Founded in 1930 by Chicago business leader Max Adler, the Adler Planetarium is a recognized leader in public engagement; the museum's scientists, historians and educators inspire the next generation of explorers and invite you to come explore space with us.

Step outside the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. At 1,353 feet in the air, the Ledge’s glass boxes extend out 4.3 feet from the Skydeck.

The Chicago Botanic Garden opened more than 45 years ago as a beautiful place to visit, and it has matured into one of the world's great living museums and conservation science centers. In every season at the Chicago Botanic Garden, there are activities and programs for all ages, and breathtaking beauty of the ever-changing views throughout the 385 acres, including 27 gardens, four natural areas — including prairie and woods — and 81 acres of water.

The #1 tourist attraction in the Midwest! Discover a state-of-the-art collection of architecture, landscape design and art that provide the backdrop for hundreds of free cultural programs including concerts, exhibitions, tours, and family activities. In Millennium Park, you’ll find a new kind of town square – a lively, spectacular gathering spot located in the heart of the city and a destination for Chicagoans and visitors alike.

For over 160 years, the Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum has served a unique role connecting children of all ages to nature and science, inspiring the wonder in all of us.

The 606 is a rails-to-trails project that is redefining what it means to go to the park. We’ve turned an unused rail line into a lush, green playground. This mix of an elevated trail and neighborhood parks takes you right where Chicago lives. In 2.7 miles, you’ll experience six local parks and the cultures of four distinct neighborhoods. The 606 connects parks and people all along the way. An observatory, skate park, art installations and family education programs will mean new places to gather and room to roam. The railroad embankment that used to physically separate communities now draw them together.