As the third largest city in the United States, Chicago is home to more than 2 million people. The Windy City is located between the great lakes, giving it a long shoreline with plenty of beaches and scenic views. With so much to see and do, Chicago is a vacation destination that offers something for everyone.
Nature & Wildlife
Take the kids and head to the Lincoln Park Zoo, where you'll find more than 200 animals living in their natural habitats. Rainforests, deserts and savannahs are recreated under a giant glass dome. The zoo also features an ape house with gorillas, chimps and orangutans. Kids can get up close and personal with the animals at the children's zoo, which also features a conservation station which teaches kids about wildife preservation. The John G. Shedd Aquarium is the perfect place for kids to get acquainted with sea life. The aquarium features dolphins, penguins, frog fishes, sharks and more. Kids will love the Polar Play Zone, where they can put on a penguin suit and slip and learn about the North and South Poles, and their inhabitants. When you're done visiting the animals, take the family to the Chicago Botanic Garden, where you'll see over 20 garden displays showcasing native and endangered plants and flowers. Learn about Chicago wildlife from demonstrations, shows, exhibits and classes. Or, try the Garfield Park Conservatory, with its prehistoric plant life and waterfalls. Children will enjoy exploring the conservatory and all it has to offer.
Playgrounds & Play Centers
Chicago offers plenty of spaces for children to play, while adults relax. In the summer, try Adams Water Playground, located in Lincoln Park. Get wet outside or enjoy the indoor activities going on in the field house. Or try Fosco Park, with an enormous community center, fitness center, gyms and a free water playground. Kids will love cooling off by standing under buckets that dump water on their heads, going down the water slide or playing with water. If you'd like to stay indoors, Kid City gives children the opportunity to play in a pretend house, grocery store, post office, and theater. Fantasy Kingdom is another play center where kids can dress up like princesses, princes and knights, and act out fairy tales in the castle, or make up games to play in the village, with its house, market, and other age-appropriate toys and props. Parents can sit back and relax, while knowing that their children are having a great time playing safely.
Museums & Science Centers
Exploring some of Chicago's many museums and science centers is a great way to keep your family entertained, while educating them at the same time. The Chicago Children's Museum is a great choice for families, with interactive exhibits and daily activities. Children will enjoy an art studio, dinosaur expedition and an inventing lab, among others. Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum features the first planetarium of its kind in the western hemisphere, and provides visitors the opportunity to explore its outer space exhibits and participate in space simulations. You'll also find many famous artifacts here. You'll also want to check out the Art Institute of Chicago, with its famous impressionist paintings and artwork dating back to 3000 B.C. Textiles, photographs and other architectural items are displayed here as well. The museum also contains a cafeteria and garden restaurant. Families will also enjoy the Museum of Science and Industry, with over 800 hands-on, interactive science exhibits. The museum features the Henry Crown Space Center and also houses an Omnimax Theatre. For an even more unique experience, head to the Museum of Holography, where you'll have the chance to see realistic holographic dispays in 3D.
Tours
When in Chicago, there's no better way to get outside and enjoy the city than to take a tour, where you can see all that Chicago has to offer. For an experience they'll never forget, take the family on a Wacky Pirate Cruise, where you'll cruise the city's lakefront and river. The Wacky Pirate, Buccaneer Bob, will offer interesting facts about the city, and will present children with certificates of survival. You'll also find several other traditional sightseeing boat and cruise options. If you'd rather tour the city streets by land, consider taking your family on an antique coach or carriage tour, where you can customize your tour and ride in an open or closed carriage. Families may also like the freedom of a hop on, hop off tour aboard a trolley or double decker bus. You can tour Chicago at your own pace and get back on board the trolley at your convenience. Or, you can choose to say on for a traditional narrated tour of the city. Walking tours of Chicago are also available and offer visitors a chance to get outside and get some exercise while exploring the Windy City.
Beaches
With its expansive lakefront shoreline, Chicago offers a surpisingly large amount of beaches for locals and visitors alike. The largest beach in the city, Loyola Leone Beach is 8 blocks long and offers a kid-friendly play area and stroller beach mats. Sports lovers will enjoy the many baseball fields and basketball courts, while a concession stand offers quality eats and treats. For those wanting to engage in their fitness routine on the beach, North Avenue Beach offers a mini gym as well as running paths and biking trails. This beach is the busiest in the city, so consider taking public transportation to avoid parking issues. Five more pristine beaches can be found in Evanston. The family-friendly Evanston beaches feature shallow water and stunning views of the Chicago skyline. You'll also find gourmet concessions and ice cream stands at the Evanston Beaches.
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