Everyone knows Chicago, it’s a world icon from lake beaches to that skyline. But what a great city it is for families still manages to surprises us, every time.
Meeting Maiximo at The Field Museum © Enjoy Illinois
Tick some of the great Chicago neighbourhoods off your list
Let’s start with a bit of background, which is totally justified, as no fewer than 77 neighbourhoods call Chicago home, and every one of them is a true original.
360 Chicago TILT © Enjoy Illinois
The Magnificent Mile lives up to its name
Some of the names say it all, like The Magnificent Mile (or The Mag Mile, if you want to sound local). To call this a ‘main shopping district’ is a bit of an undersell. Although it is one of the best places, anywhere, to shop, it’s also where kids can get the thrill (or fright) of their lives, up high at 360 Chicago – TILT, shoot hoops at the Chicago Sports Museum and browse art for free at City Gallery at the Historic Water Tower: one of the few buildings which survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Lake Michigan beach © Enjoy Illinois
Hang out by Lake Michigan in Edgewater
Edgewater is another name that gives the game away, it’s quite literally the district that edges Lake Michigan with beaches, artists’ communities, vintage shopping and laid back places to eat and hang out.
Navy Pier, Streeterville © Enjoy Illinois
Take to Streeterville for iconic Navy Pier
Also unmissable, Streeterville is where to head for historic Navy Pier and the 200ft tall Centennial Wheel (another of Chicago’s great view finders). It’s a must-do district for kids too, not least because the Chicago Children’s Museum is here, along with the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art.
Cloud Gate ‘The Bean’, the Loop © Enjoy Illinois
Find big city hitters looped into the Loop
Then there’s the Loop. If you want a quick hit of city icons, this is the neighbourhood that keeps several big hitters all in one place. Have phones at the ready for selfies with Cloud Gate (better known as The Bean). Or lace up your boots for a stroll along the Chicago Riverwalk. Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park are both in the Loop and chilling in either, or both, is always time well spent. And if you want to take to the river for real, this is the district for guided kayak tours or sit-back-and-see Architectural Boat Tours: both experiences your kids will talk about for years to come.
Explore more Chicago neighbourhoods
The original Chicago-style pizza, Lou Malnatis © Enjoy Illinois Kevin J. Miyazaki/Redux
Take The Bear tour or just follow your eating instincts
Chicago has been cooking up a storm for centuries and nobody needs to be told what a deep-dish pizza is, or where it originated. Although you might not be quite as familiar with Chicago-style hot dogs, and that’s something you want to change while you’re in town: think all-beef frankfurter, poppy seed bun, yellow mustard, chopped onions, green relish, dill pickle, tomato slices, pickled peppers, and a pinch of celery salt.
Over the past couple of years, a new culinary reference has emerged thanks to the international hit TV show, The Bear. Whether you think it’s a comedy or not – the biggest award ceremony debate of 2023/24 – one thing is for sure, it’s all about food and all about Chicago. No two things ever paired so well and if you want to take a tour, start with Mr Beef: the sandwich shop that inspired the show.
Macy’s department store, The Magnificent Mile © Enjoy Illinois
The world’s first ever department store restaurant
Of course, that’s far from the city’s only famous eating experience. So once you’ve done pizza, hot dogs and Italian beef, head to The Walnut Room at Macy’s on State Street: the first ever restaurant in a department store and a treat for vintage-loving teens. Steakhouses are another city signature, and if your heart’s set on mighty and tender cuts, Gibson’s has long been the go-to.
Grant Park, Taste of Chicago venue © Enjoy Illinois
Celebrate great Chicago eats all year round
Alternatively, time your visit for one of the city’s great food festivals: particularly good plan for families with kids.
Come in September for Taste of Chicago, still going strong after 40 years. Spring and summer staples reflect Chicago’s diversity with everything from Mole de Mayo and Taste of Greektown to Little Italy Festa, Ginza Holiday Festival, or Taste of Polonia. And the city even has it’s very own Oktoberfest – no need to tell you when that rolls around.
Chicago Blues Festival, Millennium Park © Enjoy Illinois
Time your visit for one of Chicago’s famous (and free) festivals
It’s obvious how much Chicago likes to celebrate and it doesn’t limit the festivities to food. In fact many and varied festivals are just a few of the reasons it was voted Best Big City 2024.
There are festivals of all sorts throughout the year, but music lovers particularly luck out – this is birthplace of Lollapalooza after all. And in even better news for families, lots of events are free or extraordinarily cheap. Remember we mentioned Millenium Park? Well, not only is it is epicentre of free music during summer, it doesn’t even charge you for greats like the Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, Grant Park Music Festival and its own curated series of Millenium Park Summer Music.
Find more family festivals all over Illinois
Chicago Riverwalk © Enjoy Illinois
Our 10 favourite things to do in Chicago with kids
Get the idea we think Chicago is an incredible city for families? You are not wrong. Here are 10 of our favourite places to visit and things do with our kids, any time of year.
- Navy Pier was finished in 1916 and no one argues with its status as Chicago’s top family attraction. If funfair rides are your thing, you’ll love it here. It’s also the place for classic city eats from Garrett Popcorn Shops to Giordano’s deep dish pizza. And when you want sail, bike or catch summer fireworks, Navy Pier has all that too.
- The Flyover at Navy Pier lets you see Chicago from a totally different perspective on a thrilling immersive journey through the city’s culture, architecture, history, people and stories. How did an icon become an icon? Catch the Flyover and all will be revealed.
- Chicago is blessed with two waterfronts: Lake Michigan and Chicago River. To get to know the latter, hit the Chicago Riverwalk. The stretch from Lake Shore Drive to Michigan Avenue contains the seven-acre Lake Shore Park which is pretty much kid heaven. And, as well as a longstanding line-up of superb restaurants, there’s also Community Marketplace where you can dig into local eats and celebrate the city’s spirit of inclusion and diversity.
- Street art is another big Riverwalk feature, so keep your eyes open. And don’t miss Art on theMART which projects curated artworks along the Riverwalk for two hours a night from Wednesday to Sunday between March and December.
Chicago river cruise © Enjoy Illinois
Don’t miss these only-in-Chicago experiences
- To get a true perspective on Chicago architecture, catch an Architectural Boat Tour, sit back and listen to the experts. Everyone from Frank Lloyd Wright to Mies van der Rohe had a hand in building this magnificent city, and it’s no surprise that several of these cruises are rated as the best in the US.
- A mark of a great botanic garden is year-round beauty and Chicago Botanic Garden delivers all that. Not strictly in Chicago, it’s a great excuse to visit the suburb of Glencoe. And, created across 385 acres, and covering nine islands and six miles of lake shore, it’s as spectacular in autumn as it is in early spring, high summer and dramatic winter. Don’t miss the remarkable Bonsai collection.
- One of the most famous ballparks in the US, Wrigley Field is home to the Chicago Cubs and on non-game days you can take guided tours that actually let you step on to the hallowed field itself. Come on a game day to visit the indoor batting cages and get early entry to the park to feel the electric atmosphere before the crowds pitch up.
- Baseball games have the type of family-friendly vibe that could turn your kids into fans for life. Put that to the test with tickets to a Chicago Cubs’ game at Wrigley Field from March to September.
Beluga Whales, Shedd Aquarium © Enjoy Illinois
Chicago museums that are made for families
- Chicago Children’s Museum is another reason to visit Navy Pier. A bright, energetic space, it’s all about kids getting hands-on, with just about everything. There’s a Tinkering Lab, need we say more?
- The dinosaur-obsessed need to go to The Field Museum, if only to see the world’s most complete T. rex skeleton. Affectionately known as SUE, it’s a highlight in a museum packed with highlights from Egyptian mummies to giant bugs. Plus, The Field is in lakeside Museum Campus, so Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium are near neighbours.
- Possibly one of the most exciting aquariums in the world, Shedd Aquarium guarantees encounters with the likes of Beluga whales, penguins, sharks, sea otters and so many more aquatic creatures. Our advice? Set aside a day, you’ll need it.
- Another greatest of all time, the Art Institute of Chicago is the Loop legend where you can go gaze upon The Bedroom by Van Gogh, George Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grand Jette, Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, Monet’s Water Lilies and so many more iconic works in a collection that spans centuries of worldwide art.
- Of course you can’t miss the city’s architecture, it’s everywhere you look. But when you want to know more, the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) is the museum for that. And not only is it dedicated to the built landscape in all its glory, it’s also the gateway for a wide range of architectural walks, cruises and bus tours.
- The largest science museum in the western hemisphere is at home in Chicago. Don’t miss the Museum of Science and Technology, the building alone is remarkable and it houses 14-acres of exhibits as well as amazing interactive experiences designed to thrill kids endlessly.
Find more things to do in Chicago with your kids
Six Flags Great America theme park © Enjoy Illinois
Well connected Chicago is a great base for day trips
Chicago is nothing if not well connected, something you can put to the test on some easy day or weekend getaways. Of course, Route 66 starts in the city, but if you don’t want to commit to that road trip head to Gurnee, just 40 miles north. It’s home to the sensational Six Flags Great America theme park, and if you need more thrills, we can highly recommend an overnight at Great Wolf Lodge, which has its own waterpark.
Alternatively, go west and aim for Rockford to see the Sock Monkey Museum: officially the largest collection of handmade sock monkeys on earth, and just as cute as it sounds. The dinosaur-rich Burpee Museum of Natural History is also in Rockford, and one of the loveliest gardens in Illinois, Anderson Japanese Gardens, is here too.
Now plan your family adventure with Enjoy Illinois
