Moms what's your most favourite thing to do in Chicago? I live here and there is so much to do, so would like to know what's your most favourite way to spend time here in the city.TIA.
I second the Morton Arboretum, as well as the arboretum in Lincoln Park (by the Zoo). My kids also really like Kohls Museum (it's in Glenview, a bit outside the city).
1-Museum of Science & Industry (take a picnic lunch, and leave it in the car; plenty of fun locations in the Museum for the family to sit and eat your own food).
2-Shedd Aquarium (used to be our favorite, but now too expensive)
3-Lincoln Park Zoo-free and bring a picnic lunch
4-Chicago Botanical Garden (Lake-Cook Road) pay only to park, and bring a picnic lunch and your camera for great family photos
5-Navy Pier and the Children's Museum (include a walk along Lake Michigan for some great fun exercise)
6-Take the Ferry Taxi (in season) from Navy Pier to the Museum Campus Park & back for an inexpensive ride along Lake Michigan Shore
With kids (ages?) or without? sky's the limit for both.....
I just signed up for this.
Red Tricycle [____@____.com]
It gives ideas.
I am not a big fan of going down town, due to the parking and how expensive things are . but if we do it is usually to navy peir.
Chicago proper or surrounding areas? How old are your children?
We love the Morton Arboretum in Lisle! So peaceful and always something new to explore experience.
We visit every summer (I grew up in the burbs) and try to hit Science and Industry and the Shedd every year. My oldest is turning 4 next month, but loves those two places and they will only get better as the kids get older. I think this year we will also hit the American Girl Store, but that really is a once-a-year thing.
In the summer? Museum campus. 100%. Even just hanging out there for the day without going into any of the museums...I love the view and the water. And my kids love to chase the birds and feed them. We take a picnic lunch and just hang out. We spend hours and days just exploring, and the Field Museum is MY favorite place in the whole city. So I like to go in there, and the kids like the Crown Play Lab.
Although, I got a membership to Lincoln Park Zoo for Christmas, so we're going to take some time down there as it's warming up and see what we can take advantage of as members.
In the winter...usually it's some kind of play cafe. Little Bean on Webster or Explore and Much More on Southport, for example. Anything to get them out of the house.
Lincoln Park Zoo and the walking paths around the prairie reserve/ponds. I don't buy the food from the zoo, but walk a few blocks west to a Five Guy's---MUCH cheaper and tastes better than the zoo food.
If you're lucky, you can find free street parking nearby, otherwise the lot is kinda pricey, but evens out a bit since the zoo, itself, is free.
**I do like the Museum Campus too, but don't make it there much anymore, now that I have 3 kids and I usually do these things with my kids without my husband, so the Museum Campus can be overwhelming
**My sister and her husband live in Skokie, and they often take their bikes and kids' trailer to ride on the lakefront path. They will go all the way from Belmont Harbor to the Museum Campus and back, stopping for lunch along the way.
In the suburbs - I love the Brookfield Zoo, Kohl's Children's Museum in Glenview, DuPage Children's Museum in Naperville (Right across the street from the Metra station, so you could take public transportation to get there from the city)
