CONTENTS FEATURES RESOURCES FUN FOR FAMILIES In Chicago, you can take the kids on a pick-your-own adventure through parks, zoos, and even an ice cream museum. BY KELLY AIGLON Shedd Aquarium Start downtown at the Museum Campus , a walkable lakefront oasis where you can journey into the past and ponder the cosmos. Peer into a mummy’s tomb at the Field Museum , be mesmerized by glowing jellyfish at the Shedd Aquarium , and watch galaxies unfold in a domed sky theatre at the Adler Planetarium . At Navy Pier , the action extends 3,300 feet beyond the shore into Lake Michigan and lasts from day into night. Dig for faux dino bones at the Chicago Children’s Museum , take a turn on an old-fashioned carousel at Pier Park , catch an outdoor music performance at Polk Bros Park , virtually soar over the city at the newly opened Flyover , and circle nearly 200 feet in the air on the Centennial Wheel (don’t miss the skyline photo ops from the top). Stick around after dark for Navy Pier’s fireworks , which light up the sky Wednesdays and Saturdays during the summer. In the Loop, the American Writers Museum inspires budding scribes to browse bookshelves filled with works of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and more. Families can snuggle in the cozy reading nook of the Children’s Literature Gallery that’s lined with books for little ones. The nearby Maggie Daley Park lets young kids run off steam in the Play Garden , where they can navigate a huge play ship, careen down a 25-foot-tall spiral slide, and find their way out of a mirror maze. While you’re there, grab a putter at City Mini Golf and take aim around an appetizing new obstacle — a giant Chicago hot dog statue. The park’s Skating Ribbon will tempt you to put on roller skates or ice skates (depending on the season) and take a spin in the shadow of skyscrapers. And don’t leave without testing your stamina on the 40-foot-tall Climbing Wall . It’s time to fill your camera roll. Start at the Museum of Illusions , a mind-bending attraction featuring topsy-turvy exhibits where you’ll want to strike a pose. Keep grinning at WNDR Museum , an interactive experience that explores the imagination and offers Instagrammable backdrops 28 choosechicago.com @TEQUILAGRAPHICS
Chicago Visitors Guide 2024: Page 28
