What's the best part about visiting Chicago with your kids? On the positive side, Chicago is a big city. You'll find a rich diversity in cultures and languages and the opportunity to expose your kids to many different sights, sounds, and people. Free activities abound: Parks, a zoo, and the beach are a few of Chicago kids' favorite things--and they won't cost you a penny. Transportation is easy: Kids love the "El", carriage rides, trolley cars, and buses. And most activities are located around a compact city center--a brief bus or train ride from hotels on the Magnificent Mile or in River North or the Loop will get you to any of the downtown museums or the Lincoln Park Zoo. You'll always find a coffee shop just around the corner, great restaurants and shopping, and miles of walkable terrain for you and your kids.
The negatives? Chicago is a big city. Streets, shops, and museums can get crowded in the summer. Panhandlers can be a problem in certain congested downtown areas. Traffic can be hazardous--you'll need to be extra careful around busy intersections. (Warning: Cabs will not slow down for anyone--even families with kids). The "El" is not always stroller-friendly and getting through the station onto the train can be challenging. You may find yourself having to walk up flights of stairs carrying the diaper bag, stroller, and more.
Is it worth it? Millions of visitors who flock to our city every year can't be wrong.
As I wrote Frommer's Chicago with Kids, I had a very special interest in exploring Chicago with kids: My husband and I were expecting our first child in fall 2002. With this impending parenthood not only came a curiosity about how life would change for us in the big city, but also a welcome by fellow parents into their ranks. They were very generous in sharing their stories about how best to experience Chicago with kids. I have them to thank for the wide variety of activities, advice, and opinions you'll find throughout that book.
In writing this, I am working on three assumptions: One is that when you travel with kids, there has to be something in it for them. You can't expect kids to enjoy adult activities. (In fact, take a kid into a fancy department store or to a fine French restaurant, and the parents might not enjoy it either!) But while we want to keep the kids happy, the goal of "with Kids" series of travel guides is to find activities that offer something for parents and kids alike.
The second assumption is a preference for the simple over the complex. Take your 3-year-old to the zoo and she may wind up spending more time watching squirrels chase each other than the big cats emerging from their dens. And that's okay. Later on, she'll appreciate the larger animals! I emphasize some off-the-beaten track, simple (and often inexpensive) ideas for entertaining your kids. These ideas have been contributed and road-tested by a cadre of Chicago parents.
The third is that you will seek out activities that are unique to Chicago. Now, some people are comfortable going to Hard Rock Cafe or Six Flags because they have them in their own city--and their kids like that sort of predictability. More power to you--and those places are certainly listed in this guidebook. My focus, however, is on transportation, museums, and food that say "Chicago."
This city can be a magical place for families, filled with new discoveries and favorite places you'll want to visit again and again over the years. Many of my friends recall annual trips to Chicago with great fondness. Breakfast with Santa at the Walnut Room at Marshall Field's, Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle at the Museum of Science and Industry, and Buckingham Fountain's invigorating spray on a windy day will soon become part of your family lore, too.
Frommer's Favorite Chicago Family Experiences
Chicago has made vast strides in beautifying the city and developing visitor-friendly attractions. The best news for families is the creation of Museum Campus, now (in my humble opinion) the number-one collection of museums located on one walkable campus in the country. The campus brought together three great Chicago institutions--the Field Museum of Natural History, John G. Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum--by actually rerouting major streets to make the area more pedestrian-friendly. In addition, Millennium Park, Chicago's overdue new park near Michigan Avenue and the Art Institute, is beginning to take shape. Navy Pier was rehabilitated and opened in the mid-1990s, quickly becoming the city's number-one tourist destination. The North Loop theater district has risen from a decades-long slumber. And, the retail expansion along the city's fabled Magnificent Mile has yet to slow down.
From the simple pleasures of summer baseball to the complexities of the world of science, here are my favorite Chicago experiences for families.
Encountering Jurassic Wonders: Sue, the largest T-rex skeleton ever uncovered, has made the Field Museum her home. (Don't be taken aback by her intimidating presence in the museum's grand entry hall). But don't be surprised if your kids are just as much in awe of the Field's many classic kid charmers: a life-size Egyptian tomb, rooms of glittering gemstones, the royal Cameroon palace from Africa, and hundreds of stuffed animals (not of the teddy bear variety) in their habitat. Beware of the Field's mesmerizing qualities on adults and kids alike: A friend of mine began meditating in an Indian tepee, only to open his eyes and find the museum closed! (Roosevelt Rd. and Lake Shore Dr; tel. 312/922-9410; www.fmnh.org; Admission $8 adults; $4 seniors, children 3-11, and students with ID; free for teachers, armed-forces personnel in uniform, and children 2 and under. Free admission Mon-Tues Jan-Feb and from late Sept to Dec 24)
Exploring Underwater Life: Most kids have a fascination for life under the sea, and an afternoon watching dolphins frolic and colorful tropical fish swim circles around a mammoth tank is sure to enthrall. John G. Shedd Aquarium, with its all-time favorite dolphin show and precious Beluga whales, is a sure-fire winner with kids. (1200 S. Lake Shore Dr; tel. 312/939-2438; www.sheddaquarium.org; Admission to both Aquarium and Oceanarium $15 adults, $11 seniors and children 3-11, free for children under 3. Aquarium only $8 adults, $6 children and seniors. Free admission to Aquarium Mon and Tues Sept-Feb)
Marveling at the Innovations of Science and Industry: You can't go wrong at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago's perennial kids' favorite. Watch chicks hatch in an incubator. Catch an IMAX movie at the Henry Crown space theater. Step aboard a captured World War II U-boat or a retired 727 United Airlines jetliner. Travel deep into a replica of a Southern Illinois coal mine. With so much to do, you might want to divide and conquer by spending a couple of afternoons here. (57th St. and Lake Shore Dr; tel. 800/468-6674; www.msichicago.org; Admission to museum only, $9 adults, $7.50 seniors, $5 children 3-11, free for children under 3. Free admission Mon and Tues Sept-Feb.; IMAX extra.)
Taking to the Water from Navy Pier: Chicago's number-one tourist attraction is home to another kids' favorite--the Chicago Children's Museum (www.chichildrensmuseum.org). Navy Pier is also the jumping-off point for many of the boat tours of Lake Michigan, so find a vessel that's your speed, from powerboats to tall-masted schooners, and take to the water! (600 E. Grand Ave; tel. 800/595-PIER; www.navypier.com; free admission.)
Talking to the Animals: Located within Chicago's famous lakefront park, the Lincoln Park Zoo is convenient, compact, and charming. And what's not to love about a place that's open 365 days a year, and never charges a cent for admission? This, the nation's oldest zoo, is famous for its major collection of gorillas. The adjoining Farm-in-the-Zoo allows urban kids to wander a working farm and meet cows, pigs, horses, chicks, and goats. (2200 N. Cannon Dr at Fullerton Pkwy; tel. 312/742-2000; www.lpzoo.com; free admission.)
Riding the "El": L is not just the 12th letter of the alphabet, but also the greatest, least expensive entertainment your kids will enjoy in Chicago. Hop a southbound Brown Line elevated train, and watch the city unfold as the train crosses the Chicago River and screeches through downtown canyons. On Saturday afternoons, free, 40-minute tours of the Loop will take you through the heart of downtown on our century-old El train. (On any other day of the week, you can hop the El yourself for the same views, without the guided tour.) A Chicago Architecture Foundation tour guide will point out buildings of historic and architectural interest and discuss the history of the El. Free tickets must be obtained in advance on the day of the tour at the Chicago Office of Tourism Visitor Information Center on the first floor of the Chicago Cultural Center. (77 E. Randolph Street at Michigan Avenue; tel. 312.922.3432 ext. 226; www.architecture.org; tours offered May to September.)
Cruising Chicago's Waterways: A Chicago River cruise should be one of your first stops in our fair city. I didn't step aboard until I'd lived in the city for 2 years--and boy, did I miss out! Older kids will love the Chicago Architecture Foundation's river cruise (Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF), 224 S. Michigan Ave., tel. 312/922-3432, or 312/922-TOUR for recorded information; www.architecture.org; tickets $23-$25). Wee ones will get a kick out of the Buccaneer Pirate Adventure Cruises. (Board at the Wagner Charter Cruise Co. Dock on the south side of the Chicago River, east of the Columbus Dr. bridge. tel. 630/653-8690. Tickets $12. Cruises run May to mid-Oct. Sat at 10:30am.) Either way, the best way to see Chicago's world-renowned architecture is from the water.
Ogling Our Inland Ocean: Chicago's magnificent lakefront is an emerald strand of parks and sand beaches, linked by running, walking, rollerblading, and biking trails. Don't be surprised when our great lake looks more like the ocean to your kids. At 22,300 square miles in size and reaching depths of 900 feet, you can't see across Lake Michigan. And, it's the only Great Lake that lies wholly in U.S. Territory. Chicago is blessed with 29 miles of lakefront for biking, 'blading, or simply being, so get out there and enjoy the country's "third coast."
Getting the Blues: Even kids can get the blues, thanks to alcohol- and smoke-free nights at Blue Chicago, one of the city's many fabled blues venues. The blues is the first original music of America and the basis for rock 'n' roll. It's an authentic piece of Chicago's heart and soul that you absolutely should not miss. If you want to learn more, read Blues for Dummies, written by the father-and-son team of Lonnie Brooks and Wayne Baker Brooks, two of Chicago's beloved blues musicians. (736 N. Clark; tel. 312/642-6261; www.bluechicago.com.)
Rooting for the Home Team: Win or lose (and sorry to say, historically speaking, it's usually lose) an afternoon at Wrigley Field is a thrill for kids and adults alike. Even if the Cubbies aren't hitting them out of the park, hot dogs, peanuts in the shell, and a rousing rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" are sure to please. This most charming of major league ballparks is a slice of Americana that you should not miss. One afternoon spent in the embrace of the Friendly Confines will have you hooked on the sheer magic of Wrigley Field. (1060 West Addison; tel. 773/404-CUBS; www.cubs.com.)
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