Must Visit Museums to take your kids to in Chicago
This is your guide to family-friendly museums in Chicago and the suburbs! From our favorites like the Shedd Aquarium and the Museum of Science & Industry, to the obscure ones like the Busy Beaver Button Company and the Sock Monkey Museum; Chicago truly has it all!
Science & Space Museums
History & Living Museums
Art Museums
Children’s Museums
Transport Museums
Aquariums & Zoos
Botanical Gardens & Arboretums
Immersive & Interactive Museums
And so much more!
Science & Space Museums
Photo via adlerplanetarium.org
5700 S DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Chicago IL 60637
$14.95-$25.95 admission + ticketed experiences for an additional fee
One of the largest science museums in the world, the over 400,000 sq ft facility is home to hands-on science exhibits such as Science Storms, the new Blue Paradox and the popular U-505 Submarine, the Genetics & the Baby Chick Hatchery and The Great Train Story.
18022 Dixie Highway
Homewood IL 60430
FREE admission + camps & events for a fee
Drop in visits open every Saturday for STEM Saturdays, where your family can explore STEM activities through hands-on exhibits, creative play and special presentations. Use your engineering skills in the STEAM Studio, take some time to play in the Imagination Playground and check out the newest exhibit: the Ball Wall.
Mindworks: The Science of Thinking
224 S Michigan Ave, Ste 102
Chicago IL 60604
FREE admission
Mindworks is a working behavioral science lab and interactive discovery center. Visitors are welcome to explore the exhibits and are encouraged to participate in experiments and earn prizes for supporting research. The interactive exhibits explore questions such as: What do first impressions tell us about others and ourselves? How can you better understand and learn from things you failed to do?
International Museum of Surgical Science
1524 N Lake Shore Drive
Chicago IL 60610
$15-$25 admission
The museum’s exhibits are appropriate for grades 4 and up. Collections from around the world trace the history of surgery, and include art and artifacts dealing with the science, health and cultural studies of the practice.
1300 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr
Chicago IL 60605
$8-$19 admission + ticketed experiences for an additional fee
Through the wonder of space science- people, communities and institutions explore the universe together to create a better world for everyone. Exhibits include the Doane Observatory, Astronomy in Culture, The Universe: a Walk through Space & Time, and the amazing Sky Shows projected in the large dome-shaped theater.
Triton College
2000 Fifth Ave
River Grove IL 60171
$3-$10 admission
Multi-sensory shows, ranging from the evolution of the planet & stars to cosmic light shows featuring popular music such as Pink Floyd, David Bowie and Lady GaGa. Exhibits include fossils found around Illinois, a scale model of the Space Shuttle Challenger and a spacesuit worn by astronaut Gene Cernan on the Apollo 10 mission.
Joliet Junior College
1215 Houbolt Rd
Joliet IL 60431
FREE admission
A 30’ diameter dome and an OmniStar Digital Projection system, with show productions such as an interactive constellation & planet sky and other astronomical themes.
History & Living Museums
Photo via fieldmuseum.org
1601 N Clark St
Chicago IL 60614
$19 admission
Connecting visitors to Chicago’s history through dynamic exhibitions, tours, programs, digital resources and special events. Learn more about Chicago’s Polish communities, Abraham Lincoln’s life in Chicago and of course the Chicago Fire. Younger visitors will love the dioramas that were constructed in the 1930s, depicting the history of Chicago throughout the 1800s.
1400 S DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Chicago IL 60605
$18-$29 admission + ticketed experiences for an additional fee
A natural history museum with quality educational and scientific programs and extensive scientific specimen and artifact collections. The museum and its collections originated from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and include fossils and artifacts, exploring current cultures from around the world and interactive programming.
1899 W Winchester Rd
Libertyville IL 60048
$3-$10 admission
Exploring the history of people, events & nature, through exhibitions, education & community engagement. Exhibitions at the museum include a fossil rock estimated to be 420 million years old, a full-scale reproduction of an authentic wigwam and a reproduction of a one-room schoolhouse in Lake County.
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center
740 E 56th Pl
Chicago IL 60637
$4-$14.50 admission
A community center, teaching Black history & culture, through arts, research and education. Exhibits include The Harold Washington Story, the Chicago 1919 Race Riot and the story of a small group of African American women “Fighting Racism in the Trenches” during WWI.
The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center
9603 Woods Drive
Skokie IL 60077
$6-$18 admission
Focusing on the Holocaust and social justice topics. The temporary exhibition spaces dive deeper into specific areas of Holocaust subject matter and explore broader topics of genocide and human rights. For visitors 8yo and up, the museum also has exhibitions that teach younger guests about prejudice, discrimination, racism and speaking out for what is right.
5211 N Clark St
Chicago IL 60640
$4-$6 admission
A 24,000 sq ft cultural museum, featuring two gallery spaces with special art exhibits: “The Dream of America” exhibit, the Brunk Children’s Museum of Immigration, a genealogy center and the Museum Store.
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
3001 Central St
Evanston IL 60201
$6-$8 admission
Exhibits include showing how American Indian communities adapted to a post-colonial world, while still maintaining their way of life, and a brightly colored mural, conceived by youth and designed to share Indigenous knowledge with representations of nature and animals in the Woodland art style. The Family Zone features hands-on exhibits and take-home craft activities for all ages to experience traditional and modern aspects of American Indian cultures.
Pritzker Military Museum & Library
104 S Michigan Ave
Chicago IL 60603
$10 admission, 12 and under are FREE
Increasing the public’s understanding of military history, military affairs and national security by providing a forum for the study and exploration of our military, through thousands of artifacts, books, posters, photographs, maps and manuscripts.
2430 N Cannon Dr
Chicago IL 60614
$8-$17 admission
A nature museum with live native animals, nature-inspired art and exotic butterfly species. Interactive exhibits include the Micole Birdwalk, The Secret Forest and the RiverWorks.
Trailside Museum of Natural History
738 Thatcher Ave
River Forest IL 60305
FREE admission
Set within a historic 1876 mansion, the museum is the first public nature education facility for the Forest Preserves. The “trail side” museum displays live native animals, colorful wildflower gardens, information about local wildlife and their habitats and more.
523 S Webster St
Naperville IL 60540
$4-$6 admission
A 13 acre outdoor history museum, consisting of 30 historical buildings and structures that serve to document, preserve and interpret the the community life of Naperville IL. Themes include, but not limited to the social, political and business history of the town.
3800 York Rd
Oak Brook IL 60523
$2-$5 admission
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only gristmill recognized as an Illinois Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. Offering programs on milling, spinning and weaving to illustrate life between 1850 & 1860, and the effect mills had on the area’s culture.
Museums in The Arts
Photo via Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
111 S Michigan Ave
Chicago IL 60603
$26-$32 admission, children under 14yo are FREE
Founded in 1879, the Art Institute is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The art collection consists of Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Pablo Picasso's The Old Guitarist, Edward Hopper's Nighthawks and Grant Wood's American Gothic.
Museum Of Contemporary Art Chicago
220 E Chicago Ave
Chicago IL 60611
$14-$22 admission
In contrast to your traditional art museum, at the MCA, visitors can experience the work and ideas of living artists and understand the historical, social, and cultural context of the art of our time.
150 Cottage Hill Ave
Elmhurst Illinois 60126
$5-$18 admission
Starting as an art museum that focused on local artists’ work, it eventually expanded to feature nationally and internationally recognized artists. Through visual arts, education and architecture, the art pieces provide creativity and cultural enrichment, as well as providing thought-provoking and diverse exhibitions and programming.
4041 N Milwaukee Ave, 2nd floor
Chicago IL 60641
FREE admission
Inspire connection and dialogue of the impact of war through the collection, preservation and exhibition of art by military veterans. Artwork includes paintings, photography, sculpture, poetry, murals and music.
National Museum of Mexican Art
1852 W 19th St
Chicago IL 60608
FREE admission
Representing the Mexican community and situmulating knoweledge and appreciation of Mexican culture, through visual & performing arts programs and education programs and resources.
Museum of Contemporary Photography
Columbia College Chicago
600 S Michigan Ave
Chicago IL 60605
FREE admission
A college art museum dedicated to photography. Past exhibits included photography themes capturing Native Americans, Chicago stories, landscape & leisure and Chicago youth.
Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art
1220 Kensington Rd
Oak Brook IL 60523
$5-$10 admission
A museum dedicated to the lapidary arts with displays of gemstones, jewelry and bejeweled objects. There are additional exhibits focused on earth science where you can learn how a tree turns to stone, how hard jade is, what minerals make up granite and see fossils through geologic time.
111 E Wacker Dr
Chicago IL 60601
$10-$14 admission
A nonprofit cultural organization that has public tours and programs. The most popular attraction inside its center is the Chicago City Model Experience, which features over 4,000 buildings and a film & light show illuminating the model.
180 N Michigan Ave, 2nd Floor
Chicago IL 60601
$9-$14 admission
An interactive and inspirational museum of American writing in all genres. Learn about the history of writing and how it has shaped our lives. Explore the intricacies of language through games and try writing something for yourself on a vintage typewriter.
Children’s Museums
Photo via dupagechildrens.org
Navy Pier
700 E Grand Ave, Ste 127
Chicago IL 60611
$21 admission
A space that was intentionally designed for experimentation, creativity and learning for all children. The museum provides accessibility, inclusion and the pursuit of childhood for all visitors. The play exhibits include Circusville, Water City, an Art Studio and a Dinosaur Exhibition.
2100 Patriot Blvd
Glenview IL 60026
$19 admission
Expanding every child’s mind through the power of play and creating learning experiences that spark imagination and curiosity. The museum provides play spaces such as a baby nursery, an arts & craft station, a veterinary office, Water Works, Whole Foods Market and more.
301 N Washington St
Naperville IL 60540
$19 admission
Providing Children and Families with fun and unique learning opportunities. Through programs and exhibits like the art gallery and Creative Connections, every experience is designed to help children develop a strong foundation of creativity, critical thinking and problem solving skills, and confidence.
9301 S Stony Island Ave
Chicago IL 60617
$5 admission
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization & the first & only African American Children’s Museum in the U.S. Exhibits include the You Are What You Eat tour, STEM activities, Provident Hospital and the Jewel Store.
Wonder Works Children’s Museum
6445 W North Ave
Oak Park IL 60302
$15 admission
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to changing lives through creative play. A nature play space, farm to market, Art Works studio and a building station are among just some of the exhibits the museum offers.
Children’s Neighborhood Museum
Round Lake Area Park District
814 Hart Road
Round Lake IL 60073
$3-$7 admission
A tot-sized replica of a town built especially for kids, where they can drive a car to the market, gas up at the local gas station, be a doctor, lead a classroom and explore in the STEAM area. Children can experience various roles in a community, allowing them to challenge themselves to explore.
The Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn
5100 Museum Dr
Oak Lawn IL 60453
$13.50 admission
A place for families to learn, explore and soar together and for children to be creative, role play and build. Kids can play in the Imagination Playground, Safe Haven Animal Shelter, the theatre & dress up area and the STEM exhibit.
11 S White St
Frankfort IL 60423
$10 admission
A cultural institution that brings children, families and the community together to engage in fun, hands-on interactive play, including a fire station, space station, dino dig and fishing boat.
Transport Museums
Photo via chicagomaritimemuseum.org
27582 Volo Village Rd
Volo, IL 60073
$12.95-$22.95 admission + combo packages with the other onsite museums
35 acres of unique exhibits and over 10,000 mechanical marvels, some that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Visitors can enjoy displays that span from a Military Jet to the Little Mermaid, along with a 300 car collection. Also onsite is the Jurassic Gardens and Titanic Exhibit.
44 W 546 US 30
Sugar Grove IL 60554
$5-$10 admission
Chicagoland’s largest aviation museum. The collection of exhibits at the volunteer-run aviation museum includes aircrafts, vehicles, uniforms and other aviation memorabilia from the 1930s to the present time. Guided tours are available of the aircraft located on-site and visitors are encouraged to sit in an A-7 flown in the Gulf War and climb into the pilot's seat of an UH-1 Huey helicopter.
1200 W 35th St
Chicago IL 60609
$5-$10 admission
Dedicated to the study and memorialization of Chicago's maritime traditions. The museum provides a chronological walk through local maritime history, including the eras of French fur traders, sail and steam-powered vessels, modern commercial Great Lakes frigates, recreational sailing and the Ralph and Rita Frese Canoe Collection.
7000 Olson Rd
Union IL 60180
A 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, owned entirely by volunteers. The museum is organized into a number of departments, including equipment departments [electric car, steam and diesel], facilities departments [buildings & grounds, track & signal and overhead line], education-oriented departments [libraries and exhibits] and the operating department [oversees actual train operations].
Fox River Trolley Museum
365 S La Fox St
South Elgin IL 60177
$5-$8 admission
A 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, the trolley museum maintains a collection of 30 antique electric trolleys, railroad cars and locomotives, ranging in construction dates from 1887 to 1959.
National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum
10406 S Maryland Ave
Chicago IL 60628
$7-$10 admission
A 501(c) 3 cultural institution, promoting honor and celebrating the legacy of A. Philip Randolph, Pullman Porters, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and contributions made by African-Americans to America’s labor movement, with a significant focus on the African American Railroad Employee.
Immersive & Interactive Museums
1130 W Monroe St
Chicago IL 60607
$22-$32 admission
An interactive, multi-sensory experience, with contemporary installations by artists including Yayoi Kusama. The collection is a collaborative between thinkers, artists, poets and designers.
820 N Orleans St
Chicago IL 60610
$39 admission
Celebrating joy through sensory play: vivid colors, the sense of scent, tactile compounds and captivating visuals and sounds.
435 N Michigan Ave, Ste G
Chicago IL 60611
From $23-$29 admission
Enjoy unlimited ice cream treats in nostalgic flavors, learn all about ice cream and its history and play in the world-famous sprinkle pool.
320 W Jackson Blvd, LL 2
Chicago IL 60606
$39-$43 admission
An interactive journey through 14 immersive art exhibits as stunning as they are colorful. Have a ball in shades of green, discover your color horoscope and play in piles of confetti.
25 E Washington St
Chicago IL 60602
$23-$28 admission
Guests will enjoy more than 60 visual and educational exhibits featuring holograms, stereograms, optical illusions and immersive rooms that are designed to tease the senses and trick the mind.
601 N Martingale Rd #340
Schaumburg IL 60173
$10-$27 admission
Where every corner is a photo opportunity. Explore the interactive exhibits, designed to make photos & videos stand out.
Zoos & Aquariums
Photo via Brookfield Zoo site
8400 31st St
Brookfield IL 60513
$20.95-$29.95 admission
Home to more than 3,400 animals of over 500 species from around the globe. Interactive experiences include feeding giraffes, petting goats and sheep and exploring the Treetop Canopy Climbing Adventure.
Fullerton Pkwy & Cannon Dr
Chicago IL 60614
FREE admission
Exhibits include big cats, polar bears, penguins, gorillas, reptiles, monkeys and other species totaling about 1,100 animals from some 200 species. Activities onsite are a carousel and kiddie train ride.
1200 S DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Chicago IL 60605
Starting at $19.95 admission + ticketed experiences for an additional fee
A highly-ranked world aquarium and at one time was the largest indoor facility in the world. It is the first inland aquarium with a permanent saltwater fish collection. The aquarium contains 1,500 species, including fish, marine mammals, birds, snakes, amphibians, and insects.
Botanical Gardens & Arboretums
Photo by Sandeep Pawar via flickr.com
Chicago Botanical Gardens
1000 Lake Cook Rd
Glencoe IL 60022
$9.95-$25.95 admission for non-members
385 acres of nature in the North Shore. There are seasonal walking trails, the Nature Play Garden for kids to play in, a greenhouse, special events and so much more.
2391 N Stockton Dr
Chicago IL 60614
FREE admission
A tropical display within 4 houses: the Palm House, Fern Room, Orchid House and Show House, all right in the heart of Lincoln Park. The exotic plants, tropical palms and ancient ferns are green and lush all year round.
300 N Central Park Ave
Chicago IL 60624
FREE admission
With the founder’s saying that “the country must come to the city”, this urban oasis changes lives through the power of nature. The collection is continuously evolving, with plants inside the glasshouses and out in the gardens, acquiring new specimens and creating new hybrids.
615 Garfield St
Oak Park IL 60304
FREE admission
In the top 3 of historical sites in Oak Park, the conservatory offers an atmosphere of flora and fauna throughout three indoor conservatory showrooms. There is a Mediterranean room, Tropical room and Desert room, along side an urban outdoor gardens.
4100 IL Rt 53
Lisle IL 60532
$9-$17 admission for non-members
Offering a variety of exhibitions, activities, events and classes at the gardens, there are also award-winning features, such as the Children’s Garden, Maze Garden and 16 miles of hiking trails.
225 S Prospect Ave
Elmhurst IL 60126
FREE admission
Built over 100 years ago, the conservatory is located in Wilder Park and houses a wide variety of plants. Native plants have been raised in the greenhouses for transplanting to natural areas since 1993, and the number of those raised has grown from 500 to nearly 12,000 each year.
Novelty Museums
Water Tower Place, Level 7
835 N Michigan Ave
Chicago IL 60611
$6-$10 admission
The 23,000 sq ft space celebrates Chicago's major sports teams and combines high-tech interactive experiences with unique sports memorabilia and an impressive collection of game-used treasures and other artifacts.
Fire Museum of Greater Chicago
5218 S Western Ave
Chicago IL 60609
FREE admission
Home to a vast and growing collection of fire apparatus, tools, communications equipment, photos, documents, helmets & uniforms, and other artifacts with historical significance.
53 N Broadway
Aurora IL 60505
$5 admission
A place of public history, learning and community gathering for all ages and occasions. The museum provides walk-in tours, scheduled group tours and educational programs including field trips and scout programs.
3407 W Armitage Ave
Chicago IL 60647
FREE admission
Showing how people commemorated noteworthy times in their lives by creating and collecting buttons. The words, artwork, printing style, color and size on the buttons are the way of communication to people’s histories.
210 Robert Parker Coffin Rd
Long Grove IL 60047
$4-$6 admission
A collection of sock monkeys that came together from estate sales, garage sales, antique stores, previously amassed collections, heartwarming gifts, generous donations and the internet.