Cantigny Park is basically therapy with better landscaping…read more One of my favorite things about this place is that it somehow manages to be both incredibly family friendly and peaceful at the same time. There's tons of space for kids to run around, explore, and burn off energy without feeling crowded or chaotic. And if you need a little reset yourself, there's always a quiet corner waiting for you. Whether it's a walking path, a bench, or just a peaceful stretch of the gardens, it's one of those rare places where you can step away, clear your head, and just breathe for a while. Beautiful grounds, relaxing atmosphere, and something for everyone. I came for a walk and left feeling lighter. Cantigny really is a little escape hiding in plain sight.

A nice short trip from the city with family friendly atmosphere. Walking grounds, gardens and…read moremuseum to check out.

This museum is wicked cool! I got lucky that I was able to visit for free as part of a dinner/party…read morefor a work conference I was attending. The place is MASSIVE -- you could easily wander for hours, but I only had about 1.5 hours so I went through some of the exhibits VERY fast. That said -- the German U-boat exhibit is particularly cool (you can even get on it/walk through it if you wait in a fairly long line!). They also had a Spiderman exhibit that was fun, a blue planet immersive experience that was just beautiful (and directed at raising awareness about microplastics/ocean pollution), several science exhibits about weather, and a couple other whole sections of the museum that I didn't make it to that was about the costumes/design from the movie "Wicked." There were several other areas in the museum as well that I just didn't have time to get to, but around pretty much every corner you'll find something unique, educational, and very cool! Lots of interactive stuff in the exhibits too, this place would definitely be very fun for kids like on a family trip, or a school field trip. My favorites were the WWII and U-boat exhibits, and the blue planet immersive exhibit. Would absolutely rec a visit to this museum if visiting Chicago and you only have time for one! It's super unique and VERY large so if you have a good chunk of a day you can definitely get your money's worth walking around here.

This is one of my favorite--if not my absolute favorite museum in Chicago. There are lots of cool…read moreactivities. It looked like the museum had a wealth of information and knowledge. The exhibits appeared exciting and fascinating. They have a place where you can get food. The MSI has also hosted cool events in the past. There are lots of exhibits, so one can feel like there is enough activity to make the visit worthwhile. The exhibits were well done. The museum has a cool layout. Some exhibits felt larger than life. I lost count of how many times I went to the Museum of Science and Industry.

This museum isn't very big and can probably be walked through in right around an hour, but it is a…read morehidden gem. The museum is housed in the old Batavia Train Depot (hence the name!) and does a great job introducing the importance of the early railroad on the area. Some of the displays include an original caboose that you can walk through, a very cool reproduced ticket counter, a working Western Union morse code station, Mary Todd Lincoln's bed and dresser (she was treated at a nearby sanitarium after Abe's assassination), and, in the basement, an exhibit on the general history of the area. Check back often, as they have periodic presentations, as well. My kids absolutely loved the one on antique toys and games the museum put on this past summer. It's an inexpensive way to get the family out and about!

This is a great place to visit and learn about local history. From initial settlement, through the…read moreMary Todd Lincoln years, and up to recent history like Furnas Electric, the Depot Museum has something for everyone. There is also an extensive library for people who are researching their families.

Fantastic! But I must qualify rating…read more Let me begin by saying I enjoyed my visit to the museum. They have a wonderful collection of several different types of trains (steam, electric, diesel) and an excellent collection of streetcars. You can ride a train and a street car; they have one of each running on different tracks. AND the prices of their food at the Central Diner won't break the bank. I thought the museum was very alive, in the sense that there seems to be a huge staff working on and operating the trains. It felt like a less hectic train yard. Would I recommend visiting the museum ... I hesitate. If you truly enjoy trains, it's an easy yes. If you don't, well, I hesitate to recommend it, even though I really would like you to go visit it. I have only visited a couple railway museums: B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore and the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay. I had a wonderful time at both of these museums, and it is difficult for me to quite put my finger on why I had less fun at the Illinois Railway Museum. I think one of the reasons is that you are always at ground level looking up. You don't get to get in or even have the opportunity for an elevated view of any of the trains, nor do you get to go in the cab of any of them. Because of that, I think I felt less connected to the trains, as so much of them was unseen. The streetcars are low enough that it isn't such a problem. But it would have been wonderful to have a few street cars available to go through.

An extensive and massive collection of railroad cars, locomotives, and memorabilia. they have steam…read morediesel trolleys, you name it. Really amazing how much they have. You can also take a ride on an electric car that used to go from Chicago to the suburbs. The staff are amazing and will help you find anything that you need. One of the employees even opened the used bookstore to help us find an item. he really went above and beyond to help us in our search for a particular item. The only downside is that several of the attractions had different hours and were closed. Also, we found it difficult to find particular locomotives or cars we were looking for. They can definitely make signage a little better and clearer. Other than that, it is a great place to visit.

What a fabulous place for various artists and artwork! It was great to see all the different pieces…read moreand styles in this collection. The art institute is huge and covers a wide variety of different styles. It's a big place so expect to spend some time here. Map shows different levels and different stairs and elevators leading to different places. They even have a cafe in the 3rd floor. Really cool place to check out in Chicago while you're here. They do have free lockers for large backpacks and items near the front.

My husband and I visited the Art Institute of Chicago on 6/6…read more During our visit, we got to see the Korean National Treasures: 2000 Years of Art exhibit. We spent a lot of time in the Modern Art wing. There is so much to see and experience there. We were there for a few hours, but I'd say you really need a whole day if you want to attempt to see everything.

From the Titanic area to mini golf, famous cars, dinosaurs, and a military museum…read more 3 generations had a blast. Great museum! It's an all-day activity that our 5-year-old enjoyed just as much as grandpa (65 years old). It's a large area, so bring good walking shoes.

I have been going to Volo for years. My wife and I went today and was shocked that the admission is…read morenow $39.95 and that is just for the cars. No other exhibits. My last visit to Volo and last recommendation to others.

One of my main reasons for this trip was the visit the Pokemon fossil exhibit. Not sure why there…read moreare not more reviews about it yet! Anyways, it's an additional add on to your base ticket pricing to go inside during a timed entry. Arrived at 9:15am like many other enthusiasts but I absolutely loved it. Once you walk in there's an Aerodactyl and excavator pikachu figure that is a great photo op. The exhibition itself walks you through the history of Pokemon and the different types of fossils that can be compared in the real world. This was so exciting to see and to go through. The life sized fossils were amazing to stand against and compare. Another photo op the end and that's where you get a voucher to purchase up to 5 items in the store with a limit 1 of excavator pikachu plush. After the Pokemon exhibit, there's a ton to see and do. My next favorite was the sue T REX exhibit and the dinosaur fossils too. There were the taxidermy animals too which were nice to see how many different species of animals there are in the world. The field museum is so big that you could literally spend the whole day here. So much to look at and see. Probably the best museum I've been to! Definitely worth checking out.

One of the best museums I have ever been to (and I've been to a LOT)…read more They have great exhibits, and I always go look at the Plants of the World area when I go. My only complaint is the hours--there are simply not enough hours in one business day to see everything. They should do multiple day passes!