I love this museum. While it is a little older than the dupage museum, there's so much for kids to…read moredo. My boys stayed here for about 4 hours on the first visit and this has become a monthly affair. Staff are so friendly. Various areas that were of interest to my 4 year old Twins.

Very nice place for kids. My daughter's aged 4 years and 6 months came here on a Friday afternoon…read more Lots and lots and lots of children, which is understandable, but at some point you have to reach a limit. My 4 year old loved everything and didn't want to leave. The cashier, VAmparano, was not the friendliest, but she wasn't rude, maybe she was tired of all the kids. The young lady who stamped our hands, she was smiling from ear to ear from the moment we walked in the museum. If you show your WIC card or EBT you get a discount, it cost is $6 total. I believe children 12 months and younger are free. We will definitely be back

Stopped in while on the job…read more What a great place to bring kids both young and old. And to have it on the pier is perfect. After you spend a few hours burning the little ones out pop out and grab a bite. Employees are wonderful. So many things for the kids to do and see. If you have kids and you're visiting navy pier this is a must stop

This place is perfect for children and there are so many areas of play, creativity, and adventures…read more There is a lot to do and a lot to see, so you really can spend the whole day here. I'm from Houston, Texas and didn't like how we had to pay a non-residential entrance fee, which is more expensive. I feel like there should only be one flat fee. Also, the ticket price is so expensive, especially since we have to pay for the children AND adults. I mean, it's a children's museum so the adults HAVE to be there to accompany them. It's not like the adults come to play on their own. We come to play with the child. I just feel like adults should be free, or at least only pay like $5. On a normal day, it would not be reasonable to come here. I did see that they are hosting a Family Day when tickets are about $5 a person; that is an amazing deal and is so worth it. The hours are so short! We came on Thursday when the hours are 10-2pm. We came in at 11:30pm and I felt like we didn't have enough time! My boys wanted to play more; I wish we had come in earlier. So if you plan on going, I recommend going at 10am when they open, especially if you're going to pay full price. I didn't like how the hours are short and when it came to closing time, stations were shutting down early. At 1:45pm, the Cloud Buster exhibit was closed, which was disappointing because my boys wanted to go in there. A lot can happen in 15 minutes, so I didn't like that. The staff were all incredibly nice, sweet, and patient, though! They all kept their cool and were great at encouraging my boys, especially when climbing the Schooner. The museum reminds me of Montessori school, where it teaches independent play and discovery. I wish it included some facts and interactive play that reinforces the subject, like at a science museum. Overall, my two boys had a blast. They really enjoyed the "Play It Safe" and "Water City" exhibits. My favorite was Michael's Museum. I appreciated all the small messages of advice and reminders for parents in all play areas. It encouraged us and helped us understand the reasoning behind how children play or the purpose of the activity. From a child's perspective, this place is AMAZING, so I'm glad my boys enjoyed it.

My toddler was in heaven at this place! It's $8 a person (12 months and older). They have a toddler…read morearea for 4 and under but every area has stuff for every age kid. The staff are nice and keep the areas clean. They do have a storytime but we opted out to get a little more time away from the other kids as it can get overwhelming. I would recommend this for younger age range as some of the older kids seemed to get bored at some of the areas

This place is perfect for kids! A well established gem in St. Joseph, Michigan. My 5 yr old son…read moreand husband go there when I need a need a "mom" break. Please keep this place open forever!!

Museum is great for kids younger than 5 years Water table…read morefeature is fantastic! However the cafe can use some improvement We orders macaroni and cheese it was a small bowl about 4 " with bunch of noodles & cheese thrown on top and as a side a dried up mandarin for close to $ 7 you can do better Ended up not eating

We visited here on first night when driving to Chicago last week. Parking was fine since a few…read morehours before closing. The cafe in basement was closed. The first floor looked like tornado went through. Honestly earlier time of 4pm closing is probably when staff does cleaning and sorting. It is too bad there isn't cleaning and sorting throughout the day. A lot of exhibits are for older kids so my son didn't find much interested in it. Outdoors was tinker lab with bubbles which closed early at 3pm. 2nd floor was quieter and not as crowded. There were a few places for baby play area. Overall we were underwhelmed with this. Kohl children museum had outdoor play area which looked better which we visited the next day. This is closer to our hotel but not much for our son's interest. This is better probably when he is older.

This place is great with a caveat - your kids need to really be in the sweet spot for it. Like, 2-5…read moreyears old. Also, prices are now up to $20 per person, whether an adult or child. Last time I was here I was amused to see the grocery store was a Whole Foods and the sandwich shop was a Potbelly's, but I guess those sponsorships have expired and everything's kind of generic now. Kids won't care but I thought it was fun. The main draw of this place is the sheer amount of variety they have. Kids can play with toy cars, instruments, water, trains. They can paint, build things, read. They can pretend to be a vet, build a house, grocery shop, run a sandwich shop (oh I guess I mentioned those). There's a whole bunch of little science-y things, and some areas that rotate periodically. Toddlers and young kiddos have a blast, but I feel it'd be hard to keep older kids engaged. It also feels pretty pricy, especially charging parents, though I didn't know you could save a couple bucks buying online ahead of time. Parking is mostly easy but it is a popular place so be prepared to have to do some conflict resolution at times.

This children museum is a bit of a hike for us. We have to drive at least 50 minutes but our girls…read morelove the grocery store (resembles Whole Foods) and sandwich shop (resembles Potbelly) exhibits so we would suck up the drive. We have the Dupage Children Museum (DCM) family circle membership and Kohl Children Museum used to be the one of six in-network museums with free admissions. However, it is no longer the case as of the summer of 2025. Now with our DCM family circle membership, we will receive a 50% discount from the full general admission fee. It is still a good deal. Our girls would usually spend at least two hours here. We have visited Kohl several times over the years and I generally find it best to arrive at the early morning, members-only hour because there will be less people and less chaotic. And also because we have visited so many times during different months, we noticed they rarely change up the exhibits.

I had a lot of fun here! We didn't buy tickets online and were able to buy tickets outside with the…read moregirl in line. This is definitely a gimmicky museum but you know that going in! You start your journey in the bar but you can end here too if you want to relax a little. They have fun alcoholic drinks and ice cream to buy (but the flavor of the month is free). You go from room to room sampling free ice cream and playing little interactive experiences. One room had mini golf and ice cream hot dogs (try it!!). Another had carnival games and temporary tattoos. You end in the iconic sprinkle pit that is on all locations. I deducted a star because it was a lot smaller than other locations and I felt it ended abruptly. I also wish they gave smaller portions because I saw A LOT of food waste.

This is the cutest attraction for kids with unlimited ice cream that offers unique ice cream…read moreflavors. My kids enjoyed the ice cream and the sprinkle pool. We will definitely be back on our next visit to Chicago. Also, we purchased the VIP tickets so we could arrive at any time!

This is a nice addition to the area. The museum is not large but there are plenty to keep the kids…read moreentertained. We have visited twice and some of the exhibits that my girls enjoy are the imagination (arts and craft) studio, dinosaur and fossils, around the world, and fire station. During our most recent visit, we noticed there is an outdoor playground with plenty of slides, musical equipment, and climbing apparatus. We did not notice it a few months ago when we first visited so we are uncertain if this is a new addition. It is neat because there are a few picnic tables with shades and parts of the playground is covered. Since this is a fairly new addition, I am uncertain how often they will change up the exhibits. But we look forward to revisiting and exploring more of the area.

Very fun museum, exhibit for everyone from dress up to fire truck and car and coloring and…read moreclimbing. The new outdoor playground is great! It's always clean it's so large can't really notice when it's packed.

Was searching for fun stuff to do in Chicago and the suburbs with a toddler and this place popped…read moreup for us! Perfect way to beat the heat wave! Wonderful selection of things to play with, though this isn't really a "museum". Because it isn't a museum, it does seem a little crazy that they charge for adults. All of the indoor play places I've visited in Phoenix (where I live) they only charge for the child. But my son had so much fun it was worth it! His favorite were the treehouse and the cars. Glad we came here!

We visited this museum in Oak Park with our 15 month old grandson…read more He had a great time playing with so many different things. There were other families there, but it was not overly crowded. Many separate areas of play; a treehouse, veterinarian, kitchen, blocks, puppet stage...etc. fun place for young kids.

Griffin Museum of Science and Industry : The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (Griffin MSI)…read moreis a world-class destination located in the historic Hyde Park neighborhood. Housed in the only remaining building from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, it is the largest science center in the Western Hemisphere and focuses heavily on immersive, "hands-on" learning rather than traditional static displays. Must-See Exhibits * U-505 Submarine: A massive, authentic German U-boat captured during WWII. You can walk through the vessel (additional ticket required) or explore the surrounding high-tech gallery. * Science Storms: A two-story exhibit where you can step into a 40-foot tornado, trigger a Tesla coil "lightning" strike, and experiment with fire, water, and magnetism. * The Coal Mine: A beloved Chicago tradition that takes you down a mineshaft into a replica of an Illinois coal mine to see the machinery and history of the industry. * Transportation Gallery: Features a Boeing 727 hanging from the ceiling (which you can board), the Pioneer Zephyr train, and a massive model railroad that spans from Seattle to Chicago. * **Henry Crown Space Center: Home to the Apollo 8 Command Module and interactive displays about space exploration and the future of NASA. Overall it's an amazing experience and must do if coming with kids to Chicago.

Wonderful exhibits and location. I've been to the MSI at least ten times, and always find something…read morenew to explore. I would budget at least 4-5 hours to explore the museum. There is so much to see and do: my favourites include the U-Boat (highly recommend the tour for which you have to pay separately), the coal mines (also a separate tour), the weather exhibit, the steel exhibit and the ocean exhibit. The gift shop is also filled with the coolest souvenirs, especially for children. The staff are generally quite helpful, and the bathrooms are clean. The food at the cafeteria is relatively expensive in relation to its quality, so I would recommend finding a place near the museum to eat. Dawn, a local brunch spot a few blocks from the museum (easily within walking distance) comes to mind. If you do want to eat something at the museum, Farmer's Fridge has a vending machine with reasonably priced salads and snacks. There is also a Stan's Donuts in the museum, with free coffee for members. The museum is conveniently connected via public transport. Given that parking at the museum can be expensive, it makes sense to take a bus (there is a bus stop immediately outside the museum) or the metra (the station is a ten minute walk from the museum). Within walking distance of the museum is a beautiful and historic Japanese Garden. If the weather permits, I recommend combining a museum visit with a trip to the Gardem. Visiting the museum does not have to be an expensive affair: there are a number of free days every year for Illinois residents, subsidized rates for Chicago/Illinois residents throughout the year, discounted rates for students, and free entry for University of Chicago students. If you are a non-student and anticipate visiting the museum regularly, especially with children, I recommend getting the membership. Overall, I highly recommend the museum for both visitors and Chicago residents.

Family Day at the Smart Museum…read more When my daughter booked our family for Family Day as what we thought was part of U Chicago's Family Day, we were quite excited. A fun crafting adventure for the weekend. We almost didn't go as we were running late. Called and they said to come, so we did. Lucky to find a parking spot next to the Smart Museum on the University of Chicago campus. Walked in to the open atrium where we saw families of preschool aged kids with their mommies and daddies weaving on paper looms. My daughters have progressed to grad school, so we were a bit surprised. The museum curator also said when she scheduled Family Day at the Smart Museum of Art, she didn't realize that was also UChicago's Family Day. What a coincidence! So....we explored the museum first for inspiration. The museum is small, but had some beautiful installations. My favorite was the sunflower quilt print. The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles. Rosa Parks. Sojourner Truth. Ida Wells. Mary McLeod Bethune. Harriet Tubman. Vincent Van Gogh watching strong women advocate for equality from a distance. So powerful. Then, back to the atrium to pick up paper looms and fill brown paper bags with and assortment of strands of yarn, cord, shells and cards. Not having a plan, we went to work. Creativity inspired by our love for each other. Nice to have their featured artist come check on us. No, we were not on our phones. We were weaving small works of art. A great opportunity to spend a few quality hours with my daughters away from their responsibilities as adults studying to make an impact on the world. Family Day at the Smart Museum of Art. #2700

I came here for a Saturday opening and reception of Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas and…read moreBeyond Boundaries: Three Decades of Contemporary Chinese Art. It was so nice to go to a reception on a Saturday afternoon instead of a week night. The setup of the place is such that the food and drinks are floor level, but no food/drinks are allowed in the gallery space. Not convenient but understandable. This was my 2nd or 3rd time in this space. There was cheese/meat/fruit in one area, sealed pieces of cake in another area, and bartenders pouring wine, beer, soda, and water. Also a special drink dedicated to Alma Thomas. I was not familiar with her work, she was big admirer of outer space. It coincided with the Artemis II lunar space trip, so that was just awesome! The other exhibit about the University of Chicago's history with Chinese art was visually arresting and thought-provoking. There was a space separate for kids to do crafts as well. the bathrooms were small but clean, and a coat rack was provided, which was quite convenient. It is not far from public transportation, and I can't speak to parking, but the campus is so nice, if you live a mile or so away, it's a nice walk.