When we get to Navy Pier in Chicago, we always make time for the Children's Museum. There's a fire engine climber and pole that we love to play on, with hoses, a fire-station-pole, and a fire-targeting game. The fire engine includes uniforms, and there are some other costumes. There's a bulldozer with moving levers to play with. There's climbing ropes. There's a log-cabin to play in, and a colorful steam-punk horse-sculpture made of gears and gadgets. We play here every time. We never get tired of it. read more

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We had a great time visiting here on a vacation with family. We were not sure about the age range going in but this is a big enough museum/play space that it will appeal to a pretty wide variety of ages. Our kids are 7 and 9 and while many exhibits are geared for younger children and we skipped (such as the seemingly favorite water play space and the little pretend village) these, there are a number of building/tinkering as well as climbing spaces that our kids really liked. You could spend probably a whole day here but it's fair to budget just a few hours to a half a day too depending on how much playtime you want to give them. The games area is fun too. They have bowling, giant dominos, checkers, and corn hole. My daughter also appreciated the tiny room with miniature versions of everything. A lot of the tinkering and building stuff relied on recycled materials which you could easily find at home so the experience maybe could inspire for after visiting creative projects. I actually myself enjoyed the painting lab. Since the exhibits change from time to time I think I would come back. I understand that kids must have an accompanying adult, but when you add the non-local pricing up, it's $100 for a family with two kids. I guess everything is expensive in touristy areas like this but it does make this visit somewhat prohibitively expensive when you could, for example, visit the zoo for free. Obviously that's hard to compare and we did have a good time here but that might be my one hesitation. read more

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We recently returned to the Children's Museum, and our young boys really enjoyed the experience. While the water area was closed (which was a disappointment as it's a fan favorite), my kiddos continue to enjoy the makeshift CTA bus and firetruck. The rotating display this time around was 'castle,' which had fun dress up options and little play areas. While we like the children's museum, with the water area closed and tickets still $21/person, we likely won't come back for some time. However, definitely a great spot to check out if you've never been! read more

We are members here and we do not come here enough! I would say we average about 3-4 visits a year. However when we do come, our toddler has a blast! Your children will as well. As members, we do get discounted parking at Navy Pier. While it does help, it still can be a little pricey. Ok there is a gift shop right before you enter so if you can support it, great! Head up the stairs or elevator and get ready for 2 floors of fun! Whether you visit the dinosaurs, construction area or the fire station, this museum appeals to every childs interests. This particular day we spent a lot of time in the firehouse as seen by the video. Regardless, he had fun, make some friends, had some snacks (2nd floor) and had a great time! We love coming here! read more

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Having been to Orlando, Jacksonville, Denver, Ann arbor, Detroit. This place is decent. I think its a bit expensive for what you get but since you can bring snacks, that saves money. It did have a tinker shop where kids could make crafts as well as an art shop to color and paint. I believe they had membership options so that would be better fir locals. Non residents cost $25 pp I think. read more

Chicago Children's Museum - Water area - Children's Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Such a neat museum! I had a great time exploring each floor with my son. Everything was well maintained and there was plenty of staff to keep things tidy and make sure everyone was acting appropriately. I absolutely loved the water play area! I wish it were larger. The fire department area was also super neat and I love how there are so many opportunities for the kids to dress up. Many places to sit and park strollers. It never felt crowded. I also love all the hand sanitizer everywhere! However, I do wish there were more options for food aside from the vending machines. If I lived in the city, I totally would have a membership. Looking forward to coming back and visiting in the future! read more

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Stopped in while on the job. 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 read more

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This place is SO big, they have an indoor climbing area where they let kids go through these high tunnels with helmets. Adults are allowed to. They also have play areas, dress up activities in many sections, as well as crafting and water play. This place is great! I have spent hours (3-4) with just one kid, so definitely worth the cost. They also validate parking! read more

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My amazing besties gave my twin boys an amazing first birthday gift: a year-long membership to the museum, which included parking for eight visits. The museum is huge, with two floors packed with diverse exhibits. For one-year-olds, we found four spots particularly great: the Pritzker Playroom (you'll need a limited-availability playroom pass), the Treehouse, Kids Town, and the Fire Truck. The other exhibits are better suited for older kids. My kids absolutely loved visiting. I'm even thinking about getting another year's membership! Plus, the museum's location at Navy Pier means there's plenty more to see and do beyond just the museum. One of the best features is the bathrooms, which are well-equipped with kid-sized toilets and sinks. The only downside is the limited hours. It's tough to plan visits around midday naps when they close at 5 PM. read more

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So fun! Highlight of our day. Located inside Navy Pier. Lots to do for younger kiddos. Very hands on. Great floors to explore so really something for everyone. Nice and interactive. My only complaint was the gift shop was a bit lacking and very $$$. (I usually LOVE children's museum gift shops for high-quality educational toys, books, and puzzles). Also wish it opened a little earlier as my kiddos are up SO EARLY and ready to climb! read more

This place is perfect for children and there are so many areas of play, creativity, and adventures. 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. read more

Went with husband and kids to this for the first time. Pretty neat! Located inside Navy Pier. Parking is discounted - not a ton but discounted. Tickets are $21 per person although my employer had some free tickets so that was nice! The museum is neat and cute for kiddos with tons to do - climbing the bus, ropes, etc, building, water city area, dinosaur experience, fire department with stuff for kids to climb down like if they were firefighters, put out flames, wood trails, kids town, etc. Very cute and interactive! Also there are various labs that kids can draw, paint, build stuff etc. Museum is open 10am-5pm. We spent maybe around 3 hours or so, depending on how long kids do stuff it might be longer. Definitely can spend multiple hours here! They have some free days, I think the next one is June 25. They have 3 floors with lots to do and many interactive exhibits. Overall would recommend! read more

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Great museum for littles. So many fun and interactive play stations. I think the exhibits fare well for kids up to age 7, maybe 8. Older kids will probably get bored after a while. There was an employee who followed us around for a bit after she asked if my son was mine because she said there was somebody missing who matched my son's description. She kept following us even after we established that he was my child. read more

Chicago Children's Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I arrived at 12pm on a Monday afternoon with my son. This located on Navy Pier. We had the go city pass. There are 3 lines: one for members, one to buy tickets, and one for pre purchased tickets. Check in was easy. The adult gets a wrist band that allows for reentry up until they close, which was at 5pm today. They do have an unattended coat room and lockers. The steps to the 2nd floor had numbers in English and Spanish, which I thought was pretty cool. One area is water city and they provide rain coats to protect clothes from getting wet. There is also a changing room as well. My son spend a lot of time here. They had games such as bowling, chess, checkers, dominos, corn hole, etc. There were a couple engaging labs but they can get gone fast. Unfortunately, we didn't get to do anything due to timing and certain slots being gone. There is a space where kids can make a paper rocket and launch it. Making it didn't seem kid friendly but we got it done. The rocket launcher was cool! They had an airplane seat in that space too. My son really enjoyed the Cloud Buster! It was fitting for his age. There weren't many areas for an 11, almost 12 year old. If I had a suggestion, I would include more activities geared towards them, as they are children too. They have an eating area that is small and can't fit many families. They had a vending machine that was actually affordable. I got myself a pop tart for $1.25 as I was hungry, lol. Overall, it was a good experience. We spent 3 hours here. If we didn't have a 3pm appt for the flyover, my son likely would've wanted to stay until 5 as he made a friend and they were doing activities together. read more

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Took my boys here and they all had a great time. Located inside Navy Pier, we were able to spend a few hours in the museum then grab lunch and walk the pier. The museum itself was pretty clean, and spread out, so it never felt too crowded. My boys really liked the fire station area, along with the water play, but they really loved the climbing Schooner. My one child is afraid of heights and after seeing his brothers decided he needed to try it and couldn't get enough of it. We were really looking forward to doing the Cloud Buster but it was closed the day we went- so we'll have to visit again. read more

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Absolutely fantastic children's museum! Took my almost 15 month old here with my parents and it was a blast. Tons of exhibits and interactive things to do. Everything is well marked and easy to navigate. Staff was helpful. My son loved everything, especially the archeology, firefighting, and car racing sections! Also a nice touch, love that they have boxes for toys that have been in mouths to be sanitized and plenty of hand sanitizer throughout. Well worth the price and we will eventually be back in the future! read more

Chicago Children's Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a really fun Children's Museum with multiple levels and plenty to do for kids ages two and up. We have a four-year-old and a two-year-old, and both found a ton to keep them busy. It took up most of the day and completely wore them out. We would definitely come back. read more

My kids love coming here! We have taken them and my in laws have taken them. Each time they discover something new. I love how hands on it is and there are so many different activities for them to do. There's also art class session along with other sessions but you do need a time ticket slip for those, but you just go get them at the room where the class is held. It's nice because you can come and go as you please from the museum so if your kiddo needs to get away for a nap you can just go back after as long as you have your wristband. read more

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Interactive and all inclusive. Anything in English is also displayed in Spanish. 100% fun for everyone read more

This place is amazing!! I wish I could fit into some of the activity areas! We stopped by on a Friday afternoon and the museum wasn't that busy. It is very clean and organized and all the staff is very friendly and helpful. They encouraged kids to keep trying different activities without pushing them too much and were enthusiastic. We enjoyed every exhibit and loved all the hands on activities, for a variety of ages. Some of our favorites of the day were the firetruck, the water tables, and the construction zone. There were so many other areas for any interest, you could spend all day here. Once you get your wristband, you can come in and out throughout the day, so stepping out for a break for food is easy. It's a must visit when in Chicago with kids and great to spend those rainy or colder days in. read more

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Membership is def worth it. Bought the 200 membership but it is worth it to get the 350 membership as parking is included

What a fun place! Located at the Navy Pier, the Chicago Children's Museum was great for my son (5.5yo). We got there on a Sunday before lunch and it wasn't too packed. After getting our bearings a bit, my son went to the Cloud Buster area. They give out helmets to the kids who are climbing - I can see why! He had a lot of fun climbing the structure, then coming down the tower. After doing this a few times, he wanted to go to Water City via the Climbing Schooner. The staff do a good job with kids climbing the Schooner who start at the bottom floor, making sure kids have a chance to climb a good distance before letting another kid into the structure. There are lots of twists and turns, and there's staff (plus caregivers!) who encourage the kids along the way. The Water City is great - lots of interactive things to do here, and I like how they have a changing area if clothes get wet. They also have different sizes of ponchos available for the kids to wear as they explore the city. My son was really into two parts: the water sprayer and the small water slide that you pour water in to play a musical note. For the sprayer, there are lots of targets to aim at, and each one does something different. Some spin and others are attached to things that will make sound once they're not being sprayed anymore. There's a water wheel as well, Lots to do in this exhibit. On the way to the Tinkering Lab, there's a space for kids to go bowling, play chess, eat snacks, and more. I appreciated the vending machine having not-so-sugary snacks available. Outside of the Tinkering Lab, there are a few walls where kids can make a lifesized marble run of sorts. My son is super into marble runs, so seeing a huge setup like this was a dream for him. There are flexible pipes of different diameters, and plates/rings that can stick to the wall magnetically. Towards the bottom, there are some boxes - the goal is to create a marble run to get the balls to land (and stay) in the boxes. There are balls of different sizes as well. We never made it to the other exhibits, so I can see how kids can easily spend half a day here or more. Caregivers get wristbands for in/out priveledges. Overall, it was an awesome time! read more

Very fun! Found it on the pricier side but overall a great experience. I also really loved that the staff were involved like they wanted to be there! It was refreshing to see. Lots of different activities- we spent a full afternoon here. read more

My daughter and I are avid Children's museum goers and this one is the best of the 3 we've been to in the Chicagoland area. Although parking is super expensive, it's a great way to keep your kids entertained rather than screen time. Though I usually try to beat out the crowds and go during the weekdays, this one isn't bad at all for a Saturday. The one in Glenview is a mad house on Saturday because their parking is free (I'm assuming). Why it's great for kids: So much space and activities that go from digging and building to dress up and tinkering. They have it all and 3 floors of it. Why it's great for adults: The tinkering area is an awesome time to spend doing a project together with your little ones. The employees in that area are spectacular and so hands on. Room for improvement: There's no dining area, only a snack area. read more

Chicago Children's Museum - Cloud buster - Children's Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The Children's Museum is amazing. They currently have the zoom car exhibit and my son loves car and he had so much fun! One of his favorite sections is the fishing area because he gets to splash water. Parking: the mesuem does validate and gives 10% off read more

Mom: Stopped by while at Navy Pier with some time to spare. It was great to see so many kids having fun. The museum is perfect for children 8 and under, with engaging areas like art, engineering, water play, and a tree house. I wish I had brought my daughter here more often when she was younger! Younger kids can definitely spend few hours at the museum. Daughter: The Chicago Children's Museum looks like such a great experience for kids 8 and under. As a 14-year-old, most of it felt too young for me, though I did enjoy the Cloud Buster climbing structure. Overall, my visit only took about 30 minutes. read more

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Loveeeee this museum! Took my Goddaughter that is only 2 and she had such a great time! I was pleasantly surprised at how many activities there were and how interactive the museum was. The location is also really amazing, we were able to explore, get food, get a build a bear all in one place. read more

Chicago Children's Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you have young kids and live nearby-ish, this is probably the one museum membership you have to buy in my opinion. I find myself coming here at least once a month and it's easy to stay for at least 2 hours every time even though it feels like my 50th time at this point. I love that they change up some of the exhibits a few times a year so you can still discover something new each time. Compared to some other children's museums, I think this one is on the large side. If it's your first time here, don't expect to experience everything unless you plan to spend a whole day. The third floor Pritzker Play Space is suitable to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers (ages 5 and under)- you just have to get a ticket for timed entry every hour. Same thing with the art studio on second floor. There's no food for sale in the museum but they do have a few dining tables on second floor as well as a snack corner on third floor for you to eat your packed lunch/snacks. They are very strict about finishing your outside drinks and food before entering the museum. Since the museum is right on Navy Pier, there are no shortage of food vendors if you need something for your kid or for yourself. The museum provides a wristband for repeated same day entries. My only complaint is that they don't open until 10am, and every parent knows that you've already been up for at least 4 hours entertaining your kids by then. I believe their weekend and summer hours are longer- closing at 5pm, but most weekday hours during other seasons are until 2pm. It's a must visit with your young kids during your stop to Navy Pier. read more

Our daughter absolutely loved the Chicago Children's Museum! There was so much to do, making it the perfect spot for kids to enjoy themselves for half a day. If your child loves pretend play, this place is a dream come true. The Chicago Firefighter exhibit was a huge hit--our daughter loved climbing into the fire truck and dressing up as a firefighter. But nothing topped Kids Town for her. With a market, car wash, gas station, and bus, it was pretend play heaven! As parents, we also appreciated the thoughtful touches. Our younger daughter is still breastfeeding, and the museum had a secluded feeding room in Kids Town, plus padded rocking chairs throughout with signs designating priority seating for nursing moms--such a great detail! I personally enjoyed the Zoom Room, which brought back childhood memories of racing Hot Wheels. Even though my daughter isn't into cars, I had a blast with the elaborate tracks! Overall, if you're in Chicago with young kids, this place is a must-visit. So many engaging exhibits, a well-designed space, and plenty of areas for parents to relax while the kids play. Highly recommend! read more

This review is regarding membership & gift certificates: I was gifted membership, so I wasn't aware of expiration date as a new mom of 2. I purchased the parking bundle (10 for $150?), which they did not allow me to rollover to a new membership. They wouldn't allow me to use my gift certificates towards a membership renewal, which is insane, because other museums and theme parks do allow single-visit tickets to be used towards annual membership (eg Brookfield Zoo, Disneyland), and they would be making more money off of me with a membership, because of the higher cost than a single ticket. I would recommend purchasing your gift certificate for someone elsewhere. read more

I think any person, any age would enjoy an outing like this.... First trip to Chicago! Didn't know what to expect...welp, I take that back... I was getting a little anxious of the large crowds that could be drawn in on a Saturday afternoon visit. I expected everything and everywhere to be balls- to-the-wall-insane like everything is in Dallas! Boy oh boy was I wrong. It was super chill...maybe about 5 or 6 kiddos with their parents to a room. NO OVERCROWDING! Where y'all at CHI-town???! Oh...how could I forget?! Y'all are all moving to MY city (Dallas). **eye roll** Anywho, my 5 year old had the time of his life. It wasn't all play. There were some good educational activities. We stayed only for a couple of hours until closing time, but we definitely could've gotten another couple of hours of play in! Reserve your ticket online, so you don't have to worry about it selling out. As of APRIL 2022, they required proof of vaccination...so yeah that's kind of goofy. Staff was nice and accommodating...clean restrooms...blah, blah, blah.... Was my first time, but will not be my last! read more

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Absolute must if you have toddlers. Great spot to entertain them for 3-4 hours! It is located on the Navy Pier so you can step out and enjoy your many dining options and return back to the museum and finish off. We spent all morning here and there was so much to do in the museum. read more

What a museum my daughter could have spent easily 4 hours there. I couldn't believe how enormous this place is. They had 3 different art studio activities starting at 1:30. My daughter made a collage there. All the staff is really nice and friendly. This place is really clean. She had to wear a helmut for the jungle gym and that disinfect them all after use. $21 each person I think kids under 1 or 2 are free. It's amazing and so worth the money. read more

Chicago Children's Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Still a fantastic way to spend the day with kids in Chicago. My son was a little disappointed that the car exhibit had beer replaced by a reading exhibit (he loved to read and several of his favorite books were featured) I think it was more that we have lots and lots of books at home but we do not have a room full of giant race tracks. This time we were got passes for the upstairs Tinker Lab and it was a blast if your LO likes building stuff. read more

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Both my children 9 and 11 enjoyed it. Though the museum is geared toward younger children my older child enjoyed tinkering and building things. The museum kept them busy for a few hours and we probably could have stayed longer. My only complaint is that it was $100 for two adults and two children which I thought was expensive for what it was. read more

We just visited here last weekend while staying at navy pier. Outside is deceiving since it looks small as well as first floor entryway. Once you go to 2nd and 3rd floor, there are tons of exhibits like cloud climber, dinosaur digging, art studio, tinker lab, and infant play area. The studio, lab, and infant play area required tickets which are available every hour. Be sure to pickup ahead of time and set alarm since it is easy to forget or lose track of time. There is no cafe in the museum but plenty of options just outside. Gift store has typical toys and ended up getting a collapsible/expandable ball. We had reciprocal membership so got half off which was nice. Also we got 10% off garage parking which was even nicer since we stayed at sable hotel for couple of nights on navy pier. Our favorite part of museum was tinker lab which had staff members who introduced project of designing a cart with recycled materials like cardboard boxes, bottle caps, and straws. My son loved making his cart and racing on the ramp. Plus they could take home their creations in paper bags too. The art studio had map making which was cool too. My wife took our baby daughter to the infant play space which was quieter and limited to ticket only. Overall we loved this after visiting dupage and kohl children museums in suburbs. The ticketed area seemed annoying at first but we now understand that it keeps the group size small. Then you and your kid can have quality time with staff to help with projects or also cleanup in between sessions. read more

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We spent a long weekend in Chicago and only heard great things about the Children's Museum! We spent a whole morning here with our 10 month old. He wasn't walking at the time, but there was still a lot he could do! I was surprised there was so much for him to do at the young age. We will definitely be back and we hope more family can go with us read more

this place is ableist. & in case you were wondering, no they do not accommodate adults with severe mental disabilities. if your loved one has a condition that has them at a mental age of a toddler, they can't enter unless you have an actual "child" with you. this place is clearly uncomfortable with severely autistic people. those with mental disabilities deserve to enjoy the museum too. just because their body is aged 18, doesn't outweigh the fact that they're mentally 4. shame on this place. read more

We had gone on Monday night and saw that the museum had a Peanuts/Snoopy exhibit. As a former children's counselor (I do telehealth now but dearly miss play therapy with children), who had a room decked out in Peanuts memorabilia, I thought this would be a wonderful place to go for our last day in town. When we got there, we were told that because we are veterans admission was free and asked if we had any children. My husband and I do not have children. We both served in the military and that has caused issues for me. When I told her we did not, she flagged down one of the other staff members, who told us we could not enter the museum. Both my husband and I looked at her very strangely and we were told because we did not have kids, we were not allowed to go in. I have been judged in other places for not having kids but this was definitely a macro aggression, if not outright institutionalized biases. I don't recommend this to anyone because it seems they can deem who is qualified to enter based upon a person's biology or medical conditions. Being a counselor, I desperately wanted to take a picture inside of Lucy's psychiatry stand and show it to my clients. We did not get to do that. read more

This is a great to go to wear your kids out lol! So many amazing activities. We adults had a goods time also. I would suggest bringing an extra outfit and a towel if they play in the water/bubble area because they will get wet and soapy but so worth it! read more