PanIQ Escape Room Chicago never misses!…read more My fiancee and I were in Chicago for a memorial. We had done one of the PanIQ Escape Rooms with him and went in his memory. We chose to do The Red Wire. The room itself was very well put together. Upon entering the room, you're transported to a small street in London and the game is afoot. We found all the puzzles fun and a bit challenging. There were a couple of times we needed hints, arguably we were trying too hard. Our game master could tell we were seasoned "operatives", and actually made us work for one of the hints. We enjoyed our interaction with them in this way. Overall, the room was great. We got out in time and felt like we did our buddy proud. 10/10 recommend

Really fun escape room! It was challenging but the decor was excellent. I liked that you got to…read morehave wands and use them for the magical one. It was fun to try to figure everything out as a group and escape!

Did the "Left at Home" room and it was a lot of fun! Jason was our game master and he was funny to…read morework with and helpful throughout when we needed it. For the price in Chicago, it's a great place to go especially if you want a private room with only a few people. The room itself was a bit dated and used some lower quality props than some other rooms I've been to, but again, for the price, you can't beat it AND the game overall had some very fun and unique challenges built into it. Going to have to check out the 90's room next, Jason let us take a peek and it was super cool looking!

We did the Lab of the Lost room and had a blast! Will definitely come back to do other rooms.read more

CircEsteem was once a wonderful organization and has great potential, but that is unfortunately…read morecompletely wasted now due to terrible mismanagement. The teaching staff is amazing, talented, kind and knowledgable. However, those at the top of the administration have demonstrated a complete disregard for the working conditions of the entire staff, and pay themselves a very generous salary but constantly ask their employees to make sacrifices. As a result, the staff is constantly overworked, underpaid and underappreciated for their dedication. The turn-over rate of employees over the past several years has grown incredibly high and is a clear indication of the lack of professionalism and respect shown by upper management. Directors have frequently disregarded safety standards and repeatedly ignored the very reasonable concerns brought forward by staff and students. They also actively discourage whistleblowers from raising awareness on safety issues. This naturally creates a dangerous environment for students. For an organization who's core mission statement is to build self-Esteem, they do an incredible job of destroying the esteem of staff, and blatantly demand silence and compliance, and aggressively bully employees rather than making any effort to find understanding or compromise. This type of upper management class division, discrimination and subjugation has happened before with other nonprofit organizations, which inevitably resulted in strikes and petitions that were widely reported on the news. It is a shame that they would choose to risk this and strongarm employees into submission and lay off those who try to stand up for their rights, rather than have civil discourse. When more than half of the staff is extremely unhappy, and those that attempt to raise awareness of any concerns are fired or pushed out, that is a problem that requires consideration on how to restructure and they have taken zero steps to do so and have shown no accountability. I strongly encourage CircEsteem teachers to strike and unionize as soon as possible, or this trend of exploitation will only continue to worsen. The Executive Director also needs to resign, as it is blatantly evident that he is not qualified for the position and is clearly not upholding CircEsteem's mission of mutual respect, humility, patience, love and self-reflection. Bottomline - do not work for CircEsteem, and consider other options for circus arts.

I gave my daughter several options for her 10th birthday party venues and luckily she chose…read moreCircEsteem. I have to say that they certainly made a bunch of kids, and especially my daughter / hero, very happy. The CircEsteem staff totally rocked, from Scott's quick and continued communication leading up to the event to the engaged, happy, and involved staff during the event, and kind communication afterwards to ensure our happiness. Everyone was upbeat, fun, helpful, and excellent. We knew it would be good when one of the kids walked in, looked around and said, "I can tell this is going to be a great party!" She was right. I also have to give a shout out to the face painter and balloon guy. They were tremendous! I've never seen a balloon artist that talented. And one of the kids said re the face painter: "she's a professional make-up artist! Well it's all downhill for me from now on." I wish I were more fluent in 10-year-old, but clearly she somehow meant that as an "epic" compliment. It was great getting the kids together to actually learn some new fun skills, be active, and have fun, even while wearing masks. Where else can kids get on a trapeze, aerial silks, walk on stilts, and act like a clown, all while getting their faces painted and having incredible whimsical balloons twisted for them? I could go on and on about how excellent this was, but let's just say that it was certainly a party that my daughter and her friends will remember. Thanks CircEsteem!!

Second time at Escape Factor. This was my third time ever doing an escape room - my first time was…read moreat Escape Factor two months ago & second time ever was at a downtown Chicago spot. The experiences were miles apart (literally & metaphorically) - I only want to do Escape Factor rooms. Escape Factor is well deserved of its 5 stars on Yelp (and 1K+ 5 stars on Google) - the rooms are incredibly high production value + very immersive (really feels like you're in a treehouse for 'Treehouse Raid at Fort Knox' or 70s game show for 'Bonus Fun Time Game Show Challenge'). Additionally, the game masters are truly incredible - they hit just the right balance of allowing you to stew on your own & giving hints in a way that nudges you in the right direction without straight giving an answer & ruining the fun. Shout out to Nick for being very in character as game show host (and game master) this past Saturday night! Highly recommend Escape Factor if you're in the Chicago area (for us, it's worth the trek from downtown!)

First time escape-rooming and I braved it as a solo adult with six 10 year olds. I was not sure…read morewhat to expect but everyone had a blast. I am still marveling at how entertained and into it the kids were from start to finish-their attention span never waned. Seaogh was our game master and he was awesome through and through. He knows how to keep things rolling and engaged with the kids in the most endearing way. They gave him hugs when we left! Really a great birthday for my son and while escape rooms were not on my 2026 to-do list I'd certainly go back. Thanks Escape Factor!

What a fun time! For just under $20 we had so much fun. When we arrived we were told to sign…read morewaivers for the family. They had an infant area, toddler area and the remainder was big kids area. Our little guy had a blast playing with other kiddos and just being creative and climbing. We also had a great time playing in the soccer area, and the light up pegs. They were cleaning nonstop while we were there so it all appeared clean. They had a few different party rooms, and a concession/food court room if anyone wanted food. Overall we had a great time and can't wait to visit again soon!

We just visited Hyper Kidz and overall I'd give it a 3/5. The kids definitely had fun, and there…read moreis a lot for them to do. There are tons of slides, climbing areas, and different things to explore. I would say it's especially good for kids around 8 and under. You can easily spend a few hours here and keep younger kids entertained. The regular all-day admission is around $23, which I personally think it's a good price depending on how long you plan to stay. Wednesdays have discounted admission, and I think that makes the experience much more worth it. At the sale price, I would definitely recommend it for a few hours of indoor fun. One of my biggest disappointments was the cleanliness. Considering this location has been open for less than a year, I expected it to feel a lot cleaner and better maintained. Some areas already looked and felt pretty dirty, which was surprising for such a relatively new kids' facility. With so many little ones crawling, climbing, and touching everything, cleanliness is something I pay close attention to. The food is also expensive for what you're getting. Basic concession-style items add up quickly a nacho plate is around $7-$8, for example. If you're bringing multiple kids and purchasing admission, food and drinks, it can turn into an expensive outing pretty quickly. A juice is $3/4. On the positive side, the staff members we interacted with were friendly, and the kids had a great time. There really is a nice variety of slides and play areas, so the entertainment itself is probably the strongest part. Overall, I would recommend Hyper Kidz, but preferably on one of their discounted days. At full price, combined with the expensive food and the cleanliness issues, I don't think it's the best value. On a Wednesday deal, though, it's much easier to justify for a few hours of fun especially for families with kids 8 and under.

Have you read the story behind funbox? The owner and his reason behind this? I could not- not go…read moreafter hearing it. I will start by saying I had an issue with my reservation and the staff was extremely sincere and worked around my challenges without any attitude or reservation. I have to give massive credit to the staff who are mostly high school/college students for their level of professionalism and customer service skill because a lot of time this generation is labeled as entitled or doesn't care. I got here on a Saturday for the first session at 10:30 am and I thought it's the perfect day for this- cool and 80. Just as a disclaimer, you should wear comfortable clothing that is breathable because you're in for a workout. I have a 5 and 2 year old- it took my two year old a lot of time to get adjusted to it because it's not the usual bounce house we go to and so many colors and things to do, it was sensory overload. Not the fault of the business, just my kid in true two year old behavior. We got out of the fun box to get a shaved ice and ended up going to the "obstacle course" section of Fun Box which was a big hit for my two year old. He literally went through the obstacle 3 times (I was drenched in sweat as a result) My five year old loved it too- the only thing I would make a complaint against is that there were not nearly enough basketballs for the hoop area which is a huge hit. I get it if balls were lost or broken but it would've been nice if there were more balls. I read some of the comments about water getting stuck on the inflatables or that there were some dirty areas but truth be told, I go to a lot of trampoline parks with my boys and this is by far the cleanest one I have ever been too. Yes, there was a little water but you're outside, you will have a little bit of bugs or water here or there but that comes with the territory. We can't fault the owners for natural occurrences. I had an amazing time with kiddos and I wish I had gone sooner because it was a lot of fun. If you can handle the heat, I would highly suggest going in the morning because it's not so crowded and you don't have to wait long to use some of the amenities but be warned it gets super hot super fast in the morning and as a result, the plastic gets hot too so it's a little tough going down some of the material. There are some shaded areas that are so nice and welcoming within the fun box. Overall, a great experience for families! Highly recommend!!

This was a fantastic concept, and would have been so much fun, but the experience left a lot of…read moreroom for improvement. It rained the day before, and the crevices were puddled with water, but as long as you watched where you were going, you didn't step in it. It was very hot, which allowed your socks to dry out fast. but unbearable without the purchase of snowcones. They can't really control the weather though. That said, it was as clean as you can expect an OUTDOOR bouncy house to be. No bugs except typical flying ones. Staff was all around in different areas, I'm not sure what they were supposed to be doing, but they took up all the shaded areas, so the kids couldn't even go up some of the towers. I made a quip about it to them, but we were about to leave anyway, so I didn't ask them to come out so the kids could actually play. I was very annoyed by this. It was not crowded at all. Front staff and snowcone staff was super friendly, and the bounce house itself is amazing. Cost of water and snow cones are pretty typical of any "event-type" place, so I wasn't surprised and they gave you a ton. I had the kids eat some, and I sat with it in the tent as they went back and forth playing and getting a few bites of snowcone, and it lasted nearly the entire 1.5hrs. I also was smart and brought my own ice water in an insulated water bottle..... it was fine! Areas of improvement: -staff taking up all the shaded areas in the bounce house- this itself deserves a 1star rating - honestly. -Maybe some industrial fans? To move the air a bit? Not sure how it would work in a bouncy house. Or leaf blowers to dry up the areas especially the "locker room" which smelled super moldy. Overall, it was an experience, and so much fun! We would go again on maybe a cooler day!

I used to go here when I was little. I thought ice skating would be like riding a bike. Nope...not…read moreat all! This was the first time my 6.5 year old son tried it and he was able to use a skate assistant sled. Unfortunately, the usage time is limited for others to use as well. And if a person didn't return theirs in the 20 minute slot, noone bothered going out to get it. So we patiently waited A few weeks later we go back here for a birthday party. I think we had an hour in the room and another hour on the rink. Not bad, but we felt rushed in the room eating & cake. Then, at the ice rink they had FOUR skate assistant sleds for us to use. Now, it's a party with about 20 kids, most of whom haven't skated before. So 'sharing' the sled was an issue. I asked someone that worked there if we could borrow more (because I know that had more & they weren't being used on the other side), but she said we are only allowed 4. Boo!

I came here to try ice skating for the first time in 25 years. Open skating fees and skate rental…read morefees are comparable to other arenas in the area. But, the perk here is that they don't charge more for non-residents to skate, so if you're bringing non-local friends, they won't have to pay more than you (unlike Evanston and other skating rinks). I do wish that they had some sort of pass card though like Evanston and Wilmette rinks both offer. Their website is a bit dated and confusing, but I sent them a message on Facebook to confirm their public skate hours and they got back to me within minutes, which was nice. They also have skate sharpening, which I definitely need before I try skating again (but haven't used that service yet). The rink itself is nice. It wasn't too crowded when I went during the week a week before Christmas, and the skaters I did meet were friendly. The woman at the desk was helpful as well. I'll definitely come back.

I have heard of Filament--a small storefront, black box theater in Irving Park--from my days as an…read moreusher for the Saints, but hadn't ever visited. It's only in the last couple of weeks that I learned they're a children's theatre. Their mission is somewhat radical, to be honest--adultism as a form of oppression and the need to eradicate it. I totally dig it, and what a thought-provoking place from which to produce programming and events. We went for Forts!, which seems to be a perennial experience here at Filament. Although it seems like just a time for kids to play, it is structured. There's a portion of the event where the kid just get to knock down the boxes. Then they bring down some sheets and blankets for the kids to drape over their forts and make them more fort-like. There are couches littered about the place for children and adults alike. Throughout the rest of the performance they add other elements like flashlights, music, and so on. My babe had fun and I'd bring her again when she's older, as I assume this will return. I'm keeping an eye on Filament for future plays and events so that I can enjoy some time at the theatre with my girl.

Filament Theatre is a cool little place for kids to catch a play. It has a cycling schedule of…read moreshows and seems to cater to you a younger audience. It is intimate and the 30 or so seats are arranged in a circle around the interactive stage. The theatre is located on Milwaukee Avenue in Portage Park and there is plenty of meter parking. We saw "The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles" which was a very unique performance. In the middle of the room is a large sandbox and the kids all sit on pillows and get to play with the sand during the show. The actors were all very talented and they story was interesting. It lasted about 1.5 hours and was the perfect length for youngsters. There was lots of audience interaction to keep the kids engaged. They also do acting lessons here and a variety of camps. There are many options on their website so check that out. Pricing was pretty affordable and they have many options. I highly recommend checking out a play here if you have little kids who show an interest in theatre.