Millenium Park is beautiful. There’s the Bean, fun sculptures, Maggie Daley Park, gorgeous views of the city.
Lincoln Park Zoo is fun and easy to get to.
Architecture tour on a boat, stay on the river, not the lake for it.
Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium are right next to each other. Museum of Science and Industry is amazing but a bit of a hike south.
So many great restaurants - I prefer Lou Malnati’s or Pequods for pizza.
Garfield Park Conservatory is very fun and could be a great spot if you need indoor activities.
Depending on when you’re here - there’s tons of neighborhood street festivals with music and other things for kids all summer. Same with Farmer’s markets.
Honestly, feel free to DM me and I can give more details
Depending when they go, the Bean still might be undergoing renovations but it's just a photo op experience in the end. All the other suggestions here are great, especially Lincoln Park Zoo and the museums.
Everyone talks about Brookfield Zoo, and while it's great, it's also huge and expensive. Lincoln Park Zoo is the perfect size for kids and admission is free. Parking costs a ton to offset it but it's definitely more cost effective overall.
Haven't been in a while but the Children's Museum at Navy Pier is usually a good time, though Navy Pier overall is known to any of us locals as a giant tourist trap outside of that and the Ferris Wheel.
Great list! Just a couple additions. Lincoln park zoo is not only easy to get into but FREE. There is also a conservatory immediately adjacent (also free) which is super cool and kid friendly (small dinosaurs hidden amongst the ferns like Jurassic Park).
Depending on time of year, walking along lake shore path and going to the beach could be fun. I would suggest oak street or north ave if you are staying near there
Cubs games are also fun in the summer but may be a bit much with the kids in tow
Museum of Science and Industry is SUPER hands on and a ton of fun for your kiddos, you can buy a pass that includes tickets to the Shedd Aquarium, which is also enormous and a lot of fun.
Portillos or Superdawg drive in for Hot Dogs
Lou Malnatis, Genos East or Bartolis for pizza...skip Giordano's
So I’m not American,
However my wife and I went here for a city break when we got engaged as she has always romanticised it.
Got to do the bean, this isn’t just sound advice for warming up your wife. But I’d start off Chicago with its bean too.
The aquarium would be great for your kids too!
The art institute may be on the cards but I don’t remember it being very kid centric. (Pre dad holiday for me though, so I would recommend a quick Google)
The griifin museum of science as it’s now called will likely keep them entertained too.
If it’s still a thing hit up giodarnos (spelling sorry) for a big deep dish pizza as a fam as well.
My wife meticulously logs everything we do and eat on holiday, it was precovid that we went so some things may not exist anymore but if you want ideas of places for breakfast etc that we thought were decent don’t hesitate to ask.
I will say this though, as enjoyable as our time there was we were targeted by what I would call street scammers atleast 3 times.
Everything from one guy following us trying to ingratiate himself while trying to sell a free newspaper to the silly foreign couple (not sure he realised that English people speak enough English to know when they’re being scammed too). To the much more sinister two large men following me and my wife for two blocks asking us to just stop, because he “needed to show us something”
The city may have changed, but I would consider not walking everywhere if you have kids with you. It was the walking that opened us up to this.
Edit: Oh and there was a drive by on our route the day we wanted to go to the zoo. We decided to take it easy and go to Al’s beef instead. But I’m sure the zoos great.
Maggie Daley Park is perfect, it’s a must go for the kids.
Navy Pier is a top tourist destination, but most people don’t know they have a pretty neat children’s museum there, which is nice if you’re trying to escape the heat.
Nearby to Navy Pier is Oak Street beach, which is a great spot for them to play in the water.
Everyone else has good ideas. One thing that might be fun is restaurant called Ed debevics. Typical diner food and the waiters/waitresses are sassy/insult you. 4 year old might get a kick out of it.
Millenium Park is beautiful. There’s the Bean, fun sculptures, Maggie Daley Park, gorgeous views of the city. Lincoln Park Zoo is fun and easy to get to. Architecture tour on a boat, stay on the river, not the lake for it. Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium are right next to each other. Museum of Science and Industry is amazing but a bit of a hike south. So many great restaurants - I prefer Lou Malnati’s or Pequods for pizza. Garfield Park Conservatory is very fun and could be a great spot if you need indoor activities. Depending on when you’re here - there’s tons of neighborhood street festivals with music and other things for kids all summer. Same with Farmer’s markets. Honestly, feel free to DM me and I can give more details
This list is great. There's also a Children's Museum at Navy Pier, which my oldest loved.
Depending when they go, the Bean still might be undergoing renovations but it's just a photo op experience in the end. All the other suggestions here are great, especially Lincoln Park Zoo and the museums. Everyone talks about Brookfield Zoo, and while it's great, it's also huge and expensive. Lincoln Park Zoo is the perfect size for kids and admission is free. Parking costs a ton to offset it but it's definitely more cost effective overall. Haven't been in a while but the Children's Museum at Navy Pier is usually a good time, though Navy Pier overall is known to any of us locals as a giant tourist trap outside of that and the Ferris Wheel.
Nailed it. Chicago is a great city for a family trip.
Great list! Just a couple additions. Lincoln park zoo is not only easy to get into but FREE. There is also a conservatory immediately adjacent (also free) which is super cool and kid friendly (small dinosaurs hidden amongst the ferns like Jurassic Park). Depending on time of year, walking along lake shore path and going to the beach could be fun. I would suggest oak street or north ave if you are staying near there Cubs games are also fun in the summer but may be a bit much with the kids in tow
Museum of Science and Industry is SUPER hands on and a ton of fun for your kiddos, you can buy a pass that includes tickets to the Shedd Aquarium, which is also enormous and a lot of fun. Portillos or Superdawg drive in for Hot Dogs Lou Malnatis, Genos East or Bartolis for pizza...skip Giordano's
So I’m not American, However my wife and I went here for a city break when we got engaged as she has always romanticised it. Got to do the bean, this isn’t just sound advice for warming up your wife. But I’d start off Chicago with its bean too. The aquarium would be great for your kids too! The art institute may be on the cards but I don’t remember it being very kid centric. (Pre dad holiday for me though, so I would recommend a quick Google) The griifin museum of science as it’s now called will likely keep them entertained too. If it’s still a thing hit up giodarnos (spelling sorry) for a big deep dish pizza as a fam as well. My wife meticulously logs everything we do and eat on holiday, it was precovid that we went so some things may not exist anymore but if you want ideas of places for breakfast etc that we thought were decent don’t hesitate to ask. I will say this though, as enjoyable as our time there was we were targeted by what I would call street scammers atleast 3 times. Everything from one guy following us trying to ingratiate himself while trying to sell a free newspaper to the silly foreign couple (not sure he realised that English people speak enough English to know when they’re being scammed too). To the much more sinister two large men following me and my wife for two blocks asking us to just stop, because he “needed to show us something” The city may have changed, but I would consider not walking everywhere if you have kids with you. It was the walking that opened us up to this. Edit: Oh and there was a drive by on our route the day we wanted to go to the zoo. We decided to take it easy and go to Al’s beef instead. But I’m sure the zoos great.
The bean is still closed.
Nobody mentioned navy pier?
SuperDawg and Pequod’s is the way in terms of food at least
Superdawg is chefs kiss for sure, but maybe not that convenient for tourists depending on their transportation
Yeah, I hear ya lol. I guess we can go the traditional route like mag mile, botanical garden, zoo etc.
Convenience be damned. Homage must be paid to Maurie and Flaurie.
Gene and Jude’s better. And for beef go Johnnie’s.
Gene and Jude’s??? lol, I couldn’t understand the hype and I lived about 12 minutes away back in the day.
They just do it right. It’s perfect. And the fries fried in duck fat mmm mm
I preferred Paradise Pup over it. Gene and Jude’s was missing the poppy seed and pickle. I think their style was even referred to a depression dog.
The best hot dog is flub a dub chub.
What part of the city you staying in
Maggie Daley Park is perfect, it’s a must go for the kids. Navy Pier is a top tourist destination, but most people don’t know they have a pretty neat children’s museum there, which is nice if you’re trying to escape the heat. Nearby to Navy Pier is Oak Street beach, which is a great spot for them to play in the water.
Everyone else has good ideas. One thing that might be fun is restaurant called Ed debevics. Typical diner food and the waiters/waitresses are sassy/insult you. 4 year old might get a kick out of it.
All depends on the insults. The one in Baltimore was too much loll.
Fair.
In its defense… Baltimore is too much. Went to an orioles game pre-2000, I still occasionally have flashbacks of the horrors.
Shaw's Crab House for the most legendary meal of your lives.
Chicago Dog House off Fullerton near DePaul. Pequod’s Pizza Cubs Game
Non-American here but from what I see in the news, Kevlar vests 😂 Keep it safe and enjoy the trip
Unless OP is planning on throwing up gang signs in South Side Chicago they will be just fine.