by NicoleC » Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:52 pm
If you have a membership to the Louisville Science Museum, you will get free entrance into the Field Museum, the Children's Museum (at Navy Pier), the Adler Planetarium, the Peggy Nottebart Nature Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry. Getting in free makes it much more attractive to just stop in for under an hour w/ children.
The Zoo in Lincoln Park is free and they have a "Farm in the Zoo" where you can watch cows being milked and pet animals. There are playgrounds in Lincoln park (one is near Webster or Dickens -- I can't remember the cross-street) and the Nature Museum is right there, too. It is geared towards young children and everything is very tactile and visual.
Cheesy as it may be, the American Girl Store is fun if any of the children are young girls, but it's not for everyone.
Millenium Park is amazing for children. My daughter has always loved it and if it's warm, the kids run in the big fountain (with the faces that spit water down on them) and love to look in the bean. There is also a wonderful park adjacent to it. You could spend hours with children there on a nice day.
The beaches are fun in the summer -- you could take a picnic and spend all day in the beach and at the park.
In terms of places to eat, Potbelly Sandwich works is fantastic for children (there are several locations throughout the city and Evanston), obviously, any pizza place. My daughter loves Penny's Noodle Shop, too (several locations) but it may not be for all children. There are a ton of Italian restaurants, ranging from the very touristy to very authentic, and they generally are very accommodating to children.
In terms of places to stay, it's really going to depend on whether you would like to stay downtown or in the suburbs for recommendations. There are so many options.
Summertime is full of city and neighborhood festivals -- there are several every weekend of the summer.
Have a wonderful time! There is no better place in the summer than Chicago!
