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    Chicago Children's Museum

    4.2 (242 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Chicago Children's Museum Photos

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    Fire truck!
    Lara T.

    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.

    Susan N.

    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.

    Zay M.

    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.

    Rose P.

    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.

    Ali B.

    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!

    Rachel W.

    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.

    Anna R.

    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.

    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.

    Cloud buster

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    Thanks so much for the kind words, Rose!

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    2 months ago

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

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    9 months ago

    $100 for a family of four, they only cater to the rich. Parking is also validated but you can probably see why.

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Chicago Children's Museum

    Review Highlights - Chicago Children's Museum

    Located inside Navy Pier, we were able to spend a few hours in the museum then grab lunch and walk the pier.

    Mentioned in 63 reviews

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    So many feelings. First of all I loved this WAY more than I thought I would. I HATE slime but my…read moregirls love it. So deep breath and who cares if clothes get ruined?! We went on Good Friday, lots of kids were off of school. We got the first time slot! Highly recommend this! The place is self guided and you can always go back to feel some more! If you think about germs and are easily grossed out, there's plenty of hand sanitizer around, or bring your own! But everyone is basically reaching in to feel the same slime you are. There's a small area the kids can take their shoes off and play in. Some squishes and slime they can go into (it's hard and doesn't stick to clothes!). They also have the "get slimed" station. I believe it's $30 and from the looks of it, it's just blue water. Didn't seem worth it to me. But my kids loved watching! The best part is being able to make your own slime! You can pick the consistency, smell and color! And as an added bonus you can pick out 3 charms! There's no food or drinks allowed in and they have a complimentary coat/bag check! Take a picture of your bag in case you drop your ticket! In addition, I find it hilarious that people are complaining about the price. Of course the place raises the price during peak hours. Now do I think $56 for a ticket is steep, yes! But plan ahead and always purchase tickets ahead of time! We paid $135 for 3 and were there almost 3 hours! We only left because we had lunch reservations!

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    Chicago Children's Museum - childrensmuseums - Updated June 2026

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