Came here for the first time for a birthday party so I wasn't sure what to expect. The place was…read morerecently renovated so things did not seem that dated. There was a variety of different areas to play in, different pretend areas- veterinary, building and grocery. There was a big climbing structure to get into with a variety of different obstacles inside. And there was a water play area. Overall a lot of variety for the space. The things were well maintained. The room was also kept pretty warm.

They raised the prices as of October 2025 and parents still have to pay just to get in…read more Would love if the could partner with a local disability services vendor to run a small cafe. It would be more on par with the other indoor spaces.

We did the space solar system AR and it was fun and insightful. Kids loved it and it is…read morechallenging but not too difficult for an 8 year old. Its a little pricey for what it is, but most things are these days LOL. I would go again and do the garden one.

this was an amazing experience. Multiple people having completely unique experiences in the same…read moreroom. The augmented reality glasses overlay and environment on what you see, ensuring that you don't bump into other people. The games are very fun, and diverse. Even one for Art fans: Determine if a work is an Emerging Artist, Famous Artist or AI generated. So of the works fill the room of the three floors. 30 minute self guided tour.

We are members here and we do not come here enough! I would say we average about 3-4 visits a…read moreyear. 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!

We recently returned to the Children's Museum, and our young boys really enjoyed the experience…read more 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!

This exceeded my expectations. I'm an experienced VR gamer so I was concerned that it would seem…read morelike something I could just download and do at home. But this is a bit more ambitious than that. The "play" area is very large, way larger than any of us normally has access to for any kind of indoor recreation. Once you've been waiver'd and orientated, you will wear a VR headset similar to the kind you might have at home. No hand controllers though. You will be immersed in a situation and directed to walk around, with some degree of freedom to inspect your virtual surroundings more closely. A story of some sort plays out, which you simply observe without any interaction, but you are fully immersed; it's like you're there. We had booked the Egyptian pyramids experience ("Horizon of Khufu"), and we enjoyed it enough that we reupped for the second experience they had at the time with the dinosaurs ("Life Chronicles"). Again, as someone experienced with VR gaming, the quality of the graphics was not particularly impressive but it got the job done. And I can tell that some impressive under-the-hood logistics worked well to allow dozens of concurrent people to use the same space. You see "ghosts" of others that are nearby to help you avoid bumping into them. I was impressed that it knew one of the ghosts was in a wheelchair; it seems like very thoughtfully-designed tech. If immersive educational exhibits interest you, you will probably quite like this. If you are turned off by VR, you might be pleasantly surprised. The discomfort that is sometimes experienced with at-home setups is greatly offset by the fact that you physically walk around in a large space.

I had never had a virtual reality experience before going to EXP. EXP provides a variety of VR…read moreexperiences. We went to see the Pyramids of Khufu with some friends. When they say they open at 1:00, they open at 1:00 sharp. We arrived a little early and found the doors locked. We went to another business across the parking lot to kill 1/2 hour before we could get in. The first thing you do when you walk in is watch a brief video explaining what you will experience and how to use the VR headsets. Then, you must sign a waiver of liability before you are allowed to continue. Essentially, you waive any liability of injuries caused by falling, vertigo, epileptic seizures due to strobes, etc. I actually read the waiver before signing. It seems pretty iron clad. When you start, you meet your virtual tour guide. They walk you through the exhibit, which is really one big empty room. My one issue is there are multiple groups that go through at the same time. There isn't any way to keep from running into other groups and we almost collided with other groups several times. The program is well done. We had a walking tour of the exterior of the pyramid and surrounding places, as well as the interior of the pyramid. The resolution of the VR was excellent. I wouldn't say I felt like I was actually inside a pyramid, but it was well done. Pay attention to the warnings you receive. I felt dizzy a few times and almost fell once. I found myself shuffling my feet to avoid stepping on VR obstacles (yes - silly, I know). But take seriously that you need to pay attention. They have ways for you to let them know if you need help, which is good. Fortunately, I didn't need any help. So, in all, it was a good experience. They have other exhibits, too. But given the dizziness, I'm not sure I would go again. But some of the exhibits look interesting so I may give it another go.

This is a great asset for the neighborhood. There are better children's museums in the city for…read moreout of towners looking for a destination place, but for locals this is a great place for kids. Place was empty when I brought my boy in, so he had the run of the place. Some cool interactive exhibits representing life in Sweden and the U.S. for Swedish immigrants 100 years ago. Price is on par or better than neighborhood play rooms ($10 for family or $3 for kids over 1 and $4 for adults) and annual memberships are reasonable (family is $50, which includes admission to the regular museum also). The museum has child focused activities (story time, etc.) occasionally also. Free parking is available in the museum's lot but it is up the street from the museum itself (an easy walk, but not right next to the museum so look up where it is located if you are driving). Only major drawback is that the hours are a bit goofy and not the most convenient for two nap kids.

This is a separate, hands on part of the Swedish American Museum in traditionally Swedish…read moreAndersonville. Although I think that it has interesting exhibits, it has different hours than the bigger museum (after school hours), and can sometimes be inundated with excited kids, so factor that in. The kids I brought got a lot out of it, but it may not be a destination spot for you without the rest of the museum's exhibits.

My kid has done two summers of the Camp Red Kite adaptive theater program and has absolutely loved…read moreit. It has all the things she loves (art, music, dance, theater) with incredibly kind, knowledgeable staff who makes each activity accessible across a wide range of needs. We can't wait to check out the programming throughout the year and will definitely be back next summer.

We went to the afternoon performance of Good Night Moon this afternoon and my son adored it. I was…read moreon the fence about buying tickets as it was expensive for us ($50 each) but my son did enjoy it more so than the paw patrol live shows he has seen. The show was about an hour and 15 mins and he sat through the entire show (he is 4). The props were great, the stage was great and the actors were great. We did get there about 45 mins before the show and the small parking lot next to the theater had plenty of parking spaces available. The doors opened a half hour before show start time and it gave us plenty of time to do a craft and use the bathroom before the show. Many parents must frequent the theater because they started lining up before the doors to the theater opened to get a good spot. I'd say all seats are good visually but the benches weren't the most comfortable after an hour for an adult. I do think we will be back for their next production. :)

You know the "Elaine dance", right? From Seinfeld? *oh sweet fancy Moses!*…read more Yeah at one time that could have been me. But see, back then I was unfamiliar with the super delightful, incredibly fanciful & all around blissful dance called "Swing". And excuse me for saying so, but if you don't agree it isn't one of the most fun dances to not only participate in, but also WATCH others do, well then friend you are a miserable bastard that should spend the rest of your days watching re-runs of Solid Gold and Dance Party USA. aHEm. So see, I had come across a Groupon for a six week series here and when I saw that...why I couldnt have been more excited if Gregory Peck himself came back from the dead just to goose me. And holy heck was it fun! The instructors were awesomely patient and thorough about explaining all the steps, and even when you had to dance with some two-left footed schmoe, you still were having a good time. The facility is big, and decorated in sort of a vintage, thrift store hodgepodge, but it works. This aint Arthur Murray over here kids...they also offer a bunch of other classes that have nothing to do with dancing too! But I dont care about that...I am completely hooked and cant wait to go back to take more swing classes. And now I am proud to say I don't look like I am doing a full bodied dry heave set to music anymore. rockin! Thanks Galaxie!

Did you ever aspire to be a welding stripper like Jennifer Beals in Flashdance..?…read more ~Well, at the Galaxie Chicago you can become just that! This is a huge multi-purpose space that offers almost every kind of class you can think of from dance to, that's right, welding..! They have tons of swing dance classes and workshops, kick boxing, wedding party partner dance classes, silk screening, yoga, karate, art, animation, stained glass, glass blowing...oh, and you know that book you've been meaning to get bound..? Learn how in a book binding class! Now, I've only participated in the swing stuff and can tell you that you'll learn from the best, Nicolle Wood, who also owns the space. I've also attended many private parties here and they manage to transform the space from casual to elegant effortlessly...it's just such a unique space... This Galaxie is not far, far away either... ...now if they would just have a stripping class my dreams could come true...

AMAZING butterfly room. There's sooo many butterflies I was surprised. We were able to watch them…read morerelease a few too. Sometimes they will also land on your arm. It costs money to get into the museum, then an extra $5 to go to the butterfly room.

We had a wonderful time exploring the Nature Museum with our two kiddos (2.5yrs & 5.5yrs old)…read moretoday! There was tons to do - water play (in multiple areas), living & taxidermy creatures to see/learn about, two play spaces to get the wiggles out, and of course the beautiful Butterfly Haven. We went on a weekday around 11am during spring break and it was moderately busy, but there was no line to get in. We paid extra to visit the butterfly haven (100% worth it!). The 1st exhibit included water play, which our kids loved, but def bring a change of clothes for when they get wet. There is another water play zone on the 1st floor next to the play area as well. The highlight of our visit was the Butterly Haven. It's very beautiful and I honestly could sit there forever watching butterflies flutter around. They release butterflies daily at 2pm, but we didn't see that. We also enjoyed the digital interactive butterfly exhibit, where kids color a butterfly on paper, scan it, and it appears fluttering on a giant digital screen. Street parking was full, but there is a small lot across the street from the entrance and it was $24 to park. It was a short walk to the entrance. The gift shop is super cute and has snacks/drinks, but nothing fresh-made (mostly pre-packaged options). They have tables & high chairs near the entrance for snacking/resting. Also family restrooms, stroller parking, & an elevator. Super kid/family friendly and we'll definitely be back!