# Visiting Chicago with toddlers and little kids: the plan > Stay downtown or near Lincoln Park. The Children’s Museum is on Navy Pier, the Field Museum is on Museum Campus south of the Loop, and Lincoln Park Zoo is a short ride north. The suburbs have two more children’s museums and Brookfield Zoo. Here’s a plan with nap time built in. - Last checked: 2026-10-26 - One- and two-day plans with a nap in the middle - Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/visiting/ - This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/index.md - City guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/guide/index.md - City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/llms.txt ## Top 2 can’t-miss spots - **Chicago Children’s Museum** (Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand Ave.): Closed Tuesdays. Cost: $21 Illinois residents, $25 non-residents kids. Site: https://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/hours-tickets-and-faq - **Lincoln Park Zoo** (Lincoln Park, 2400 N. Cannon Dr.): Buildings open at 10am. Cost: Free. Site: https://www.lpzoo.org/ ## If you have one day 1. **MORNING**: Lincoln Park Zoo (Free; buildings open at 10am · Lincoln Park, 2400 N. Cannon Dr. · Free). https://www.lpzoo.org/ 2. **LUNCH**: Eadie Levy’s Landmark Café (Inside the zoo · Lincoln Park). https://www.lpz.org/visit/shopping-dining/ 3. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop. 4. **AFTER NAP**: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (Next door, open until 4pm · Lincoln Park, 2430 N. Cannon Dr. · $8 Illinois residents kids, $15 Illinois residents adults). https://naturemuseum.org/ ## If you have two days Day 1 is the one-day plan above. Day 2: 1. **MORNING**: Chicago Children’s Museum (Open at 10am · Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand Ave. · $21 Illinois residents, $25 non-residents kids). https://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/hours-tickets-and-faq 2. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop. 3. **AFTER NAP**: Field Museum (Last entry 4pm · Museum Campus, 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr.). https://www.fieldmuseum.org/ ## Where to stay - **Cannon Drive** (lincoln park): Lincoln Park Zoo and the Nature Museum are a short walk apart here. Near Lincoln Park Zoo and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. - **Navy Pier** (streeterville): Chicago Children’s Museum is on Navy Pier, and River North pizza and hot dogs are a short ride away. Near Chicago Children’s Museum. - **Naperville and Lisle** (western suburbs): Close to DuPage Children’s Museum and the Morton Arboretum. Near DuPage Children’s Museum and The Morton Arboretum. ## Easy restaurants near the big stops - **Eadie Levy’s Landmark Café** (Café, Lincoln Park): The zoo’s seasonal café, with Chicago-style hot dogs and fries, handy between the zoo and the Nature Museum. https://www.lpz.org/visit/shopping-dining/ - **Portillo’s & Barnelli’s** (Hot dogs and Italian beef, River North): Open daily 10am to 1am. https://locations.portillos.com/chicago - **Lou Malnati’s (River North)** (Deep-dish pizza, River North): Open until 11pm, midnight on weekends. https://www.loumalnatis.com/chicago-river-north - **Park Place Café (Lincoln Park Zoo)** (Café, Lincoln Park): Inside the zoo, open year-round 10:30am to 4pm. https://www.lpz.org/visit/shopping-dining/ ## Rainy-day backup plan - **Chicago Children’s Museum**: Indoors. - **Field Museum**: Indoors. - **Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum**: Indoors. - **Harold Washington Library Center**: Indoors. - **Kohl Children’s Museum**: Indoors. - **DuPage Children’s Museum**: Indoors. ## Practical tips - Tuesdays: Chicago Children’s Museum is closed Tuesdays. - Weekday afternoons: The Children’s Museum closes at 2pm Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. - Zoo café in winter: Park Place Café at Lincoln Park Zoo is open year-round, 10:30am to 4pm. - Arboretum tickets: Morton Arboretum tickets change by date and cost $2 less online. ## Free and cheap wins - **Harold Washington Library Center**: Free. All free things to do in Chicago: https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/guide/#free ## Happening this week - **Fall Fest at Lincoln Park Zoo** (10am–5pm) at Lincoln Park Zoo. Free; rides are ticketed. https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/#e-lpz_fall_fest - **Kids Free Day at Chicago Children’s Museum** (Sun 10am–5pm) at Chicago Children’s Museum. Free for kids 17 and under. https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/#e-ccm_kids_free_day - **Upside Down Halloween Parade at Washington Park** (Sat 12–2pm) at Washington (George) Park. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/#e-upside_down_halloween_parade_at_washingt - **Boo-tiful Adventure at Galewood Park** (Fri 4–6pm) at Galewood Park. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/#e-boo_tiful_adventure_at_galewood_park - **Haunted Fieldhouse at Seward Park** (Thu 4:30–7:30pm) at Seward (William) Park. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/#e-haunted_fieldhouse_at_seward_park Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/index.md ## Holiday pages - [Santa in Chicago: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/santa/index.md) - [Christmas lights in Chicago for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/christmas-lights/index.md) ## About this list - Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city. - How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com). - Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list. - How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote. ## FAQ ### Is Chicago kid-friendly? For a family with kids under 6, yes. Our Chicago guide lists 15 places we checked for little kids, plus 2 free places and 7 picks for babies and toddlers. This page adds 4 easy restaurants near the big stops and free storytimes at 1 library system. This week’s list has 48 dated outings for ages 0–6. See [free things to do in Chicago](https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/guide/#free) and [this weekend’s list](https://littlesweekly.com/chicago/). ### How many days do you need in Chicago with a toddler? Two: one in Lincoln Park at the zoo and the Nature Museum, and one at the Children’s Museum on Navy Pier. ### Where should we eat in Chicago with kids? Lou Malnati’s in River North for deep dish, or Portillo’s on Ontario Street for hot dogs. ### What if it’s cold? Chicago Children’s Museum and the Field Museum are both indoors, and Lincoln Park Zoo’s buildings open at 10am.