Chicago Attractions for Families

Downtown

• The downtown area of Chicago boasts some of the tallest skyscrapers in the country, including the Willis Tower and Hancock Building, both of which offer top floor skydecks. The downtown parks are also ideal photo spots, especially Cloud Gate at Millennium Park and the Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. Multiple world class museums are downtown as well, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Field Museum, the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium. Just east of the Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago are the beaches of Lake Michigan.

  Millennium Park

  350 E. Monroe St.

  Chicago, IL 60603

  312-742-1168

  millenniumpark.org

Lincoln Park

• Just north of downtown is the affluent neighborhood of Lincoln Park. As one of the safest neighborhoods in the city, the large park to the east of the neighborhood is one of the best places to spend a family outing. A free world-class zoo is open every day of the year, as is the free Lincoln Park Conservatory. Nature lovers of all ages can marvel at the great apes, big cats and African animals throughout the Lincoln Park Zoo. Picnics are also popular at the lily pool on the east side of the park.

  Lincoln Park Zoo

  2001 N. Clark St.

  Chicago, IL 60614

  312-742-2000

  lpzoo.com

Sports

• Chicago is a sports town at its core, and locals and tourists alike head out to the professional sporting events that take place throughout the year. Winters bring sports fans indoors at the United Center, where the Bulls and 2010 Stanley Cup champions Blackhawks play. Summertime is baseball season in the Windy City, but south-siders go to U.S. Cellular Field for White Sox games while Cubs fans hang out in Wrigleyville up on the north side. The hottest sports ticket in town is a Bears game, where kids and adults thrive on the excitement in the stands of Soldier Field.

  United Center

  1901 W. Madison St.

  Chicago, IL 60612

  312-455-4500

  unitedcenter.com