5 Things To Do With A Toddler In Chicago In Winter

Everyone has told me how AMAZING Chicago is in the summer – and I am sure it is. I can picture it now: families soaking up the atmosphere on Navy Pier, people sunbathing in Millennium Park, downtown Chicago buzzing with alfresco bars. Unfortunately, it was a rather different scene when my daughter and I unexpectedly landed in the city in late January.

It was a particularly biting cold spell with snow storms, an icy wind and temperatures plummeting to -16˚C. We had flown out to see my sick hubby who was lying in intensive care after contracting meningitis while in Chicago for a work conference. We ended up staying for six weeks. So there we were, stuck in Chicago, going in and out of the hospital but also needing to find activities to amuse my daughter (2), to stop her (and I) going stir crazy. Here’s what we found that didn’t involve going outside (and if you don’t like museums you’re a bit stuffed)…

1. Shedd Aquarium

I was very impressed with Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium – with a full day of activities in store if required. It has one of the best marine facilities in the world – and it shows. The best bit? It’s ALL indoors.

The Shedd Aquarium is a huge place – and you’re not just seeing fish. If you purchase the full ticket, you can go into the Oceanarium where the marine mammals live. These include the breathtaking all-white Beluga whales (which are actually dolphins).
There are also penguins, Pacific white-sided dolphins, sea lions and otters. It is a spacious arena with walk-ways mimicking a coastline. The animals are obviously very well looked after (a biggie for me) and have lots of living space.

For young children, there is a great play area (the Polar Play Zone) with places to climb, slides (a big hit with my daughter) and penguin costumes for them to dress up in. There is also a submarine for older children to explore and a space to eat if you take a packed lunch. I would advise taking lunch as the queue for the dining area was pretty horrendous when I contemplated going at around midday.

In my view, the oceanarium is well worth seeing – it is the best of its kind I have ever seen. I definitely got as much out of it as my daughter. But it does come at a price – $30.95 for an adult and $21.95 for child (it’s an extra $5 if you want to see a show although we managed to sneak into one and got to see the Beluga dolphins in action). As my daughter is under 3, she went free. Cheaper tickets can be purchased online.

As we were in the city for so long, we returned to the aquarium a couple of weeks later. This time, we got a general admission ticket for the top level of the aquarium. It is a far more palatable $8 per adult, $6 a child and there are tons of fish, lizards, frogs, turtles, an anaconda and even some monkeys. We barely touched this part when we got the full ticket so I am glad we went again. 

TIP! Get there early, by 11am the queue was rather long and streaming out of the door (out into the cold). If you have a stroller or wheelchair, there is an accessible  entrance which gets you into the warmth quicker.

2. Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Located close to Lincoln Zoo, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is a brilliant place for children. Again, Mrs T went free (as she’s under 3) – hooray. It was small enough for us to whizz through the educational bits for older children, stopping for a quick wander through the ‘wilderness walk’ (lots of stuffed animals), a look around the extreme ‘green house’, a go in the mock catapult and a quick splash in the river exhibit before finding the play area, called ‘Hands-On Habitat’ where they can explore where animals live with lots of interactive exhibits as well as a slide and big boat.

But the main attraction at the museum is its HUGE conservatory filled with thousands of butterflies! It was fascinating. Mrs T loved trying to figure out which butterfly was which.

 

It also has a range of beautiful plants, some birds and a turtle too. But, what I loved the most –  it was HOT!!! A tropical blast of heat which felt bliss amongst Chicago’s wintry weather. I even had to take my jumper off!  I’d pay to just sit there for an hour! The museum is pretty inexpensive, just $9 for adults, $6 for children aged 3-12. There is an area where you can eat your own food as well as a cafe.

3. Field Museum of Natural History

The majestic Field Museum houses what is believed to be the most complete and best-preserved Tyrannosaurs Rex. My daughter was very excited when I told her we would see a dinosaur and she wasn’t disappointed with ‘Sue’ taking pride of place in the main hall. She even voluntarily ran up to have her picture taken with it.

Although too young to spend a whole day there or truly appreciate all the exhibits (there is SO much to see), Mrs T lasted nearly three hours. She loved the animals (even though they were stuffed) and got very excited when confronted with the likes of leopards, crocodiles, bears and monkeys.

There is an impressive area dedicated to younger children on the bottom floor, The Crown family PlayLab. It has everything from colouring, to examining specimens under telescopes, dress up and, my daughter’s highlight, a music room filled with instruments from all over the world.

 That’s my girl – checking out which continent we should visit next

The Field Museum has pretty much everything covered: from an exhibit tracing life from the beginning of time, to a room full of dinosaurs, a look inside an ancient Egyptian tomb, a DNA discovery centre and the option to watch 3D films featuring prehistoric mammals. There are also a couple of cafes to get some refreshments. I just wish I could have gone there again on my own and soaked up all the information in detail without having to run around after Mrs T while she insisted on pressing every button she could find in the various exhibits.

Cost
I paid $18 for a basic admission ticket (my daughter was free), children over three cost $13. If you want access to more exhibits it is $25 ($18) and the ‘all access pass’ is $31 for an adult $21 for children. More details here.

Tips
– Get there early to avoid queues (we barely had to wait after arriving before 10am).
– Layer up so you can take off a jumper (and put in a bag if you have one) and keep your coat on (it is a bit chilly in there) otherwise it is $3 to check coats in and involves more queuing!
– If you want to see a few of Chicago’s museums, I would recommend looking at purchasing the City Pass which gets you into the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Willis Tower and another museum at a discount.

4. John Hancock Center

Built in 1968 and standing right on Chicago’s main strip, the Magnificent Mile, The John Hancock tower is one of the tallest buildings in Chicago and has amazing views across the city and Lake Michigan. Visitors can go up as part of the ‘360˚Chicago‘ experience. For general admission it is $19 for adults and $13 for children over three. There is the option to take part in its new ’tilt’ experience – a moving floor which people can stand on as it tilts downwards – giving a unique view of the street below (you have to pay extra for that, of course).

My daughter loved looking out of the huge windows and running around the 94th floor and for me it was a relief to emerge out of the soaring skyscrapers at street level and get more of a sense of the city. There are interactive maps in various languages which help you work out your bearings but, lets face it, who has time for that when chasing after a toddler?

There is a cafe at the top (although was being renovated when we went) and a souvenir shop as well as a restroom with baby change facilities.

Another building you can access to take in the views is the Willis Tower across town but we had a bit of a bad experience with it…perhaps we got it on a bad day though. I found the Hancock building more modern and, although it isn’t as high, it is in a central location so close to shops which may be of interest to the younger ones including American Girl Place as well as the Disney and Lego stores.

Tips
If you have a pushchair (or ‘stroller’), go around the side street on E Chestnut street to access the Hancock tower. If you fancy lunch, we finished off the morning by dining in The Cheesecake Factory on the bottom floor (beware portions are even larger than normal US
dishes).

5. Chicago Children’s Museum

Another highly educational museum, located on Navy Pier, with loads to do and explore. Highlights for my daughter at the Children’s Museum included playing in a fire engine and a digger (the hard hat was a particular hit).

She also loved the pretend supermarket complete with trolleys and a till as well as a life-sized car and bus to play in. There is also large play area with slides, a water exhibit and the dinosaur room where you can ‘dig’ up your own fossils. There is plenty to do there and you could easily spend the whole day there.

Cost
Children over one and adults $14.

If you are visiting Chicago, I hope this post helps, and if you aren’t, I would recommend visiting at some point – it is a great city for children and adults. Not to mention fabulous shopping. I would just avoid going there in the middle of winter and maybe soaking up the much-talked about Summer atmosphere instead.

If you enjoyed this article, you can download it – along with other Chicago guides – at GPSmyCity.

Have you ever been to Chicago? What did you like most about the city? I would love to know your experiences or whether I have inspired you to go. Please comment below.

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