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Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier

From , former About.com Guide

Chicago Children's Museum in Brief:

Located on tourist mobbed Navy Pier, the Chicago Children's Museum offers plenty of fun hands on exhibits for the kids. However this is one of the few Chicago museums not "fun for the whole family" as adults and older kids will be bored to tears.

The Chicago Children's Museum is included with the purchase of a Go Chicago Card. (Buy Direct)

Address:

700 East Grand Ave. (Navy Pier), Chicago

Phone:

312-527-1000

Getting to the Chicago Children's Museum by Public Transportation:

CTA bus lines #29 (State Street), #65 (Grand Avenue), and the #66 (Chicago Avenue) all serve Navy Pier.

Parking at the Chicago Children's Museum:

On-site parking garage at Navy Pier, accommodating 1600 cars.
Monday through Thursday self-park rate: $20
Friday through Sunday self-park rate: $24
Holidays self-park rate: $24
(as of 06/2011, subject to change)

Chicago Children's Museum Hours:

  • Sunday through Wednesday and Friday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  • Thursday and Saturday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
  • First Monday of the month: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Admission:

Adults: $12; Children: $12; Seniors (65+): $11; Children under 1: free.

FREE DAYS
First Sunday of every month is free for visitors 15 and under (not valid for large groups of 15 people or more); Thursdays are free for all from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

(prices/free days as of 06/2011, subject to change)

About the Chicago Children's Museum:

Nestled in at one of Chicago's top tourist attractions, Navy Pier, the Chicago Children's Museum offers three floors of entertainment for the kiddies including permanent and traveling exhibits. The museum is definitely geared towards the younger set -- I brought my 10-year-old there and he was ready to go in about 10 minutes to hit the Pier's IMAX theater.

Exhibits include:

  • Play It Safe - all about home safety
  • Artabounds Gallery - family art exhibit
  • BIG Backyard - a fantasy "urban garden"
  • Dinosaur Expedition - features a mini expedition pit
  • Inventing Lab - provides parts and instructions for creating unique gadgets
  • Kids Town - a playroom recreating a Chicago neighborhood where kids can pretend to do things like shop for groceries and drive a CTA bus
  • Climbing Schooner - a three floor climbing structure that resembles a ship rigging
  • My Museum - kids get to create various art projects that are "all about me"
  • Skyline - learn about skyscrapers and design your own
  • Treehouse Trails - A play area designed like a forest
  • Waterways - water activities demonstrating how pulleys, pumps, dams and rivers work

The Chicago Children's Museum is included with the purchase of a Go Chicago Card. (Buy Direct)

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