We have always wanted to go to Chicago and people will often look at us funny when we tell them that. “Why would you go there” is often what they ask. I don’t know what it was about Chicago that has put it on our bucket list in the past but it felt like a City we really wanted to go and explore. So when we had the opportunity to visit The Windy City in October this year we ran with it! Well….more like we packed the kids up for a 12 hour road trip and hit the road!
Travel that far with 3 kids under the age of 8 in a van? Yep! We have actually done many long car rides so we knew exactly what we were getting in to. I wrote about some of our tips for travelling with kids HERE.
After our week there I would say that without a doubt we will be going back! I actually told my husband at one point during our week stay that if he ever got offered a job transfer that I would definitely consider a move for our family!
So….what exactly IS there to do with 3 young children in Chicago for a week?
A LOT! We tried to squeeze in as much fun as we could but there was no way we could fit it all in. So let me share some of our faves!
Family Eats!
Eataly– Eataly offers a one stop shop for great dining options, fresh food, italian kitchenware must have items and is busy enough that it keeps the kids attention occupied! La Pizza & La Pasta was a WIN WIN for our whole family! They even make the kids pizzas in a shape of their choice. Fresh made pasta for those who are pasta lovers and the calzone was delicious! Our hotel was right next door to Eataly so it was also super easy to grab fresh fruit and groceries!
The kids also loved choosing what shape they would like their pizza’s in and what would be on them! Here is a “fish” cheese pizza. DELICIOUS!
Shake Shack– Lucky husband who has wanted to eat Shake Shack for a long time that our hotel was only a block away from this quick serve burger shop. Burgers, fries and shakes are the name of the game and it was a hit with the whole family. Heads up- the shakes are super super rich and large so definitely split between a few kids!
Molly’s Cupcakes– my husband is a huge Food Network fan and we always hit up a few food network restaurants when travelling to a new city. Well……we may sometimes base our driving routes on these places too! Molly’s Cupcakes is on the way to the Children’s Museum and it was a great place for a treat on the walk back. The kids loved getting to make their own cupcakes (you choose the cake flavour, icing flavour and decoration options) AND I let them choose a larger cupcake that was a flavour of the day. They were ALL delicious!
Giordano’s is famous for their deep dish pizza so it was a “must have” for our 8 year old pizza lover. We were excited when we found one of their restaurants just down from our hotel at The Navy Pier so we made a lunch time stop while visiting the Children’s Museum. Chicago is famous for their deep dish pizza and none of us had tried it before so were eager for the full experience in the famous city itself! Verdict? Nobody was a fan, ha!
Stay!
We made Homewood Suites by Hilton home for the week. What we love about Homewood Suites by Hilton is the bedrooms are always in a separate room which is perfect when travelling with little ones for a longer period of time. We had a full kitchen (fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave) which was great for feeding the kids when we didn’t want to take them back out to a restaurant. But also? Full hot breakfast is included with your stay! My kids always take full advantage of this and often they go down for an early (6:30am) breakfast with hubby while mama sleeps and then they have a “second breakfast” around 9 when mama is ready for some.
Also? This location had an evening cocktail hour with appetizers (free for all guests!)
And yes….there was a pool too!
Play!
Shedd Aquarium- When I put a call out asking people for recommendations for things to do in Chicago and Shedd Aquarium came up again and again! This Aquarium is the perfect size for a full day visit but you won’t feel rushed to see it all. Take your time, enjoy all the shows and education series and take it all in! We loved that the main show they have was very educational focused whereas many are usually only entertainment focused. The kids were still WOW’d but learned a lot about the animals and how to protect them throughout.
American Girl Store– I still get goosebumps thinking of how my middle child looked as we walked into the American Girl store. The sparkle in her eyes, jaw dropped followed by a huge smile and the giggle will forever be marked in my mind and heart. She had been asking for an American Girl Doll for a long time and we had been holding off because we weren’t sure if it was just a phase or if it was going to be something that she really really wanted. Just her and I spent a few hours at the store and it was super precious Mother-Daughter time. I will also give huge credit to American Girl- their branding is like nobody elses I have ever seen or experienced. Their branding is so amazing that I almost ended up buying a doll for myself lol!
Chicago’s Children Museum – I was a little worried that our oldest who is 8 may have found the Childrens Museum a bit boring from the pictures I saw online but I knew that our 2 girls would love it. It was actually my oldest who was the saddest when it was time to leave! He could have spent hours and hours building and exploring! This museum is right down at the Navy Pier and was only a short walk from our hotel. Navy Pier would be gorgeous to visit again in the Summer! There was lots of space at the museum (we had the Joovy Stroller so the toddler had a place to rest) and there were also a few restaurants right there on site which made grabbing a quick bite to eat easy! I liked that we could come and go throughout the day as we liked. What I loved about this museum? It was super spacious, lots of hands on learning, clean (huge for a kids museum!!), lots of staff on hand to interact with the kids.
The Navy Pier would be a fantastic place to come explore, relax and eat by in the summer!
My Dora loving 3 year old was in HEAVEN when we walked in the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and she saw that there was a special Dora exhibit on site!
This museum is right by the water and across the street from the Lincoln Park Zoo. There is a parking lot by the zoo so we parked there for the day and explored both the museum and the zoo. Note: there is not a lot to eat in this area so you are best to pack some extra snacks and /or a lunch for the kids when it’s in the off season.
Our 8 year old is an avid animal/reptile lover so loved exploring the snakes, lizards and spiders followed by getting up close and personal with the butterflies. The butterfly exhibit was a decent size and the kids could spend as much time as they wished in there.
The special Dora Exhibit was a fantastic hands on learning area for the under 5 crowd. It was spacious, never felt crowded, and lots of things for the kids to play with.
The Lincoln Park Zoo reminded me of the Washington Zoo. Lots of outdoor space, free, easy to manoeuvre around and still activities on site for the kids, which you don’t find often with free entry. Since our visit was in the off season not all the animals were available for viewing as it was a little chilly but it was nice to get some fresh air and walk around as a family. There are special events all year round and we were there during “Fall Fest” What does this mean? Rides, mazes and pumpkins for the kids to take home!
We would we go back to Chicago? ABSOLUTELY! I didn’t get to spend near enough time exploring The Magnificent Mile and all it’s amazing shopping, I want to explore The Navy Pier in the summer months and our entire family wants to dive deeper into this great City!!
Note: Some of our stay/activities were compensated but all opinions (as always!) are our own!
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