local fun places
The Chicago Area Has Tons of Family-Friendly Fun Places to Visit!
NJDC
WEEK DAY TRIPS - BEACHES
*Please note that all beaches listed below offer an ADA Accessible Beach Walk, free admission and are open from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Oak Street Beach
Website: http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.results.cfm
Oak Street is home to the largest area of deep water swimming in the city (1/2 mile (800 m) over 10 ft (3 m), and is training grounds for hundreds of tri-athletes and distance swimmers. The north ledge is a second home to thousands of sunbathers, runners, skaters and bikers. Oak Street is one of the city's most popular beaches, with its proximity to downtown, and boasts thousands of visitors each day during the beach season.
Location: 1000 N. Lake Shore Drive - Chicago, IL 60611
North Avenue Beach
Website: http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.results.cfm
North Avenue Beach House is permanently docked along one of Chicago’s most popular stretches of lakefront. The sleek, new ocean liner-inspired building is decked out in a crisp blue and while. Boasting one of the best views in the city, the new beach has upper decks and portholes for looking at the magnificent horizon or the multitudes of bikers, runners, walkers and rollerbladers streaming down the redesigned lakefront trail.
Location: 1603 N. Lake Shore Drive - Chicago, IL 60614
Montrose Beach
Website: http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.results.cfm
Lincoln Park is one of the oldest and largest parks, and it is surprising to discover that over 1,000 acres of this park and its beaches are completely made from landfill. By 1929, Lincoln Park had 300 acres of landfill extending as far north as Irving Park Road. The Lincoln Park Commissioners had intended to keep landfill operations moving northbound, but work slowed because of the Depression. In 1934, all of Chicago’s 22 separate park commissions were consolidated into the Chicago Park District. With extensive funding available through Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, the park district began many park improvements, including the Montrose to Foster landfill extension. The plan for the extension included several buildings; all were designed by E.V. Buchsbaum, one of which was the beach house. It was modeled after the North Avenue Beach House, and looks like a lake steamer.
Location: 4400 N. Lake Shore Drive - Chicago, IL 60640
NJDC WEEK DAY TRIPS
ATTRACTIONS / ACTIVITIES
Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL - 1000 Lake Cook Road - Glencoe, IL 60022 - (847) 835-5440
Website: http://www.chicago-botanic.org
Collections: At the heart of every museum are its collections. Living plants are the Chicago Botanic Gardens primary collection, its foundation and reason for existence. Successful plant collections like the Gardens, possessing breadth, depth and museum-quality. Visit the Chicago Botanic Garden and see ornamental onions, Spanish bluebells, camass lilies, and many more colorful perennials. Take a walk and experience the full glory of spring in every one of our 24 display gardens and three natural habitats.
Brookfield Zoo - 3300 Golf Road – Brookfield, IL 60513 - (708) 688-8000
Website: http://www.czs.org/czs/Brookfield/Zoo-Home.aspx
The exhibits, such as the Australia House, Baboon Island, Wolf Woods, Reptile House, Pachyderm House and more, are sure to please. There is also a children's petting zoo and the Play Zoo, where families can interact more closely with the animals. Sure to be a favorite is the Tropic World exhibit, which simulates a tropical rain forest with monkeys, birds and more, even a simulated thunderstorm. Also, be sure to check the schedule so you don't miss the Dolphin Presentation. From Spring through Fall, you can hop on the Motor Safari tram for a guided tour. Brookfield Zoo also features all sorts of dining options and gift shops.
Shedd Aquarium- 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive – Chicago, IL 60605 - (312) 939-2438
Website: http://www.sheddaquarium.org/
Strap a mask and flippers onto your imagination and chart a course to Shedd Aquarium. Have you ever gotten eye-to-eye with a dolphin? Or met a penguin on a stroll to the South Pole? Or immerse yourself in an Amazon flooded forest? At Shedd, it's all possible.
Chicago’s Children Museum – 700 E. Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 - (312) 527-1000
Website: www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org
Chicago Children’s Museum is the place where play and learning connect! Located on historic Navy Pier, the museum’s family-friendly blend of interactive exhibits and innovative educational programs make learning about math, science, reading, the arts, and diverse cultures come alive for kids through age 10 and their families.
Museum of Science and Industry – 5700 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60637 (773) 684-1414
Website: www.msichicago.org
Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry (MSI), the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, is home to more than 35,000 artifacts and 14-plus acres of hands-on exhibits designed to spark scientific inquiry and creativity.
Some Additional Web Sites For You to Look At, to Plan Your Visit:
www.chicagotraveler.com/kids-things-to-do.htm
www.chicagokids.com/free/ChicagoKids-com-Free-Chicago-Fun-Summer2010.pdf