Free & Cheap Things to Do with Kids
Explore the best free & cheap things to do with kids options for kids and families in Arlington Heights
Elmhurst History Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
World’s Largest Radio Flyer Wagon
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Sunset Knoll Recreation Center
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Wonder Works Children's Museum
Play space & concerts for young kids. 6,400 sq. ft. of play areas & interactive exhibits plus concerts tailored to kids 1 through 6.
Oak Park Conservatory
Exotic plants & wildlife in showrooms. Exotic plants & flowers of various climates co-exist with birds, fish & turtles in small showrooms.
Lyman Woods & William F. Sherman, Jr. Interpretive Center
Forested wetlands with walking trails. Tranquil mid-city nature retreat featuring oak forest, marshlands & walking paths on 150 acres.
Hidden Lake Forest Preserve
Scenic area with fishing & hiking spots. This tranquil destination features trees & ponds, plus kayaking, fishing, hiking & picnicking.
Graue Mill & Museum
Historic Underground Railroad gristmill. Historic Salt Creek waterwheel gristmill & Underground Railroad stop with tours & a shop.
The Morton Arboretum
Sprawling garden & nature preserve. Diverse 1,700-acre nature preserve with a maze garden & tram plus picnicking, hiking & biking.
Hamill Family Play Zoo
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Children's Garden
Hedge maze, gardens & suspension bridge. Peaceful, arboretum area featuring a hedge maze, pond, themed gardens & a suspension bridge area.
St. James Farm Forest Preserve
612-acre preserve for fauna & flora. Hikers, bikers & horseback riders can explore a protected area of woodlands, prairies & wetlands.
Little Adventures
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Sensory Garden Playground
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Patriots Park
Laid-back locale with a pond & trails. Unassuming spot with nature trails, a pond for non-motorized boats & kids' play areas.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Environment-focused kid-friendly museum. Environmental museum with outdoor walkways for observing local wildlife & kid-friendly exhibits.
Pritzker Family Children's Zoo
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lincoln Park Zoo
Free zoo with an interactive farm. Small, free zoo with lions, primates, reptiles, a children's area & an interactive farm exhibit.
Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo
Pathways through a prairie-style garden. Prairie-style garden with trails, filled with native plants & home to birds, frogs & other wildlife.
Farm in the Zoo
Barns & pens for visiting farm animals. Cows, chickens & pigs on display, plus an edible garden with hands-on activities like planting.
Lincoln Park - Chess Pavilion
Chess-themed sculptures & chess boards. Unique structure with a chess motif, drawing players to its chess boards built into the benches.
Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lederman Science Center
Visit this great place for kids and families!
360 CHICAGO
Observatory with tilting glass platform. Observatory on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Building with a tilting glass lookout 1000ft up.
DuPage Children's Museum
Hands-on play & learning exhibits. Play & education center for young children, with many fun & experimental activities, plus a cafe.
Riverwalk
Scenic walkway along the Chicago River. Riverside pedestrian path featuring city views & dining, plus bridges, fishing piers & boat docks.
Chicago Cultural Center
Free cultural exhibits, concerts & more. Free art & shows in an 1897 Beaux-Arts building with vaulted lobby, mosaics & 2 stained-glass domes.
Millennium Park
Green space with art, theater & ice rink. 24.5-acre green space with a video display, the reflective "Bean" sculpture & an outdoor theater.
The Art Institute of Chicago
Renowned art museum with global works. Renowned art museum holding nearly 300,000 works from all over the world, spanning many centuries.
The Naperville Riverwalk
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Chicago Children's Museum
Hands-on experiences for children. Family museum on Navy Pier with lots of interactive exhibits, including many for young kids.
Riverwalk Park
Recreation spot with many activities. Classic urban park offering a playground, ice rink, trails, horseshoe pit & a paddle boat pier.
Amazing Chicago's Funhouse Maze
Interactive family-friendly play space. 4,000 sq. ft. of tunnels, mirrors, light effects & interactive family play on Navy Pier.
Field Museum
State-of-the-art science museum. State-of-the-art museum of science & invention, with the world's largest Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The Museum Campus
Lakefront park with famed institutions. 57-acre grounds with the Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium & Field Museum, plus dining & lake beach.
Shedd Aquarium
Aquatic creatures from around the world. State-of-the-art indoor aquarium, famous for its variety of habitats & views of Lake Michigan.
Funtopia
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Northerly Island Park
Lakefront nature park & music venue. 91-acre peninsula with skyline views, hiking, fishing & playing plus a fieldhouse & live music acts.
Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve
Preservation area with trails & fishing. Wildlife & plant preservation area with glacial potholes, multi-use trails, fishing & picnicking.
Springbrook Prairie
Bird habitat, biking & running trails. Expansive natural area including meadow & prairie habitat for birds plus running & biking trails.
Knoch Knolls Nature Center
Kid-friendly nature & educational center. Nature center with kid-oriented exhibits, including an aquarium, live animals & a playground.
Children's Museum in Oak Lawn
Interactive indoor education & play. Hands-on play & learning for kids through various interactive rooms, exhibits & performances.
Basement of the Dead Haunted House Chicago
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Phillips Park Zoo
Historic park housing native animals. Year-round animal park since 1915 with 40+ native species of mammals, reptiles & birds.
City of Aurora- Phillips Park Zoo
Golf course, zoo & recreation area. Vast city park comprising a golf course & pro shop, zoo, sporting fields & family recreation areas.
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