Chicago Children’s Museum

Three floors of fun for kids and their families!

There are so many ways to play at Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier! Dig for bones on a dinosaur expedition. Scale a three-story schooner, from cargo hold to crow’s nest. Make a big splash in a squirting, pumping water playground (raincoats provided!). Tinker with real tools and materials in the ultimate DIY maker-space. Dress up as a firefighter, drive the truck and put out a “fire.” Paint, print, sew, sketch and sculpt in an authentic art studio. Construct a skyscraper, fish in a river, shop in a grocery store and much more. Chicago Children’s Museum is three floors of fun for kids and their families!

Chicago Children’s Museum offers a rotating calendar of programs in the Art Studio, Great Hall, Pritzker Playspace, and Tinkering Lab. Please visit program locations for session times and free passes. Space is limited. Free passes are available 1 hour before the workshop starts at each workshop location.

NOTE: September 2^nd to September 5^th, the Chicago Children’s Museum will be closed for maintenance.

Special Programming

Play Soccer with Chicago Fire | Saturday, August 16 | 10am-12pm
Chicago Children’s Museum’s Great Hall
Join Chicago Fire Community Coaches for fun, physical play activities that build focus, social interaction, confidence, creativity and problem-solving! Your feet and your brain will be busy!

Zoom Room
Start your engines and get ready to race! This thrilling, motion-filled installation allows both children and caregivers to experience the excitement of sending toy cars through colossal, multilevel racecourses with race jumps, long runs, loops, dips, and super spirals for endless ways to play. Using die cast cars and custom-made tracks, children will get a crash course in racing, and a souped-up understanding of the physics behind things that go vrrrroooooooom.  LEARN MORE

Take Care with Peanuts The Exhibit | Coming Soon! (September 13)
Good grief! This fall, join Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang at Chicago Children’s Museum! Step into Take Care with Peanuts: The Exhibit and be transported into the world of Charles M. Schulz’s iconic comic strip. See beloved characters spring to life with interactive displays and activities focused on self-care, empathy, and environmental stewardship. Explore character-themed sections, comic-inspired designs, and sustainable features that inspire learning, creativity, and kindness for visitors of all ages. LEARN MORE

Art Studio

Workshop Times
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm

Whoop De Do World! | July 30-September 1 | All Ages
Be a designer and create your own theme park ride model using paper, scissors, glue and other recycled materials!

Closed for new workshop preparation | September 2-5

Cartoon Friend | September 6-October 13 | All Ages
What do you look for in a friend? Come design and draw a cartoon of your special pal!