Field Museum

Park with a splash pad, a playground, a beach, a sled hill, a skate park and a nature sanctuary.

An aquarium built around a touch pool where small hands are actually welcome, plus a dolphin show big enough to hold a kid's attention for a whole hour.

A South Loop hotel with a pool, one block from Grant Park.

An old-school Jewish-style diner with deli classics, pancakes, hand-dipped milkshakes and a kids' menu.

A planetarium with a whole room, Planet Explorers, scaled down for toddlers, and a dome show upstairs that can hold a school-age kid's attention in the dark.

Lakefront park with a nature play area, a beach, a lagoon, a nature sanctuary and a community garden.