Mon Ami Gabi

A free indoor greenhouse next to Lincoln Park Zoo, with stroller-friendly paths through most rooms, though free timed reservations are required to enter.

A nature museum with a walk-through butterfly haven of more than a thousand live butterflies and a separate nature-play space built for kids eight and under.

A free zoo where a toddler can pet a goat in the barn one minute and climb a play treehouse the next, with no ticket line to manage in between.

A well-regarded Tuscan trattoria with no formal kids' menu and a small, tightly packed dining room, so an early weeknight visit works best for families.

A 40-plus-year Lincoln Park pizza tavern with a dog-friendly patio, casual and walk-in friendly for families.

A Lincoln Park neighborhood park built around the Wizard of Oz, with bronze statues of Dorothy, Toto, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion along a Yellow Brick Road path. Its fenced play area, Dorothy's Playlot, has a wooden castle maze and swings for younger kids.