# Free things to do with kids in Chicago

Parks, playgrounds and other things to do in Chicago that are free to get into. 65 listed.

Last updated 2026-11-02, from the newest confirmation among these places.

## The list

1. [Maggie Daley Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/maggie-daley-park) (playground, Chicago). A three-acre play garden downtown with rope nets, a play ship and a seasonal splash pad, next to two rock-climbing walls and a looping ice-skating ribbon that turns into a scooter path in summer. Has: free to enter.
2. [Welles Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/welles-park) (playground, Chicago). A Lincoln Square neighborhood park with a playground and a water spray feature, though its fieldhouse and indoor pool were closed for maintenance for part of summer 2026. Has: free to enter.
3. [River Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/river-park-albany-park) (playground, Chicago). A riverside Albany Park park with a free canoe and kayak launch, fishing, a soft-surface playground, and a summer water playground with sprays and a rain curtain. Has: free to enter.
4. [Avondale Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/avondale-park) (playground, Chicago). An Avondale park with a historic fieldhouse, an outdoor pool and a separate spray pool, a playground, and pickleball courts. Has: free to enter.
5. [Eckhart Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/eckhart-park) (playground, Chicago). A West Town park with a large fieldhouse that has an indoor pool and two gyms, plus a playground. Has: free to enter.
6. [Dean Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/dean-playground) (playground, Chicago). A Bucktown playground on a quiet cul-de-sac with a small water-spray feature, a community garden and an open field. Has: free to enter.
7. [Eugene Field Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/eugene-field-park) (playground, Chicago). A riverside Albany Park green space with a two-structure playground and a summer spray feature, plus ball fields and tennis courts. Has: free to enter.
8. [Independence Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/independence-park-irving-park) (playground, Chicago). An Irving Park playground with a water spray feature and an indoor pool inside the fieldhouse. Has: free to enter.
9. [Indian Boundary Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/indian-boundary-park) (playground, Chicago). A West Ridge park centered on a restored lagoon, with a wooden fortress playground, a children's spray pool and a Nature Play Center. Has: free to enter.
10. [Lucy Flower Playlot Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/lucy-flower-playlot-park) (playground, Chicago). A small pocket park and playlot on the Bucktown/Logan Square line, run with help from a local park advisory council. Has: free to enter.
11. [Margaret Donahue Playlot](https://ourplayday.com/places/margaret-donahue-playlot) (playground, Chicago). A small Lakeview playlot, named for a Cubs executive, with a rubberized-surface playground and a spray feature. Has: free to enter.
12. [Navy Pier](https://ourplayday.com/places/navy-pier) (theme park, Chicago). A free lakefront pier with a classic carousel and a 200-foot Ferris wheel as its paid rides, plus an entrance fountain that turns into a splash pad on warm days. Has: free to enter.
13. [Ping Tom Memorial Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/ping-tom-memorial-park) (playground, Chicago). A riverside park in Chinatown with a children's playground, a fieldhouse with an indoor pool, and paved paths along the Chicago River, with a pagoda-style pavilion overlooking the water. Has: free to enter.
14. [Portage Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/portage-park-playground) (playground, Chicago). The Northwest Side's largest park, with two big enclosed play structures, a rubberized surface, and a separate water play area in summer. Has: free to enter.
15. [Unity Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/unity-park-splash-pad) (playground, Chicago). A Logan Square splash pad with a nautical theme, reported under a community-voted renovation as of early 2026. Has: free to enter.
16. [William W. Powers State Recreation Area](https://ourplayday.com/places/william-w-powers-state-recreation-area) (playground, Chicago). An Illinois DNR site on Wolf Lake's Illinois shore with a small playground, picnic areas and fishing and boating access. Swimming is prohibited on this Illinois side; the well-known Wolf Lake splash pad is a separate facility across the state line in Hammond, Indiana. Has: free to enter.
17. [A. Montgomery Ward Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/ward-park-spray-pad) (playground, Chicago). A River North park with a seasonal spray pad along the Chicago River. Has: free to enter.
18. [Fosco Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/fosco-park-water-playground) (playground, Chicago). A free outdoor water playground in Little Italy with sprayers and a tipping bucket, next to a standard playground and an indoor pool. Has: free to enter.
19. [Hamlin Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/hamlin-park-chicago) (playground, Chicago). An eight-acre North Center/Roscoe Village park with a playground, ball fields and a seasonal outdoor pool. Has: free to enter.
20. [Mary Bartelme Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/mary-bartelme-park) (playground, Chicago). A West Loop park with a distinctive misting-fountain entry plaza, a children's play area, and a sunken dog park. Has: free to enter.
21. [Millennium Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/millennium-park-chicago) (park, Chicago). A free downtown park with Cloud Gate ("the Bean") and Crown Fountain, whose two towers spray water over a shallow plaza made for wading. Has: free to enter.
22. [North Avenue Beach](https://ourplayday.com/places/north-avenue-beach) (beach, Chicago). A free Lake Michigan beach in Lincoln Park with an ocean-liner-shaped beach house, restrooms and showers, and lifeguards in summer. Has: free to enter.
23. [Oz Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/oz-park) (playground, Chicago). 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. Has: free to enter.
24. [Rainbow Beach Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/rainbow-beach-park) (playground, Chicago). A South Shore lakefront park with two ADA-accessible playgrounds, a swimming beach and a fitness center. Has: free to enter.
25. [Skinner Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/skinner-park-playground) (playground, Chicago). A fully wheelchair-accessible West Loop playground tucked into a residential block away from the busier restaurant strips. Has: free to enter.
26. [The 606 (Walsh Park)](https://ourplayday.com/places/the-606-walsh-park) (playground, Chicago). The eastern trailhead of Chicago's elevated rail-trail through the Northwest Side, with a fenced playground and a ground-jet water spray feature at Walsh Park. Has: free to enter.
27. [West Chatham Water Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/west-chatham-water-playground) (playground, Chicago). A seasonal spray pool and playground in West Chatham Park, with ball fields and courts alongside. Has: free to enter.
28. [Kenwood Community Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/kenwood-community-park) (playground, Chicago). A Kenwood park with a playground, sandbox and a four-sprayer water feature. Has: free to enter.
29. [Lincoln Park Zoo](https://ourplayday.com/places/lincoln-park-zoo) (park, Chicago). 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. Has: free to enter.
30. [Norwood Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/norwood-park-pool) (park, Chicago). Home to the Chicago Park District's only North Side outdoor pool with a water slide, a summer favorite for neighborhood kids. Has: free to enter.
31. [Ridge Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/ridge-park-chicago) (playground, Chicago). A Beverly/Morgan Park fieldhouse park with a playground, indoor pool and gym. Has: free to enter.
32. [Cotton Tail Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/cotton-tail-park) (playground, Chicago). A free South Loop neighborhood playground in Dearborn Park. Has: free to enter.
33. [Dickinson Spray Pool](https://ourplayday.com/places/dickinson-spray-pool) (playground, Chicago). A seasonal Portage Park spray pool and playground, one block north of Irving Park Road. Has: free to enter.
34. [LaBagh Woods](https://ourplayday.com/places/labagh-woods) (playground, Chicago). A large, wooded Cook County forest preserve along the Chicago River's North Branch with a playground, picnic groves and fishing; restrooms open only Memorial Day through Labor Day. Has: free to enter.
35. [Winnemac Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/winnemac-park-playground) (playground, Chicago). An enclosed, shaded playground in the southwest corner of Winnemac Park with separate structures for older and younger kids and a full set of swings. Has: free to enter.
36. [American Girl Place](https://ourplayday.com/places/american-girl-place) (attraction, Chicago). A two-level doll store and cafe inside Water Tower Place where kids can shop, get a doll's hair styled, and eat lunch alongside their doll at a reserved table. Has: free to enter.
37. [Andersonville Playlot Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/andersonville-playlot-park) (playground, Chicago). A small, fully enclosed neighborhood playlot a block off Andersonville's main strip, with a shaded play structure and swings for a range of ages. Has: free to enter.
38. [Buena Circle Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/buena-circle-park) (playground, Chicago). A small neighborhood playground a few blocks from Graceland Cemetery in Uptown's Buena Park area. Has: free to enter.
39. [Chicago Riverwalk](https://ourplayday.com/places/chicago-riverwalk) (attraction, Chicago). A paved promenade along the Chicago River downtown, with the PlayCubes climbing structure for kids alongside boat tours and riverside dining. Has: free to enter.
40. [Humboldt Spray Pool](https://ourplayday.com/places/humboldt-spray-pool) (pool, Chicago). The seasonal spray-pool feature in Humboldt Park, separate from the park's indoor pool building on Sacramento Ave. Has: free to enter.
41. [Lincoln Park Conservatory](https://ourplayday.com/places/lincoln-park-conservatory) (garden, Chicago). A free indoor greenhouse next to Lincoln Park Zoo, with stroller-friendly paths through most rooms. Has: free to enter.
42. [Loyola Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/loyola-park-beach) (playground, Chicago). A big lakefront Rogers Park park with a real sand beach, a playground and a fieldhouse, good for a whole-day outing. Has: free to enter.
43. [Mary Richardson Jones Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/mary-richardson-jones-park) (playground, Chicago). A small South Loop park in Dearborn Park with separate toddler and jungle-gym play sections. Has: free to enter.
44. [North Park Village Nature Center](https://ourplayday.com/places/north-park-village-nature-center) (park, Chicago). A 58-acre natural area with a discovery room, a hands-on nature table and family programs, inside a 155-acre North Park campus. Has: free to enter.
45. [Park No. 593](https://ourplayday.com/places/park-593-mud-kitchen) (playground, Chicago). A small triangular Albany Park park built around a nature-play area with a hands-on mud kitchen and a hand water pump, for open-ended outdoor play. Has: free to enter.
46. [Buckingham Fountain](https://ourplayday.com/places/buckingham-fountain) (attraction, Chicago). One of the world's largest fountains, in the middle of Grant Park, with a light-and-music display after dusk. Free to visit. Has: free to enter.
47. [Bucktown-Wicker Park Branch Library](https://ourplayday.com/places/bucktown-wicker-park-library) (playground, Chicago). A recently renovated Chicago Public Library branch with regular unstructured "Play Days" using blocks, puzzles and toys downstairs, and a quiet upper level. Has: free to enter.
48. [South Shore Cultural Center](https://ourplayday.com/places/south-shore-cultural-center) (garden, Chicago). A South Shore lakefront cultural center with a free Harvest Garden program for ages 6-12, afterschool and summer day camps, and beach access. Has: free to enter.
49. [Whitney M. Young, Jr. Branch Library](https://ourplayday.com/places/whitney-young-library) (playground, Chicago). A Chatham branch of the Chicago Public Library with an Early Learning Play Space alongside its regular children's section. Has: free to enter.
50. [Arthur Ashe Beach Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/arthur-ashe-beach-park-chicago) (park, Chicago). Beach park with a playground, a community garden and tennis courts. Has: free to enter.
51. [Blackstone Branch](https://ourplayday.com/places/blackstone-branch-library) (library, Chicago). A Kenwood library branch with a dedicated children's section and storytime. Has: free to enter.
52. [Clearing Branch](https://ourplayday.com/places/clearing-branch-library) (library, Chicago). A Clearing branch of the Chicago Public Library. Has: free to enter.
53. [Gage Park Branch](https://ourplayday.com/places/gage-park-library) (park, Chicago). A Gage Park branch of the Chicago Public Library. Has: free to enter.
54. [Hartigan Beach](https://ourplayday.com/places/hartigan-beach-chicago) (beach, Chicago). A small playground by the beach with a nautical touch, ship-bow ladders on the big structure and swings in two spots. Has: free to enter.
55. [Hegewisch Branch](https://ourplayday.com/places/hegewisch-branch-library) (library, Chicago). A Hegewisch branch of the Chicago Public Library. Has: free to enter.
56. [HelloBaby](https://ourplayday.com/places/hellobaby-woodlawn) (indoor play space, Chicago). A free, staffed drop-in play space for children under three in Woodlawn, started by a local parent in 2017. No fee and no reservation needed. Has: free to enter.
57. [Henry E. Legler Regional Branch](https://ourplayday.com/places/legler-regional-library) (library, Chicago). A West Garfield Park regional library branch with a children's reading room, early-childhood storytime and play, and homework help from a certified teacher. Has: free to enter.
58. [Howard Beach](https://ourplayday.com/places/howard-beach-chicago) (beach, Chicago). A rope bridge from a big net climber to a curving slide, a spinning cone and wide views of the lake. Has: free to enter.
59. [Maxwell Street Market](https://ourplayday.com/places/maxwell-street-market) (attraction, Chicago). A free, open-air Near West Side market held on select Sundays through the season, with food and kid-friendly entertainment. Has: free to enter.
60. [McCormick Tribune Ice Rink](https://ourplayday.com/places/mccormick-tribune-ice-rink) (ice rink, Chicago). Chicago's free outdoor rink at Millennium Park, with free lessons and skate rentals available. Has: free to enter.
61. [National Public Housing Museum](https://ourplayday.com/places/national-public-housing-museum) (museum, Chicago). A free Near West Side museum, opened 2025, with a sculpture garden, interactive exhibits and Historic Apartment tours. Has: free to enter.
62. [South Chicago Branch](https://ourplayday.com/places/south-chicago-branch-library) (library, Chicago). A South Chicago branch of the Chicago Public Library. Has: free to enter.
63. [Vodak-East Side Branch](https://ourplayday.com/places/vodak-east-side-library) (library, Chicago). An East Side branch of the Chicago Public Library with ADA workstations for adults and children. Has: free to enter.
64. [West Englewood Branch](https://ourplayday.com/places/west-englewood-library) (library, Chicago). A West Englewood branch of the Chicago Public Library. Has: free to enter.
65. [Wrightwood-Ashburn Branch](https://ourplayday.com/places/wrightwood-ashburn-library) (library, Chicago). An Ashburn branch of the Chicago Public Library. Has: free to enter.

## Other lists for Chicago

- [High chairs](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/with-high-chairs) (61)
- [Changing tables](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/with-changing-tables) (23)
- [Kids' menu](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/with-kids-menu) (51)
- [Wheelchair accessible](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/wheelchair-accessible) (27)
- [Cribs](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/with-cribs) (21)
- [Pool](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/with-a-pool) (12)
- [Connecting rooms](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/with-connecting-rooms) (14)
- [Fridge in the room](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/with-a-fridge) (21)
- [Separate bedroom](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/with-a-separate-bedroom) (17)
- [Restrooms](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/with-restrooms) (61)
- [Shade](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/with-shade) (15)
- [Water play](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/with-water-play) (239)
- [Order at the counter](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/order-at-the-counter) (44)

## About this list

Every place here is a listing on Play Day, and a place is listed only when something positive is known about it for kids. Each listing carries the kid facts (high chairs, changing tables, kids' menus, wheelchair access) A list needs at least three places to exist.

Page: https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago/free-to-visit. All of Chicago: https://ourplayday.com/united-states/illinois/chicago