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.
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.
A big structure for older kids with large slides and overhead challenges, on wood chips under tall shade trees, fenced from the street.
An Olmsted-designed 1904 South Chicago park with a pool, a boxing gym and a playground with a water feature.
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.
A gated playground with two structures, lots of shade and a water spray fountain covered in a fish mosaic.
An Avondale park with a historic fieldhouse, an outdoor pool and a separate spray pool, a playground, and pickleball courts.
A West Town park with a large fieldhouse that has an indoor pool and two gyms, plus a playground.
A Roseland park with an indoor pool, a water-spray feature and a playground.
A big play structure made for younger children, a cluster of climbing pieces and a mini splash pad.
A 140-acre National Historic Landmark designed by Jens Jensen, with a fieldhouse, ballfields, a golf course and nature trails, big enough for an all-day outing.
A Bucktown playground on a quiet cul-de-sac with a small water-spray feature, a community garden and an open field.
A riverside Albany Park green space with a two-structure playground and a summer spray feature, plus ball fields and tennis courts.
A Roseland/Washington Heights-line park with an indoor pool, a water-spray feature and a playground.
An Irving Park playground with a water spray feature and an indoor pool inside the fieldhouse.
A West Ridge park centered on a restored lagoon, with a wooden fortress playground, a children's spray pool and a Nature Play Center.
A Hegewisch park (originally Hegewisch Park, renamed 1922) with an indoor pool, an outdoor spray pool and a playground.
A small pocket park and playlot on the Bucktown/Logan Square line, run with help from a local park advisory council.
A big triple slide, a rope mast to climb, play panels and a Loch Ness monster that mists water.
A small Lakeview playlot, named for a Cubs executive, with a rubberized-surface playground and a spray feature.
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.
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.
The Northwest Side's largest park, with two big enclosed play structures, a rubberized surface, and a separate water play area in summer.
A Logan Square splash pad with a nautical theme, reported under a community-voted renovation as of early 2026.
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.
A River North park with a seasonal spray pad along the Chicago River.
Two playgrounds, one with a very tall tower, a long curving slide and a roller slide, plus a splash pad and an outdoor pool.
A playground in two big areas, one for older kids and one that works well for under-fives, plus an outdoor pool.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
A playlot full of interesting climbing pieces in one corner, plus a splash pad and baseball diamonds for older kids.
A new 17-acre Brighton Park campus with a playground, a spray feature, and a fieldhouse with restrooms, opened 2023.
Big structure with monkey bars, a separate climber, a little four-jet water spray and plenty of tree cover around it.
A free outdoor water playground in Little Italy with sprayers and a tipping bucket, next to a standard playground and an indoor pool.
An eight-acre North Center/Roscoe Village park with a playground, ball fields and a seasonal outdoor pool.
Tubes and two slides for little kids, and a ramp built into the landscaping up to the big structure's top.
A West Loop park with a distinctive misting-fountain entry plaza, a children's play area, and a sunken dog park.
A free downtown park with Cloud Gate ("the Bean") and Crown Fountain, whose two towers spray water over a shallow plaza made for wading.
A free Lake Michigan beach in Lincoln Park with an ocean-liner-shaped beach house, restrooms and showers, and lifeguards in summer.
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.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
A large Little Village park with a playground, a spray pool, and a fieldhouse with restrooms.
A South Shore lakefront park with two ADA-accessible playgrounds, a swimming beach and a fitness center.
A fully wheelchair-accessible West Loop playground tucked into a residential block away from the busier restaurant strips.
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.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, an outdoor pool, a community garden, a basketball court and tennis courts.
A 14-acre Chatham park with a fenced interactive spray playground alongside a regular playground, ballfields and basketball and tennis courts.
A seasonal spray pool and playground in West Chatham Park, with ball fields and courts alongside.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a community garden and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, an outdoor pool and tennis courts.
A large, sprawling play structure with pieces for a range of ages, and a small water spray to run through.
A good playground with a small water spray, lots of green space, and a ceramics center in the fieldhouse.
A small but well-equipped play structure, a little water spray, and a bucket swing with a harness for kids of all abilities.
Sand play with a concrete table, a water spray around a seal sculpture, and separate structures for little and big kids, under great trees.
A small park with a lot in it: a big-kid structure, a separate one for little climbers and a new water spray.
A huge playground bigger kids love, a fun fountain splash area, and a shaded spot to picnic.
A shady playground where climbers and overhead bars branch off the main structure, with a single-pole water spray close by.
Fully enclosed, with a little structure for younger kids, a saucer swing and a small water spray for hot days.
Rope and net climbing pieces and a small structure with a slide, plus a splash pad and a pool.
A climbing-heavy structure with two slides, a few swings and a particularly nice water spray, with a fieldhouse nearby.
Brightly colored, geometric climbers made for younger kids, a spiderweb saucer swing and a small water spray, mid-block.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
A small sunken playlot with a corkscrew slide, three swings and a water spray with three showers.
Two play structures by age on a quiet street, and two water sprays that give kids a good soaking.
A big sandbox under a shade umbrella, a see-saw and a huge water spray with lots of different jets, beside two play structures.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus a basketball court.
Watch the elevated trains go by from a mostly enclosed playground with a misting pole, a curving climber and monkey bars.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a community garden and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, an outdoor pool and a lagoon, plus basketball and tennis courts.
A fully enclosed playground on soft rubber, with two structures, a freestanding climber and a step-free entrance for strollers.
A tiny fully enclosed playground for younger children, on soft rubber with a ramp up the structure and a play caterpillar.
A splash pad, a big soft-surface playground, a boat pond with a fountain and tennis courts, with a bridge over to the lakefront bike path.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad, a playground and an outdoor pool.
Olympic-themed play, with mosaics in Olympic colors, hanging rings to cross, a little podium and a gold, silver and bronze medal panel.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Made for little kids: sand with a faucet and trough for water play, rocks and logs to climb, and a spinning net.
A Kenwood park with a playground, sandbox and a four-sprayer water feature.
An accessible playground with a spray feature, an indoor pool in the fieldhouse, ball fields, a tennis court and community gardens.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
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.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Rope nets and a wavy ladder on one big structure, a see-saw and a little four-jet water spray.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
A big South Side park with a renovated playground, an outdoor pool with a kiddie area, and a fieldhouse with restrooms.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, an outdoor pool and a community garden, plus tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Home to the Chicago Park District's only North Side outdoor pool with a water slide, a summer favorite for neighborhood kids.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad, a playground and an outdoor pool, plus a basketball court.
An Englewood park with three playgrounds, a carousel, an outdoor pool and a walking track, inside an early-1900s fieldhouse slated for a 2026-2028 rebuild.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and an outdoor pool, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
A Beverly/Morgan Park fieldhouse park with a playground, indoor pool and gym.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a community garden and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a community garden.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
A South Deering fieldhouse with two gymnasiums, a fitness center and a playground.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a lagoon, an outdoor pool, a community garden and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
Leafy park with a splash pad, a playground, volunteer-tended flower gardens and a basketball court.
An East Side park with a gym, an ice rink, a large playground and a water feature.
A play structure made mostly of rope netting to climb, plus a splash pad and a basketball court.
Every kind of swing, toddler, bucket, belt and tire, beside a big play structure and a water spray.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, an outdoor pool, a lagoon, a basketball court and tennis courts.
An Austin park with an indoor pool, a children's playground, a basketball court and a gym, in a 1929 NRHP-listed fieldhouse.
A playground split into a little-kid side and a big-kid side, with a splash pad and an outdoor pool in the same park.
Two play structures under big old shade trees, the larger reached by a ramp, plus a splash pad and a community garden.
A little structure for younger kids, a bigger one reached by a ramp with things to climb overhead, and a three-shower water spray.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Fully enclosed on soft rubber, with a small structure for toddlers, a bigger one for older kids and a water spray.
A playground laid out like a long obstacle course, a splash pad and outdoor pool, and an indoor ice rink.
An East Side park with a landmark 1924 fieldhouse, two gyms, a model-train exhibit, and a seasonal Lake Michigan beach outside.
A big structure for older kids, a sand area beside it and a lawn with a water spray to run through.
A big sculpted reptile set into the soft rubber ground, two play structures by age and a water spray, all fenced in.
A free South Loop neighborhood playground in Dearborn Park.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad, a playground and a community garden.
A curving climbing wall, a balance beam and a spinning seat beside a structure for younger kids, and a seahorse that sprays water.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, an outdoor pool and a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad, a playground and an outdoor pool, plus tennis courts.
A seasonal Portage Park spray pool and playground, one block north of Irving Park Road.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
A sprawling playground with a huge variety of things to climb, a smaller structure for younger kids and a splash pad.
One big play structure with several curving slides and a platform bridge to cross, plus a water spray.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
A playground split into three separate areas, a splash pad, and an indoor pool in the fieldhouse.
A playground in three parts: a toddler corner with its own swings, a big-kid structure, and cute sculptures to climb.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, an outdoor pool, a community garden, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Little spring animals for toddlers, a structure with interesting ladders and two slides, and a small water spray ringed in concrete.
Big park with a splash pad, a natural play area, a playground, an outdoor pool, a fishing lagoon and a glass plant conservatory next door.
A zip line with a round seat, a four-person see-saw and a water spray with a big overhead piece, beside two modern structures.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
Lots to climb: a small rock wall, a cliff climber, a twisting ladder, wave monkey bars and a few spinners.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a community garden, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
Two big climbing nets, a huge spinning platform, a rope traverse and a saucer swing, with a stack-of-books sculpture nearby.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus a basketball court.
Toddlers get their own structure and swings; older kids get linked climbers around a big rope tower and a tire swing.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus tennis courts.
Colorful curving panels to climb on the bigger structure, a smaller one alongside, a water spray and a shade pavilion.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Separate areas for little and big kids, with a water spray between them where a Loch Ness monster mists.
A water playground, a playground, a lagoon beach, an outdoor pool, formal gardens and the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture.
A huge rope net to climb, a big structure kids of all abilities can reach, and a water spray on soft rubber.
Lakefront park with a splash pad, a playground, a beach, a lagoon, a nature sanctuary and a community garden.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus a basketball court.
Fire truck play pieces for younger kids, a tire swing, a big sprawling structure and two snake sprayers.
The playground sits in a round meadow, low and sprawling, with a tire swing and big old shade trees.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a community garden, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, an outdoor pool and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a sled hill, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad, a playground and a community garden, plus a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a skate park and a sledding hill, plus a basketball court.
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.
A fully enclosed playlot on soft rubber, with areas for little and big kids near the train tracks.
A plank bridge on the big structure, a four-jet water spray and tall old trees shading the whole thing.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
A Bronzeville park dedicated in 2001 with a rubberized-surface playground that has separate structures for toddlers and older kids.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad, a playground and a community garden, plus a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, an outdoor pool, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, an outdoor pool, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a community garden, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
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.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a community garden and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a lagoon, an outdoor pool, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground, plus a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and an outdoor pool, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a splash pad and a playground.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad and a playground.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a nature sanctuary, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a community garden and a basketball court.
Park with a splash pad, a playground and a basketball court.
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.
The observation deck on the 94th floor of the former John Hancock Center, now branded 360 Chicago, with a fully accessible entrance and family restrooms.
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.
A tiny pocket park under shady trees, with a small playground and interactive panels built for younger children.
A big play structure for older kids and some unusual acorn seats, with a field next door to run around.
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.
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.
Fully enclosed little playground in the middle of a residential block, with a tire swing and monkey bars running off the slide.
A major art museum where kids under 14 get in free, with a family learning center, tiny miniature rooms and stained glass kids recognize.
A tiny hidden playlot with a double slide, a structure for a range of ages and a few kinds of swings.
A small neighborhood playground a few blocks from Graceland Cemetery in Uptown's Buena Park area.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a beach, a sled hill, a skate park and a nature sanctuary.
A newer accessible playground for toddlers on soft rubber, fenced all round, with picnic tables inside.
An indoor museum on the pier with a whole room set aside just for babies and toddlers.
A paved promenade along the Chicago River downtown, with the PlayCubes climbing structure for kids alongside boat tours and riverside dining.
Soft rubber underfoot, with an overhead slider, a top-and-bottom spinner and monkey bars on a modern structure.
Kids stand nose to nose with SUE the T. rex, and a hands-on PlayLab built for small children means the day does not end at the first meltdown.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
A museum big enough to swallow a whole submarine, with a huge model railroad for train lovers and a water-and-air play zone for under-10s.
Neighborhood park with a water playground, a playground and an outdoor pool, plus tennis courts.
Fully enclosed and shady, with a car on a spring and a face-to-face swing for a grown-up and child.
Two treehouse-style structures of natural wood, fully enclosed and shaded by beautiful old trees.
The seasonal spray-pool feature in Humboldt Park, separate from the park's indoor pool building on Sacramento Ave.
Park with a water playground, a playground, an outdoor pool and a lagoon, plus tennis courts.
Park with a water playground, a playground and a basketball court.
Newer equipment with curving monkey bars and an overhead slider for big kids, and a clean little structure for small ones.
A free indoor greenhouse next to Lincoln Park Zoo, with stroller-friendly paths through most rooms.
A big lakefront Rogers Park park with a real sand beach, a playground and a fieldhouse, good for a whole-day outing.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a lagoon, a nature sanctuary and a community garden, plus a basketball court.
A small South Loop park in Dearborn Park with separate toddler and jungle-gym play sections.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
A 58-acre natural area with a discovery room, a hands-on nature table and family programs, inside a 155-acre North Park campus.
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.
Neighborhood park with a water playground and an outdoor pool.
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 Chicago River and lake architecture cruise departing at the Michigan Avenue Bridge, with stroller storage and restrooms on board, run by the same family company since 1935.
An observation deck atop Willis Tower with glass "Ledge" balconies that jut out over the street, fully stroller- and wheelchair-accessible with family restrooms on site.
Park with a playground, an outdoor pool and a basketball court.
Home of the Chicago Cubs since 1914, with games and, on non-game days from March, guided ballpark tours that include the dugout and field.
Lake Michigan views from the playground, and a nautical corner for smaller children right by the water, beside a community garden.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
Tiny pocket park with one big play structure, circular monkey bars and a long metal traverse to cross hand over hand.
A small playground on a bouncy surface, with a green slide, a climbing wall and three slides to choose from.
Tiny and tucked on a quiet side street, with a little play structure for younger children and a bigger one beside it.
Two sprawling play structures on soft, squishy new flooring, and lots of space around them to run.
A large play structure full of unusual things to climb, with toddler, belt and tire swings.
Packed for its size: a musical bar to play, a small climbing wall, spinning seats and a see-saw, all under big shade trees.
An Ashburn fieldhouse park with two gymnasiums, a playground, and basketball and tennis courts.
A toddler corner with a log balance beam, steppers and a tiny slide, and a bigger structure for older kids next to it.
An accessible playground with paved paths, soft colorful ground and two main structures, and a gym inside the fieldhouse.
Park with a playground and a basketball court.
One of the world's largest fountains, in the middle of Grant Park, with a light-and-music display after dusk. Free to visit.
A recently renovated Chicago Public Library branch with regular unstructured "Play Days" using blocks, puzzles and toys downstairs, and a quiet upper level.
A shady little park with a large playground in two parts, the older kids' climbing pieces right by the entrance.
A fenced playlot that's bigger than it looks, with low walls around the edge where grown-ups can perch.
Park with a playground, an outdoor pool, a community garden and tennis courts.
A small playground right beside the Metra tracks, with a big grassy space around it for a game of soccer.
A Lincoln Park history museum next to the zoo and conservatory, with free admission for children under 12 and accessible restrooms.
One big sprawling play structure with lots to climb and slide down, a few musical pieces to bang on, and shade from big trees.
A well-shaded playground with a long row of swings, toddler and adaptive seats included, and a community garden.
Park with a splash pad, a playground, a community garden, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Fenced park with some of the best new play equipment around, a big slide, soft ground for toddlers and trains rumbling past behind.
A narrow little playlot with a see-saw, an unusual standalone climber and a toddler swing beside a belt swing.
Fully enclosed, with boldly colored geometric structures full of things to traverse, plus a net climber and two sets of swings.
A sandbox, a playhouse, a tire swing and a twisting metal climber with wall holds, around a big play structure.
Park with a playground.
A small accessible playground with a ramp, a green slide and a little playhouse, plus a structure just for younger kids.
A small South Chicago playground and basketball court next to Eckersall stadium.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus tennis courts.
A pocket park tucked off the street, with a little structure for toddlers, a bigger one with large slides and plenty of swings.
A play structure with a climbing net and a spinner, and a shady walking path on the other corner of the park.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
A tiny pocket park made for toddlers and preschoolers, with nearly everything low to the ground.
Two playgrounds, one built for older kids, plus a sledding hill and a baseball diamond.
A new, modern playground with a big rope-and-net climbing piece at its center.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
A play structure sized for preschoolers, bigger than a toddler set but not built for the big kids.
A big structure for older kids with a couple of kinds of monkey bars, and a set of drums to play.
Park with a water playground, a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Park with a playground and a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
A historic glasshouse with a newly rebuilt children's garden (a net climber, a slide and a toddler area), plus outdoor nature play and a lily pond.
A small playground in a leafy park, with shaded green space and a statue of Garibaldi to go and find.
Right next to the elevated train tracks, with hanging rings and steps to cross, a little playhouse and a small slide structure.
Park with a playground and a basketball court.
A tiny fully enclosed playground of structures linked by monkey bars, balance beams and other things to cross.
An X-shaped see-saw for four and a marble maze to play with, beside a climbing structure and swings.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Park with a playground.
Park with a water play area and a playground.
No slides here: a big cone to climb, a climber like a bridge under construction, and a saucer swing.
Neighborhood park with a playground and a community garden.
Three structures packed into one small park: a fire truck one, a taller one with a corkscrew slide and a rocket ship to climb.
Park with a water play area, a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Park with a playground, a community garden, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Watch the trains from a grassy hill, dig in a big sand area with a little bridge, and climb by the river.
Two sandboxes with a scooper and sand table, and a big structure with four slides to choose from.
Two play structures under big trees, with a beautiful mural along one side.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Graffiti art, unusual metal climbers and a single metal slide, next to an elevated freight line, with a tire swing.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Views of passing trains, a little zip line with a round seat and a sprawling structure on a quiet street.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Park with a playground, a nature play area and a community garden, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
Park with a playground, a sled hill, a community garden, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Park with a playground and a community garden.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Loop-the-loop monkey bars, a net climber, a teeter-totter, a car on a spring and a tire swing, fenced in.
Park with a playground and a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Park with a playground and a basketball court.
Park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground and a community garden.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a water playground and a playground, plus tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground and a community garden.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a water playground and a playground, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Park with a playground.
Park with a playground and tennis courts.
Park with a playground.
Park with a playground and a basketball court.
A South Shore lakefront cultural center with a free Harvest Garden program for ages 6-12, afterschool and summer day camps, and beach access.
Park with a playground.
Park with a playground.
Park with a playground.
Park with a playground.
Park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground and a nature sanctuary.
Park with a playground and tennis courts.
An indoor play center in Six Corners with inflatables, a mini movie theater, video games and a separate area for smaller kids, for ages roughly 1 to 12.
Park with a playground.
Park with a playground.
A Chatham branch of the Chicago Public Library with an Early Learning Play Space alongside its regular children's section.
Neighborhood park with a water playground, a playground and a community garden, plus a basketball court.
Park with a playground and a basketball court.
A pocket park on a quiet street with two play structures, one of them sized for younger kids.
A fully enclosed playground with two sets of swings and a big structure linked to things to climb across.
Beach park with a playground, a community garden and tennis courts.
A tiny fenced playlot on wood chips, with a little chessboard table and benches for grown-ups.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Two play structures, one just for little kids, with swings and picnic tables close by for a snack.
A Kenwood library branch with a dedicated children's section and storytime.
Low monkey bars and small slides for toddlers, harder climbing for big kids, and hammock-style saucer swings.
A playground and a community garden inside a sculpture garden that honors women's history.
A little-kid area with its own sandbox, a big play structure for older children, and a volleyball court.
A Clearing branch of the Chicago Public Library.
A small playlot on a soft surface, with little hill structures that the kids love.
A neighborhood bowling alley with arcade games and a snack-bar menu that includes kids' items, running for over 35 years.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
A small, modern playground inside a winding fence with painted posts that kids can spin.
A well-loved little pocket park with two blue slides on a big structure for older kids, and picnic tables.
Old-school touches like a metal globe climber, plus slides that curve under each other and big metal frames to traverse.
A small playground with a sandbox and a big climbing structure that kids happily turn into an alien spaceship.
A 10,000-square-foot Lincoln Square indoor play space built around a multi-level soft-play structure, with tumbling and movement classes.
A Gage Park branch of the Chicago Public Library.
A Gage Park fieldhouse with two gymnasiums, a pool and an auditorium with a 1931 mural.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Set back by the river, with a toddler area of swings, a teeter-totter and a spring rider, and angled monkey bars for older kids.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Bold, geometric equipment with a big twisted climbing net and monkey bars for older kids, and its own area for toddlers.
A big rope net to climb, a geometric climbing block with holds and a structure with a few slides.
An Englewood cultural center and fieldhouse with two gymnasiums, an archery range and an outdoor pool.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
A massive playground, with a huge sprawling structure for big kids, a good-sized one for younger kids and swings of every kind.
A small playground by the beach with a nautical touch, ship-bow ladders on the big structure and swings in two spots.
A Hegewisch branch of the Chicago Public Library.
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.
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.
Two small structures made for young children, on soft rubber and fenced twice over, beside the community center.
A destination playground, with a small zipline, tubes for toddlers and a huge structure of bridges, rope nets and slides.
A rope bridge from a big net climber to a curving slide, a spinning cone and wide views of the lake.
One huge structure that sprawls and soars three stories high, shaded by big trees, with picnic tables nearby.
Park with a playground and a basketball court.
A big structure with lots of climbing and sliding, plus a little zip line with a round seat, under big shade trees.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Fully enclosed, with a rope bridge and monkey bars on the big structure, a playhouse, a see-saw and a covered pavilion.
Park with a playground and a basketball court.
Park with a playground, an outdoor pool, a community garden and a basketball court.
Small, shady and fully enclosed on artificial turf, with an overhead glider and two kinds of monkey bars.
Neighborhood park with a playground and a community garden, plus tennis courts.
One of the smallest playgrounds in the city: a mast climber, a spinning cone and a hammock swing, fully enclosed.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
A forest-themed playground with logs for balancing, wooden beams holding up the climbers and sculpted rubber ground.
Park with a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
A spiderweb net to climb, a spider sculpture and a butterfly climber, at an entrance to the elevated trail.
A fully enclosed pocket park mid-block, with a sprawling structure, a see-saw and a rope net bridge.
A tiny fully enclosed pocket park with a sandbox and monkey bars, shady and great for younger children.
Two towers joined by a rope net to climb across, plus a second structure and swings, on a quiet street.
Neighborhood park with a playground and a community garden, plus tennis courts.
Two play structures right by the lake, with soft rubber underfoot and the beach sand as a second sandbox.
A play train to climb aboard, a little structure for younger kids and a bigger one with overhead bars.
A play boat for the smallest kids, a big climbing structure for older kids and a sand play area, set back from the street.
A toddler corner, then a spread of standalone climbers for older kids in place of the usual tower, in a big leafy park.
A big net tunnel to crawl through, a teeter-totter and a little structure for younger kids.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Two play structures built like boats, with ship-bow ladders, masts and sails, plus a sandbox, all fenced and shady.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a playground and a community garden.
Neighborhood park with a playground and a community garden, plus a basketball court.
Park with a playground and tennis courts.
A small, historic Gold Coast pocket park at Rush and State with a modest playground and pavilion, a good quick outdoor break downtown.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
A free, open-air Near West Side market held on select Sundays through the season, with food and kid-friendly entertainment.
Chicago's free outdoor rink at Millennium Park, with free lessons and skate rentals available.
The Chicago Park District's only indoor ice rink, an NHL-size arena also hosting recreational skating, hockey and tennis year-round.
Neighborhood park with a playground and a community garden, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
A ticketed, multi-room interactive attraction near the Tribune Tower built around ice-cream-themed installations, including a room filled with plastic sprinkles. Strollers must be left outside that room.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
A free Near West Side museum, opened 2025, with a sculpture garden, interactive exhibits and Historic Apartment tours.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a nature play area.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Park with a natural play area and a community garden.
Park with a playground and tennis courts.
An Ashburn park with a playground, a gymnasium and ball fields.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Park with a playground, an outdoor pool and a community garden, plus basketball and tennis courts.
Park with a playground and a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Park with a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Park with a playground.
Park with a playground.
A South Chicago branch of the Chicago Public Library.
Park with a playground.
Park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Park with a playground, a community garden, a basketball court and tennis courts.
An East Side branch of the Chicago Public Library with ADA workstations for adults and children.
Park with a playground and a basketball court.
A West Englewood branch of the Chicago Public Library.
Park with a natural play area, a lagoon and a nature sanctuary.
Park with a playground, a basketball court and tennis courts.
Fenced park with a colorful playground and plenty of grass to run on.
Park with a playground.
Park with a playground.
An Ashburn branch of the Chicago Public Library.
A 35,000-square-foot indoor trampoline park with a dedicated toddler "Kids Court" alongside dodgeball, foam pits and a rock wall.
A lagoon with a waterfall and restored historic bridges, a spot for fishing and picnics.
A Beverly arts venue with children's classes in art, music, dance and theater, and a 400-seat theater that programs family shows.
The first and only African American children's museum in the United States, in the Calumet Heights/Pill Hill area.
An early-childhood arts and play studio on the sixth level of the 900 N Michigan shops, offering music, movement and art classes for ages 0 to 6, with drop-in options.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Play café built for ages 0 to 8, with climbing and play areas, kid snacks and coffee for caregivers.
The Chicago Blackhawks' practice facility and community rink, with four sheets of ice, public skate sessions and free skate rental included with admission.
A Portage Park family theater with sensory-friendly shows, camps and kids' nights out.
An East Garfield Park fieldhouse, known locally as the "Gold Dome", with two gymnasiums, a dance studio and a summer day camp.
A Jefferson Park bowling alley open over 50 years, with 32 lanes and a summer Kids Bowl Free program.
Chicago's original kayak and paddleboard outfitter, operating since 1999, renting boats and running guided tours from a dock on the Chicago River.
Enrollment-based hands-on science classes, day camps and birthday parties for ages 2-12 in the South Loop.
Separate areas for little and big kids with a water spray between them, plus a small zipline for older ones.
Beside the beach, with an unusual single-mast climbing net and structures for both little and big kids.
A play cafe where kids can play while the grown-ups settle in with something to eat or drink.
Park with a playground, an outdoor pool and a basketball court.
An indoor playground where kids can climb, pretend and run off energy, a handy backup for cold or rainy days.
Neighborhood park with a playground, plus a basketball court.
A Greektown museum on the Greek-American immigrant journey, with a family-friendly storytellers program.
Lakefront park with a nature play area, a beach, a lagoon, a nature sanctuary and a community garden.
Neighborhood park with a playground.
Old quarry turned nature park with a nature play area, a fishing pond with a boardwalk pier, wetlands and trails.
A South Loop indoor children's museum inside the Roosevelt Collection, opened 2024, with town-square-themed pretend play.
The Pullman Clock Tower visitor center tells the story of the town and its labor history through free exhibits.
A small indoor playroom for children ages 0 to 6 near the Logan Square/Bucktown line, used for birthday parties and open play.
A newly opened, 38,000-square-foot trampoline park with a dedicated soft-play space for younger kids alongside zip lines and dodgeball courts.
A South Side museum of African American history and culture, with free admission on Wednesdays and the first Friday of each month, and children six and under always free.
A Ukrainian Village museum of folk art, embroidery and pysanky eggs; children under 12 are free.
A 10,000-square-foot ninja-warrior and obstacle-training gym with kids' classes for ages 3 to 15, open gym time, and youth competitions.
A Washington Park fieldhouse with two gymnasiums, a game room and family events, inside the same park as the already-listed DuSable Black History Museum.
Chicago's largest bowling center at 40 lanes, with programmable bumpers for young kids and a long-running family feel.
Park with a playground, an outdoor pool and a basketball court.
Play café with a pretend café, a jungle gym, a camp room, art and sensory play, and coffee for the grown-ups.
