Family Entertainment Centers in Chicago, IL
There are 51 family entertainment centers in and around Chicago. Each card below shows what it costs, when it opens and which ages it suits.
Sorted by distance from the middle of Chicago, nearest first. Those are straight-line miles, so every drive is longer than the number on the card.
FREE skating always; rental skates available; beneath the Cloud Gate Bean; winter season Nov-March; iconic downtown Chicago experience; free admission
The Art Institute of Chicago is a major downtown museum near Millennium Park, holding an extensive collection of art spanning centuries and cultures. Families can…
The Chicago Theatre is a historic entertainment venue in downtown Chicago, hosting concerts, comedy shows, and other live performances. Families can browse the…
The Harris Theater for Music and Dance is a premier performance venue in downtown Chicago, presenting live music, dance, and multidisciplinary programming near…
Northwest Suburban Astronomers Club is an amateur astronomy club serving the northwest suburbs of Chicago, bringing together members of all experience levels to…
Printers Row Lit Fest is a free outdoor literary festival held annually on the historic Printers Row streets of Chicago, Illinois. Families can browse author…
Smarty Pants is a Chicago-based birthday party entertainer specializing in balloon twisting, balloon décor, and its signature Big Balloon Show, a theatrical stage…
The Dolphin Show is a long-running student theater production staged annually at Northwestern University's Cahn Auditorium, billed as the largest student-produced…
The Lost Kingdoms is a family-fun attraction offering an immersive, history-themed experience featuring life-sized animated dinosaurs and Ice Age creatures…
Tourism Authority of Thailand promotes travel and leisure experiences across the country, offering families ideas for cultural festivals, regional attractions, and…
Willow Hill Golf Course is a family-fun golf destination offering a welcoming setting for players of all skill levels to enjoy a round outdoors. Families can spend…
Wirtz Center for Performing Arts is Northwestern University's performing arts hub, spanning venues in Evanston and Chicago that showcase student and emerging…
Young People's Theatre of Chicago is a professional non-profit theater company for young audiences, performing at the Greenhouse Theater Center in Lincoln Park…
Pinstripes is a family-fun venue in Chicago, IL, combining a full-service bistro with bowling and bocce ball for a lively social atmosphere. Families can enjoy…
Skydeck & The Ledge is a family-friendly observation deck and museum experience atop Willis Tower in Chicago, IL, offering panoramic views up to 50 miles away on a…
The Peninsula Sky Rink is a seasonal skating attraction associated with The Peninsula Chicago, located near the Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago. Families…
Scene 75 Chicagoland is an indoor entertainment center located in Chicago, IL, offering go-karts, laser tag, arcade games, and bouncing attractions for families…
American Girl Place Chicago is a family entertainment center located at 835 N Michigan Ave in Chicago, IL where girls can explore worlds of play centered around…
360 Chicago is an observation deck perched atop the John Hancock building along the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, offering sweeping views of the skyline and Lake…
Kings Dining and Entertainment is a bowling, dining, and social gaming venue with multiple locations across states like Massachusetts, Florida, and North Carolina…
Kid City Chicago is a family-fun venue located in Chicago, Illinois. It offers local families a place to spend time together through activities suited to the…
Wicker Ice is a community-run outdoor ice skating rink in Wicker Park, Chicago, offering free skating for anyone when the natural, non-refrigerated ice is frozen…
Light Of Christmas Drive Thru is a seasonal holiday light show held at Rate Field in Chicago, IL, where families can drive through synchronized displays set to…
WhirlyBall is a family-fun entertainment center with multiple locations offering bumper-car style team games, laser tag, and bowling alongside a full restaurant…
Chicago Gamespace is a video game museum where families can explore a permanent collection of historically important games alongside rotating special exhibitions…
Gallagher Way at Wrigley Field is an open-air gathering spot in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood, adjacent to the ballpark. Families can stroll the greenspace…
Midway Plaisance Ice Rink is a seasonal outdoor ice-skating facility operated by the Chicago Park District on the city's South Side. Families can enjoy public…
Lifeline Theatre is a Chicago performing arts venue known for staging literary adaptations and original works for audiences of all ages. Families can attend live…
Warren Park Ice Rink is a seasonal outdoor ice-skating facility operated by the Chicago Park District in Chicago, IL. Families can enjoy skating together during…
Novelty Golf is a long-running miniature golf and family amusement center in Lincolnwood, offering seasonal outdoor fun for all ages. Families can putt around the…
North Riverside Park Mall is a shopping center in North Riverside, Illinois, offering a mix of retail stores, dining options, and everyday conveniences for…
Evanston History Center is a local heritage museum housed in the historic Dawes House, once home to former U.S. Vice President Charles Gates Dawes. Families can…
Chicago Wolves Ice Skating Rink at Brookfield Zoo is a seasonal outdoor ice rink located on the grounds of Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois. Families…
Play and Spin is a large indoor family amusement center in Niles, IL, offering go-karts, laser tag, an arcade, and a climbing wall under one roof. Families can…
Chicago Wolves Ice Rink at Parkway Bank Park is a family-fun attraction located within Rosemont's lively entertainment district. Families visiting the area can…
Go Ape Bemis Woods is an outdoor adventure park in Western Springs, Illinois, offering treetop ziplining and ropes courses set among the forest. Families can…
Bounce Houses R Us is a family-owned party rental company serving Chicago and over 32 surrounding Chicagoland suburbs since 2013. Families can rent bounce houses…
Infant/Toddler Swim Lessons at the YMCA of Metro Chicago introduces the youngest children to the water in a safe, supportive setting. Instructors emphasize water…
Great Big Game Show - Oak Brook is a live, interactive entertainment venue located at Oakbrook Center that turns visitors into contestants on a real game show set…
Chicago Wolves is a professional AHL hockey team offering family-friendly game-day entertainment. Families can attend home games, purchase single-game or group…
Where a card says no price or no hours listed, the venue does not publish it. We would rather leave the gap than fill it with a guess. Prices come from each venue's own website, and we publish one only when the figure appears on the page we took it from. Tell us if we are missing one you know.
Which one, by age
Two children three years apart do not have to be a compromise. The age line on every card shows what that venue serves.
Young People’s Theatre of Chicago
Best here for two to five, 1 miles out, listed ages 3–12 and admission from $115.
The Art Institute of Chicago
Best here for six to nine, 1 miles out, listed ages 6–16 and admission from $7.
Skydeck & The Ledge
Best here for ten and up, 1 miles out, listed ages 6–16 and admission from $22.
By town
Most of these are not in Chicago proper, and the town is usually what decides whether a place is worth the trip. 1 more towns are represented in the list above.
Family Entertainment Centers in Chicago
23 of them: McCormick Tribune Ice Rink Millennium Park, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Chicago Theatre, Young People’s Theatre of Chicago and Pinstripes, the closest 1 miles from the middle of Chicago and 5 with a published admission price.
Planning a visit
These run from 1 to 18 miles out from the middle of Chicago. Hours move with the season and with school holidays, so check the listing before you set off. If you run one of the places on this page, you can claim it for free and keep its hours and prices right.
Before you go
Grip socks. Almost every venue requires them for children and several require them for adults. Most sell them at the door for a few dollars. Bringing your own is cheaper and means you are not buying a fourth pair.
Check whether adults pay. It runs from free to full price and it changes the cost of a visit by a lot when there are two of you.
Weekday mornings are the toddler rush. If you want space, aim for after two on a school day. Weekend mornings are the busiest hours of the week almost everywhere.
Ninety minutes is the realistic ceiling for most children under five. There is rarely a gradual wind down. Leaving with time left on the clock is not wasted money, it is a better afternoon.
Call ahead in school holidays. Several of these venues run camps and private events that close open play with no notice on the website.
Looking somewhere else in the metro? Browse every kid-friendly place in Chicago.
Other things to do in Chicago
Family Entertainment Centers in nearby cities
Common questions about family entertainment centers in Chicago
How many family entertainment centers are there in Chicago?
We list 51 family entertainment centers within 44 miles of Chicago, IL. Every one is a published listing with an address we checked.
Which family entertainment centers in Chicago publish their prices?
6 of the 51 here do, and each price was checked word for word against the venue's own page before we published it. The rest do not publish one, so their card says no price listed rather than carrying a guess.
Which family entertainment centers in Chicago suit a toddler?
2 of them list an age range starting at two or under. Check the age line on each card, because a place that suits a six-year-old does not always suit a two-year-old.
How did Mini Navigators choose these family entertainment centers?
We list every one we have within 44 miles of the center of Chicago. Each is a published place with an address we geocoded and checked, and the business can claim its listing to keep the hours and prices current.
Do adults have to pay?
It varies more than you would expect, from free to full price, and it changes the cost of a visit by a lot when there are two of you. The price on each card is what it costs to get a child in. Where a venue publishes an adult price it is on the listing, and where it does not we have left it out rather than assume.
Do I need to book ahead?
Usually not for open play, but several venues cap capacity at weekends and during school holidays, and some close open play entirely for private events. Where a venue has its own booking page, the listing links straight to it.
What should I bring?
Grip socks, a water bottle, a change of clothes for anyone under four, and a plan for leaving before the meltdown rather than after it.
What else is there to do with kids in Chicago?
Chicago has 19 categories of kid-friendly places on Mini Navigators, from playgrounds and museums to splash pads and zoos. The Chicago hub lists all of them.
Listings last checked August 21, 2026.