Landmarks & Attractions in Chicago, IL
There are 7 landmarks & attractions 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; Anish Kapoor's 110-ton chrome bean sculpture; infinite sky reflections; walk underneath for warped views; most Instagrammed Chicago landmark; Millennium Park
Chicago Architecture River Cruise is a landmark attraction operated by the Chicago Architecture Center, a non-profit cultural organization at 112 E Wacker Dr in…
FREE; one of world's largest fountains; hourly light and water shows April-Oct; 1.5 million gallons; Grant Park lakefront; 14 ml diameter basin; evening light show
Skydeck Chicago at Willis Tower is an observation deck and attraction located in the iconic Willis Tower in Chicago's downtown. Visitors can explore the Chicago…
Navy Pier Centennial Wheel is a landmark attraction located on Chicago's waterfront at 600 E Grand Ave in Chicago, Illinois. The pier offers year-round activities…
360 Chicago at John Hancock Center is an observation deck located on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center in Chicago, Illinois. Visitors can experience…
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois where families can watch Chicago Cubs games and experience professional Major League Baseball. Located at…
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.
Navy Pier Centennial Wheel
Best here for under 2, 1 miles out, listed ages 0–16 and free admission.
Skydeck Chicago at Willis Tower
Best here for two to five, 1 miles out, listed ages 3–16 and admission from $22.
360 Chicago at John Hancock Center
Best here for six to nine, 1 miles out, listed ages 3–16 and admission from $20.
Free landmarks & attractions in Chicago
2 places on this page get you in free. That makes a short trip easy to justify on a day when nobody is sure how long they will last.
Chicago Architecture River Cruise
Free to get in and 1 miles out.
Navy Pier Centennial Wheel
Free to get in, 1 miles out and listed ages 0–16.
By town
Most of these are not in Chicago proper, and the town is usually what decides whether a place is worth the trip.
Landmarks & Attractions in Chicago
7 of them: Cloud Gate (The Bean), Chicago Architecture River Cruise, Buckingham Fountain, Skydeck Chicago at Willis Tower and Navy Pier Centennial Wheel, the closest 1 miles from the middle of Chicago and 4 with a published admission price.
Planning a visit
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
Common questions about landmarks & attractions in Chicago
How many landmarks & attractions are there in Chicago?
We list 7 landmarks & attractions within 44 miles of Chicago, IL. Every one is a published listing with an address we checked.
Which landmarks & attractions in Chicago publish their prices?
4 of the 7 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.
Are any landmarks & attractions in Chicago free?
Yes. 2 places get you in free: Chicago Architecture River Cruise and Navy Pier Centennial Wheel.
Which landmarks & attractions in Chicago suit a toddler?
3 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 landmarks & attractions?
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.