Chicago in a day: museums, art, and culture made easy

Travel through space and time, and learn everything there is to know about the solar system at the Adler Planetarium.Explore the best bits of our 91 billion light-year galaxy through the interactive exhibits. Join the search for a new ninth planet, take a speedy tour of your cosmic backyard, and peek inside the Gemini 12 spacecraft. Kids will love to climb and fly through Planet Explorers - a modern-day space adventure for the whole family.

Tour Chicago Children's Museum's new permanent exhibit: Water City. In the new Water City experience, children of all ages and abilities can determine their own experiments, narratives, sensory experiences, and explorations of the physical properties of water.Water City connects water play and STEM experiences for the next generation of young explorers and their families. The exhibit is in the historic part of Navy Pier called the Head House, in the western 50 ft. tall tower and includes a central water feature with three legs echoing the three branches of the Chicago River, and uniquely Chicago elements such as a lock/dam system, Lake Michigan, and skyscrapers from Chicago’s iconic skyline.As one of the best things to do in Chicago with kids, the Chicago Children's Museum features 15 permanent, kid-friendly exhibits that are included with your pass.

Witness the impossible at the Museum of Illusions. With over 80 immersive rooms and mind-bending exhibits, MOI is all about unbelievable fun! Perfect for children and adults alike, time will fly by as you explore the Museum of Illusion's various rooms and displays. Whether it's contorting natural shapes, or playing with light, these optical illusions will make the impossible, possible!

Explore one of the largest science museums in the world. Housed in the only remaining building from the famous 1893 World's Columbian Exposition's 'White City,' it offers a variety of hands-on, dynamic activities and exhibits for guests of all ages.Venture down a life-like coal mine, control a 40-foot indoor tornado, and marvel at a massive dollhouse.

With 4.6 billion years in one place, the Field Museum takes you around the world and back in time. Here, you can come face-to-face with SUE, the world’s largest- and most famous- T. rex, explore ancient Egyptian, discover over 10,000 years of Chinese history, and much more!Renowned for its state-of-the-art exhibits, leading scientific research, and impressive collection of artifacts and specimens, the Field Museum inspires curiosity and tells the story of life on Earth.The fun and interactive Field Museum exhibits will appeal to all the family. Get to grips with genetics at the DNA Discovery Center, and explore the culture and artifacts of civilizations all over the world.