One matter teens and tweens will never call Chicago is boring. Whether they're thrill-seekers, explorers, artists, shopaholics or knowledge hounds, these 10 must-dos will accept them Instagramming all about their smashing family vacation.

Escape rooms

escape room
@The Escape Game Chicago

Save the White Business firm, escape a zombie, or have a mission to Mars at a Chicago escape room. Whether you're finding your mode out of a goldmine, breaking out of prison, or disappointment an art heist, nothing gets your adrenaline pumping quite as much equally that ticking clock! Bank check out The Escape Game Chicago, Escape Artistry, and Fox in a Box – Chicago.

Maggie Daley Park

Rock climb at Maggie Daley Park

Climb, skate, and play on the lakefront at Maggie Daley Park. Scale the outdoor rock climbing walls, reaching a max tiptop of 40 anxiety, divided into beginner and advanced sections. Side by side, strap on your rollerblades or grab a scooter (both available for rent) and head to the Skating Ribbon, a meandering track through the whimsical park landscape. (FYI: During the wintertime, the ribbon becomes one of the metropolis'due south well-nigh unique water ice-skating spots). Looking for something a lilliputian less center-pumping? Endeavour a round of mini golf, featuring replicas of iconic Chicago structures, including the Willis Tower, Wells Street bridge, and the Picasso sculpture.

Museum Campus

The Field Museum Maximo

The Museum Campus is a trifecta of thrills. The Shedd Aquarium offers the adventure for amazing marine animal encounters, including feeding sharks, meeting penguins, and petting stingrays — all under the guidance of Shedd trainers. Merely adjacent door, Máximo the Titanosaur welcomes you lot to the Field Museum. The long-necked herbivore stretches 122 feet from snout to tail, making it the biggest dinosaur ever discovered. You'll also discover mummies, insects, gemstones, the world's almost consummate T.rex skeleton, then much more. And the nearby Adler Planetarium will take yous on an intergalactic journey, from the Moon to Mars and back. Don't miss the latest sky bear witness in their immersive, land-of-the-art theatre.

Hip shopping

Shopping with Teens in Chicago

Browse super absurd Chicago boutiques. For hip, artsy teens, Threadless is a must-know. The trendy t-shirt features designs created by independent artists from both Chicago and across. The company runs a pop-upwards store our of their West Loop headquarters, where yous can frequently happen upon some sectional deals. Or bank check out Frankie's on the Park, a absurd boutique in Lincoln Park with trendy options for pre-teen and teenage girls. Bank check out our total guide to neighborhood boutiques in Chicago for more.

Chicago Riverwalk

The award-winning Chicago Riverwalk is more than simply a place to walk. It's likewise a buzzing waterfront park, with tons of options for urban outdoor recreation. Rent a Divvy cycle (Chicago'south bike-share plan) to leisurely cycle along the little-over-a-mile, pedestrian-simply path, taking along the sites, sounds, and public art along the way. Or cheque out the area from the water, with tour and rentals from Urban Kayaks. If you have fourth dimension, stop in at the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum for a new perspective and a quick history lesson.

Blue Man Group

Blue Man Group performance
© Lindsey Best

The hyperactive theatrical feel that is the Blueish Homo Group at Briar Street Theater (3133 N. Halsted St.) appeals to audiences of all ages. Information technology's alive music, comedy, performance arts, and lots of blueish pigment all wrapped into one. And if you sit up front, wait to go wet (don't worry, yous'll get a poncho). Before you head to the theatre, exercise a little store-hopping among the vintage shops and alternative boutiques along Belmont Avenue and Halsted Street.

Navy Pier

Seadog Cruise at Navy Pier

Allow's start at the elevation — literally. Navy Pier's Centennial Wheel is an iconic role of the Chicago skyline. Soaring to heights of virtually 200 feet, the cycle'due south enclosed gondolas mean you can take a ride rain or shine. Program your visit around Navy Pier's Aon Summer Fireworks shows that light up the sky Wednesdays and Saturdays from Memorial Day through Labor 24-hour interval. The seasonal Pier Park also includes the Pepsi Wave Swinger, carousel, climbing walls, and Light Tower Ride.

Once y'all've come up down to earth, head to the waters of Lake Michigan for the most adrenaline-pumping ride yet. With exhilarating high speeds and full 360-caste spins, the jet-propelled Extreme Thrill Ride by Seadog "blasts off to start and splashes down to stop." This is your chance to experience loftier speeds over the open water of Lake Michigan. For less eye-pounding attractions, Navy Pier likewise features an IMAX Theatre, the Chicago Children's Museum, the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and much more than.

Summertime festivals

pritzker pavilion
@Abel Arciniega, Millennium Park Summer Motion-picture show Serial

Chicago is big on festivals. There isn't a month that goes past without a crowd-drawing event. Mark your calendars for these teen-friendly events:

  • The outdoorSummer Picture Series at Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park runs from June through September. Take a seat at the pavilion or lounge on the Nifty Lawn with a coating while you lot view cult favs and latest blockbusters on a state-of-the-art, xl-pes LED screen.
  • Taste of Chicago, the nation's largest outdoor food fest, gets underway at Grant Park every July. The fest features tastes from seventy+ restaurants, from food trucks to fine dining, showcasing the diversity of the city'due south vibrant dining scene. Plus, savour live music by large-name and local acts.
  • Chicago SummerDance brings people of all ages and skill levels together in Grant Park'south Spirit of Music Garden each summer for free dance lessons on an open-air trip the light fantastic toe floor. You lot and your teens tin learn to samba, tango, waltz, salsa, and more. SummerDance takes place Fri to Sunday evenings from June through Baronial in Grant Park, as well every bit on select dates in neighborhood parks citywide for SummerDance In The Parks.

Skyscraper experiences

Skydeck Chicago, on the 103rd floor of the iconic Willis Tower, is an accented can't-miss Chicago experience. Open up daily, it offers spectacular views across four states on a articulate solar day, interactive exhibits and — drumroll, please — The Ledge, a glass box that allows you to step iv anxiety exterior the walls of the building, every bit though you're walking on air. Keep the thrills going by taking a trip to 875 N. Michigan (formerly the John Hancock Edifice) on The Magnificent Mile, where TILT at the 94th-floor 360 Chicago, volition literally tip you over the urban center from 1,000 feet in the air.

Museum of Science and Industry

The Museum of Science and Industry is all nearly extraordinary experiences that bring science to life. And it'south the museum of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, which means you tin spend the whole day here, and then some. A couple of highlights: The museum's Coal Mine has been taking visitors deep into a (mock) mine shaft since 1933. Enter the Science Storms exhibit and y'all become a part of seven natural phenomena: lightning, fire, tornadoes, avalanches, tsunamis, sunlight, and atoms in motion. And don't miss stepping inside a real U-505, the only German submarine in the Usa.