NJ NESTIE- Museum of Science and Industry Chicago

jennmichael

thinking of taking a family trip from nj in august for vacation 3-4 days for my sons birthday. he is  obsessed with  trains and in his kids train magazine they showcase this place and the model train  area and layout. 

is it worth the trip? what else to do with 3 litttle kids under age 5 in chicago. how will the weather be?

cidness

Yes! I am a member at the MSI and recently started volunteering there (I also only live a few blocks from the museum). This museum is GREAT for kids. I really can't say enough. It's actually great for all ages and my DH and I love going there some weekends just to see what's new. You can easily spend a day there, and possibly two days depending on how interested your children are in certain areas of the museum.

The train right when you walk in is my younger brother's favorite. Granted, he is 10 and has Autism, but it is the first thing he wants to do when he goes to the museum. He probably could spend hours in there. Also, they have the U-505 submarine, which is great for those future engineers. Your sons may also really enjoy the Coal Mine (another one of my younger brother's favorites). I really can't say enough good things about the MSI. It's definitely my favorite museum in Chicago right now. Lots of great things for adults, too! Definitely worth the trip 5 times over.

As for other things and the weather:

Weather right now is anywhere from 50s to 80s, with frequent sprinkles. Once we get into mid-June through Sept., you will see a warm up and we usually hang out in the high 80's to low 90's. A little on the humid side and the occasional thunderstorm. It is always about 5 degrees cooler near Lake Michigan.

As for other things to do - there's Navy Pier, which has tons of shops and the famous Ferris Wheel. It is also home to the Chicago Children's Museum, which is OK, but the MSI is better. 

The Lincoln Park zoo on the North side is FREE during the summer. This is a great deal and will keep you busy for about half the day.

The Aquarium and the Field museums are located on what is called "Museum campus." The Aquarium is great for kids your sons age, but only fills about 4-6 hours. The Field museum has some good exhibits for kids also.

In Millennium Park, you can check out the reflective giant "bean." Kids usually get a kick out of that. After seeing the bean, you can check out the Crown Fountain and cool off in the water. Kids are usually seen in bathing suits or barefoot because they love getting soaked here on hot days.

You can also check out either the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower or the Hancock observatories for a sky high view of the city. The Willis Tower has the glass sky boxes that allow you to see beneath the floor down to the city below. Kids are usually fascinated by this and it provides a great photo op.

You can also spend some time on the shores of Lake Michigan, but I always think the Lake is a bit on the cool side throughout summer.

Don't forget about a stroll down Michigan Avenue for shopping, although be prepared to use strollers because kids feet usually tire after walking a ways. 

Well, Chicago is a great place to visit and as you can see, I have been a tour guide for my family many times.

Oh, I almost forgot, public transportation is your friend in Chicago. Make sure you pull all the maps for the CTA and Metra Rail lines BEFORE you come. Familiarize yourself with the major street names downtown. This will help you out so much. You can get to all the places I named by using public transportation. I highly recommend staying downtown on Michigan Avenue for easy access to everything. Feel free to message me with anymore questions. Good luck!

 

Mabmin

The Museum of Science and Industry has always been my favorite museum in Chicago.  I do not know anyone that doesn't like it. The prior poster hit most of the great places to visit with kids.  Lincoln Park Zoo is fantastic and it still amazes me that it is free.  Some people stop in for a quick visit on the way to and from the beach since it is across the street.  Brookfield Zoo is also fun, but you'll need a car since it is in the suburbs.  The weather in August is usually fairly warm which makes it a great time to go to the beach!

hz80408

MSIC is really pretty cool!

However, I'd also recommend the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier and Shedd Aquarium.  Out of the three, for young kids (6 and under) I'd recommend the Children's Museum the most.

MarcyLT

I second the Children's Museum at Navy Pier. We took my 2 year old nephew and 5 year old niece there and they could've played all day long. I even had fun! It was fabulous.