Day 1: Lincoln Park Neighborhood

Our budget-friendly itinerary for Lincoln Park is below. For more, check out the Best Things to Do in Chicago's Lincoln Park.

Lincoln Park Zoo

Start out your trip to Chicago with a trip to one of the country's last free zoos! We love going to see the lions, gorillas, flamingos, zebras, and reptile house at this historical zoo. Don't forget to go to the south end of the zoo and check out the farm. It's also free and often has fun kids activities going on. While admission is free, you may still need to pay for parking if you can't find parallel parking on a nearby street.

Lincoln Park Conservatory & Gardens

Walk just north and west of the zoo to find this free conservatory and surrounding gardens. There's almost always a flower show going on, and you can explore the Palm House, Orchid House, and Fern Room to brighten up winter months or cool down in the summer. 

North Avenue Beach

Listed as one of our top beaches for Chicago families, this feels more like a coastal beach than a Midwest water hole. It's just two blocks east on Fullerton under the pedestrian underpass from the zoo. Visit the newly renovated Castaways restaurant for a bite to eat or rent a volleyball court, jet ski, or kayak from vendors along the beach. Swimming is only allowed when lifeguards are on duty, but you're always welcome to play in the sand, even during the off-season. 

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Just north of Fullerton, this adorable nature museum is "suggested donation" on Thursdays, and $8-$10 per kid on other days of the week. Be sure you visit the butterfly haven for the release of newly emerged butterflies every day at 2 p.m. Kids can also enjoy a nature playspace, water exhibit, look-in lab, an exhibit on conservation, and several rotating exhibtis. Check the museums's website for events like story time and yoga.

Green City Market

During the summer months, families can check out this twice weekly farmer's market for food and entertainment. There's always lots of farm fresh vendors, along with musicians and cooking demonstrations, to entertain and refresh families before or after trips to the Zoo or beach.

Day 2: The Loop and Downtown

Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park

Just across the street from each other east of The Loop, these two parks are some of the latest and greatest in Chicago. In the summer months, bring a swimsuit to play in Crown Fountain, where giant faces spit water over kids like a giant splash pad. Take a selfie near The Bean (Cloudgate), a giant mirrored scupture that gives an amazing view of the skyline. Check for summer concerts and outdoor movies going on in the Pritzker Pavilion. In the winter, you can go ice skating on a rink or on the Maggie Daley Skating Ribbon. And the Maggie Daley Park playground is amazing all year round.

Buckingham Fountain

Usually turned on in mid-May, this huge fountain is a Chicago landmark. It replays the display every 30 minutes and is worth watching at least once or twice, especially for water-loving little ones.

Chicago Cultural Center

Right across the street from Millennium Park, this historic landmark building has guided tours on Thursdays and Fridays so you can learn about everything there is to do there! Check out the center's What to See in an Hour page to get a quick taste of the art, including the Tiffany Dome, and the learning lab. The cultural center also hosts many events throughout the year, so check its calendar to see if you can find a music, dance, or art event taking place for free.

Navy Pier

Going to the Pier itself is free, and all summer long there is free outdoor music and dance performances. There's also free art exhibits, fireworks shows on Saturdays all summer long, and you can even fish off the pier for free. You'll have to set a budget for your kids to keep this cheap, though. There are lots of fun shops and restaurants, as well as the Chicago Children's Museum and the Flyover experience, which could tempt your kids to spend some money. Learn more about the many Things to Do with Kids on Navy Pier. 

Take a walk on the Riverwalk of the Lake Front Trail

There's miles and miles of sights along either of these walkways! The Lake Front Trail runs 18 miles from Rogers Park to South Shore, showing off Chicago's beaches and harbors with amazing views of the skyline from the area near the Shedd Aquarium. The Riverwalk stretches from Navy Pier to south of the Willis Tower, giving a worm's eye view of some of the tallest skyscrapers in the western hemisphere. 

Day 3: Check out a New Neighborhood (or Two!)

Choose one or a couple of these adventures to learn about one of Chicago's unique neighborhoods

Take a Chicago Greeter Tour

Book two weeks in advance and take advantage of Choose Chicago's volunteer-based Chicago Greeter Tours. These completely free tours last about two hours and accommodate up to six guests. Tours can be tailored to specific interests or neighborhoods, or you can pop in to weekend tours of the Loop or Riverwalk. A pop-up neighborhood series takes place in the summer. 

 
Garfield Park koi pond. Photo by Lisa Warden for Mommy Poppins.

Garfield Park Conservatory

This is the motherlode of free indoor foliage in the Chicago area. I thought it would be a one to two hour excursion, but it can easily turn into a half-day for a plant-loving family. There's 10 acres of plants from palms and ferns to cacti and orchids, and there are tons of free programs for kids on many different days of the week. Be sure to see the edible plants room and the outdoor sensory garden.

Check out one of Hyde Park's free museums

Hyde Park is home to the University of Chicago, which has two suggested donation museums: The Smart Museum of Art and the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. The Smart Museum of Art has regular family days on select Saturdays, along with rotating art exhibits from mostly modern artists and a sculpture garden. The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures houses 350,000 artifacts from all over the world, many found by their own archaeologists. Travel a little south to see art exhibits and participate in family programs at the Hyde Park Center for the Arts.

See the art(s) in Pilsen

The National Museum of Mexican Art is always free! It includes paintings, photography, sculptures, textiles, and more from Mexican and Mexican American artiists. Check out Saturday art workshops for families and youth. You can also see the murals painted throughout the neighborhood for free! Look for them along 18th Street and in El Paseo Community Gardens.  Also, check out Chi-Town Drive-In — this soccer stadium doubles as a drive-in movie. For $43 per car, you can second run and classic movies in an urban setting.

All images courtesy of Enjoy Illinois, unless otherwise indicated.