Top 10 Kid Friendly Things To Do and Attractions in North Avenue Beach

"If you’ve been making a to do list for Chicago, you’ve probably listed a few of Navy Pier‘s attractions already. It extends into Lake Michigan like a sort of overgrown boardwalk, and it’s absolutely packed with shops, restaurants, galleries, museums, movie theaters and other popular places for locals and tourists alike. There are rides, too."

"Probably the most iconic part of Navy Pier is the Centennial Wheel, a large ferris wheel. It’s open year round, weather permitting. Towards the end of the pier, you can also get a really good view of the city. It also holds several free events from time to time, so make sure to check the calendar before you go."

"Encompassing more than 50 acres (20 hectares) of prime Chicago lakefront territory, Navy Pier is truly a city within the city. With shopping, restaurants, parks and gardens, museums, stages and attractions galore, this Chicago landmark attracts millions every year."

"This child-friendly museum in Lincoln Park presents the natural history of the Chicago region in smart and interactive ways. As an institution the museum was founded back in 1857 and moved into a new home in the park in 1999. The old museum, now used by the zoo, was known for its detailed static dioramas, and while these are still here, they’re joined by spellbinding living environments like the astonishing Judy Istock Butterfly house, where 1,000 butterflies flutter in a 250-square-metre greenhouse."

"As buildings continually go up, nature gets pinched, so a visit to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is an ideal respite from the concrete landscape. Explore the region's only year-round butterfly sanctuary where as many as 40 species of native and exotic butterflies flutter. Get the news about the ooze at Mysteries of the Marsh."

"Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is one of the top things to do in Chicago with kids. Located in Lincoln Park museum, this is a great museum that creates hands-on experiences for the kids to enjoy themselves as well as learn something along the way. The museum is an informative curation of Illinois’ natural history and ecology."

"The Magnificent Mile is Chicago’s answer to 5th Avenue in New York. It’s a high-end shopping street surrounded by skyscrapers that leads straight into the heart of the business district. Start at the north end and head toward Millennium Park."

"Michigan Avenue, or Mag Mile as some call it, is a potpourri of historic buildings, upscale boutiques, department stores, and posh hotels."

"The wildly over-the-top ice cream confections at BomboBar are Chicago’s answer to Black Tap’s milkshakes. These colorful creations are topped with all manner of sprinkles, mini bomboloni, and candy, and the dozen or so flavors of gelato on rotation are all made fresh from scratch daily. Flavors like birthday cake, banana split, and cookie monster dough are especially kid-friendly."

"If you’re a donut lover, then you absolutely NEED to come to Bombobar. After opening up as a humble walk-up window, Bombobar has expanded to two locations including one 30-seat restaurant in Old Town. If you like over-the-top donuts and shakes, Bombobar is your spot."

"As you walk inside, you’ll be greeted by a host, but you’ll order on your own at one of their tablets up front. Your food will be brought to you at whatever table you choose. BomboBar serves sandwiches, pizza and beer on tap."

"Eden Chicago is a delightful offering on Chicago's West Loop dining scene, opened in 2016 by restaurateur Jodi Fife and her husband, executive chef Devon Quinn. The charming Mediterranean-style eatery serves up excellent brunch and dinner fare from the week, pulling from a variety of regional culinary traditions, including Israeli, Lebanese, and Spanish cuisines. Diners can enjoy delicious selections like baked shrimp paccheri, curried lentil brik, cumin-grilled lamb with couscous and merguez, and mushroom matzo ball soup with miso corn broth."

"At Eden, fresh, local, and sustainable fare is the focus, an approach that chef Devon Quinn accomplishes with the help of an onsite greenhouse, which stocks everything from arugula and oregano to fennel and figs. See them employed in a range of daytime dishes, such as breakfast bowls with Spanish fried eggs and jasmine rice, smoked ham crepes with gruyere and caramelized onions, and a Philly cheesesteak torta with peppers and provolone."

"After Art Smith lost the lbs., he turned his attention to a casual chain serving food that fit his new, healthy lifestyle. That meant the fried chicken had to go, and was replaced with an un-fried version served alongside roasted Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and cashew cream sauce that maxes-out at 566 calories."

"While not an exclusively vegetarian restaurant, Lyfe Kitchen's locations promote a healthy lifestyle by placing vegetables above all else in their menu. Try their vegan beet poke or Beyond Burger to see what we mean."

"What It Is: This sleek Chinatown restaurant features a full modern bar (not common for the area) as well as on-site parking. What Our Inspectors Say: “While there's delicious dim sum to be had, diners would do well to try their hand at the impressive specialty menu. Jellyfish is cut into tiny slivers and laced with a heavenly blend of chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns."

"A post shared by Dolo Restaurant & Bar (@dolorestaurant) on Mar 23, 2018 at 2:32pm PDT. Situated in Chicago’s Chinatown, this is a place to go if you want some tasty and very decent-sized dim sum portions. Give their barbecue spare pork ribs, Pork siu mai dumplings or Pan-fried eggplants a go."

"Dolo Restaurant, a modern, stylish spot in Chinatown, specializes in from-scratch dim sum and live seafood with fusion-style dishes dotted across its menus. The hip space with TVs ..."

"The number of menu categories alone at this Thai and sushi destination is expansive, meaning everyone at the table can get their fill. Kick things off with some tom kha soup and chicken satay before diving into pad Thai or pad see ew. Save room for their range of sushi rolls: You can get everything from California rainbow to crunchy spicy tuna."

"From Business: Yummy Buffet is a Buffet Restaurant located in Chicago, IL. We offer Sushi, Chinese, Hibachi, All You Can Eat, Seafood, Catering, Carry Out, and Dessert!"