Family Outings Within an Hour

With a little planning ahead, every day of your holiday break will be a great family adventure, and all you need to pack is a camera. Mibs has put together a list of destination websites to help you get started.

You might want to purchase a Go Chicago Card which includes admission to many popular Chicago area attractions. For information about the card and great ideas for touring our Windy City, click here. So get out the maps, make a list of the neighborhoods and places you want to explore, assign each member of the family a day to plan, and bon voyage!

Go West…
If you are yearning to explore the great West, or at least head in that direction, Mibs suggests the following destinations:

THE DUPAGE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
301 N. Washington Street
Naperville, IL 60540
(630) 637-8000
website

Don’t tell your children that the mission of the DuPage Children’s Museum is to stimulate curiosity, creativity, thinking and problem solving in young children, because they will just be having fun, and so will you!Don’t miss a browse in the DCM Family Resource Center for popular child-rearing and family resources.

MORTON ARBORETUM
4100 Rte. 53
Lisle, IL 60532
630-719-2465
website

25 miles west of Chicago, the Arboretum was founded in 1922 by Morton Salt magnate Joy Morton. You can see from the car, get out and walk, or just sit back on the park tram to view the magnificently tended trees, 14 miles of hiking trails, nine miles of roads, and 900 acres of natural areas including the prototypical, restored 100-acre Schulenberg Prairie. Also on the grounds are the Visitor Center and Plant Clinic, The Arboretum Store, Ginkgo Restaurant and Café, four-acre Children’s Garden, one-acre Maze Garden, an environmentally-friendly parking lot, and a paved walking trail around restored Meadow Lake.

BROOKFIELD ZOO
First Avenue and 31st Street
Brookfield, Illinois
website

Who needs a safari in Africa? Brookfield Zoo is 14 miles west of downtown Chicago, and is open every day of the year. See the Zoo website for tips on planning a great day and a time schedule for not-to-be-missed Animal Presentations. Photo Credits: Jim Schulz/Chicago Zoological Society

Head South…
Your adventure begins as you head south on Sheridan Road. You and your family can pretend that you are on a corduroy road a hundred years ago or that you are challenging the highest level of a new video game as you masterfully dodge the many potholes left by the villainous winter.

Once on Lake Shore Drive, exit into one of the many interesting neighborhoods unique to our very own melting pot and have a great day of touring, eating, and shopping.

If natural history is your focus, definitely use these websites to plan a family outing to the one of the following Chicago wonders:

THE FIELD MUSEUM
1400 S. Lake Shore
312-922-9410
website

LINCOLN PARK ZOO
2001 N. Clark St.
312-742-2000
website

These suggestions are just a start. Plan your Holiday Break to take advantage of the wonders of Chicagoland. You’ll make family memories without having to pack!

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