If you and your kids are panicking at the sight of school supply lists because summer is almost over, stay calm and enjoy summer! We did the research (and honestly, it wasn’t a bad job) and put together the ultimate Chicago summer bucket list, complete with all the outdoor movies, festivals, and FREE summer activities for families in Chicago that you’ll want to try before school starts.
1. Green City Market in Lincoln Park
Chicago is home to some great farmers markets where the whole family can grab snacks and groceries and enjoy cooking demonstrations and live entertainment. Check out our calendar for at least one market almost every day of the week.
2. Chicago Children’s Theatre
The summer theater season offers some great family-friendly shows. Check out Chicago Children’s Theater’s schedule for late 2024.
3. Chicago Architecture Tour
If you’ve never experienced Chicago by boat, you’re sure to fall in love with the city all over again when you see its stunningly beautiful skyline from the water. Head to Navy Pier and take one of the family-friendly cruises or take the water taxi to the Museum Campus.
4. Fireworks at Navy Pier
Every Wednesday and Saturday night through the end of August, Navy Pier hosts a FREE fireworks spectacular. You can watch the fireworks from the pier or from nearby establishments, parks or beaches. Or check off two items on your Chicago summer bucket list in one fell swoop by watching the fireworks from a boat on a fireworks cruise!
RELATED: 100 Things to Do in Chicago with Kids Before They Grow Up
Head to Navy Pier to ride the Centennial Wheel, then try out the other thrilling rides. Photo courtesy of Navy Pier
5. Centennial Wheel
Have you ridden the Centennial Wheel? Or any of the other rides on the pier? While you’re checking these things off your Chicago summer bucket list, check out the events calendar or visit the Chicago Children’s Museum.
6. 31. Street Beach
Chicago has plenty of beaches along the shores of Lake Michigan. My personal favorite is 31st Street Beach with its snacks, new playground, wading pool, and beautiful harbor.
7. Holstein Pool in Bucktown
The Chicago Park District maintains fifty FREE outdoor pools, most of which are handicap accessible. Many also have water playgrounds and some even have twisty water slides! Located in Bucktown, Holstein Pool has many free attractions to visit before or after swimming, including the 606 Trail.
8. Visit a Splash Pad
If you don’t feel like swimming but still want to cool off, check out some of Chicago’s best wading pools and water playgrounds.
Fun dancing at the Grant Park Music Festival. Photo courtesy of Chicago Park District
9th Grant Park Music Festival
Attend the Grant Park Music Festival, featuring world-class concerts at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Or, for a more intimate (and free) experience, attend a concert on a neighborhood porch, courtesy of Chicago’s Front Porch Concert series.
10. The Field Museum
Experience the wonder of the Field Museum of Natural History. If you have a dinosaur lover in your family, a visit to this museum with Sue is a must as you check things off your Chicago summer bucket list.
RELATED: 50+ Free Things to Do with Kids in Chicago This Summer
11. The Shedd Aquarium
Did you know that the Shedd Aquarium has a real baby beluga whale? There is also an outdoor stingray petting station in the summer and several live shows during the day. The kids will especially love the animal spotlights where they can learn about sea lions, dolphins and this cute beluga!
12. Broadway in Chicago
From Back to the Future to Harry Potter, there are some kid-friendly shows on Broadway in Chicago that you and your child can enjoy before school starts.
13. Adler Planetarium
Stay up later than usual and look at the moon. Get a FREE glimpse of the moon at dusk through the powerful telescope at the Adler Planetarium in Doane, something that should be on every Chicago summer bucket list.
14. Morton Arboretum
Walk through miles of beautiful trees and gardens. Families can hike through the Morton Arboretum, kids will love the Children’s Garden, and right now you can still enjoy Wonder Woods, a new tree-themed miniature golf exhibit that’s open through September 2, 2024.
15. Art on the market
Experience art and architecture at night. Need more excuses to stay up later? After dark, check out Art on the Mart, a massive public art installation featuring images by Chicago artists projected onto the Merchandise Mart’s 6.5-acre riverfront facade.
16. Millennium Park
Play in an iconic Chicago park. Millennium and Maggie Daley Park are must-sees in the summer. Play tourist while splashing in Crown Fountain, taking a selfie with Cloud Gate (affectionately known as “The Bean”), or climbing a wall (or whale) in Maggie Daley Park.
Chicago Cubs fans at Wrigley Field. Photo by Ryan Dickey via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
17. Cubs or White Sox game
Now the tough question: Cubs or Sox? Why not both? The Chicago White Sox host Family Sundays and Cubs Kids Sundays, both with family-friendly themes, activities and ticket packages.
18. Fish ‘N’ Kids Program
Northerly Island offers Family Fishing, a two-and-a-half hour class that includes instruction from fishing instructors from Chicago’s Fish ‘N’ Kids program and on-water fishing.
19. Movie in the Park
Watch a movie under the stars. Watching movies outdoors has a certain summer feel to it. The Chicago Park District offers free movies throughout Chicago, and our calendar is full of more.
20th South Shore Summer Festival
Chicago loves its neighborhood festivals, and it’s not too late to enjoy one of the biggest of the season. The South Shore Summer Festival celebrates the south side with live music, local vendors, and family-friendly activities.
21. Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park is home to a FREE Zoo and Farm within the Zoo, both with calendars full of exciting, family-friendly fun.
22. Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield Zoo is the largest in the Chicago area, and it’s in the early stages of a renovation that will bring joy to children for decades to come. Here’s everything that’s planned.
22. Griffen Museum of Science and Industry
For science lovers, there is an endless amount to see and discover at the Museum of Science and Industry. Budding spies will love the James Bond exhibition, which runs until October, little sailors will want to learn about the German WWII submarine, and everyone will love the coal mine and railway exhibition.
