Lauren is the founder of celebrity fashion website BigBlondeHair.com and lives in Riverside with her husband and kids Mark (age 8) and Valentino (age 1). Her family loves to spend time in Chicago and we asked her to share some of her favorite things to do in and around the Windy City.

Chicago is a great place to visit for a weekend or a week. Whether you’re in town to shop the Magnificent Mile, hit up Millennium Park or explore Navy Pier, it’s a big city with plenty to see. You can see it all from the 95th floor of the Hancock Tower at  The Signature Lounge, it’s a little expensive but the view is priceless!

Parlor Pizza
Parlor Pizza in Wicker Park is a great place for adult and kid friendly fun. It’s a bar / pizza joint, but they have high top high chairs so kids can join in on the fun. It’s a great place to watch a sporting event and the food is great to boot!

D’Agostions
We LOVE D’Agostino’s for a dinner. It’s located in the Southport Corridor and kids are more than welcome. They have a train that runs through the dining room area of the restaurant, kids menu and a good noise level so loud little ones just blend in! It’s close to Wrigley field so we often end up there before or after a game for our FAVORITE deep dish pizza in the city!

Sugar Factory
Your kiddos will be obsessed with this place! They’ll love everything from the candy store in the entrance to the massive desserts, and they’ll never forget you took them to a place with steaming drinks and rainbow sliders. The food for adults is also surprisingly good and the cocktail list is a mile long, so you’re in for a treat!

Little Beans Cafe
Little Beans has a HUGE play space for kids and offers coffee for the adults! It can get chaotic, but your kiddos will love the interaction and get some energy out.

Maggie Daley Park
During the summer there are so many amazing parks to play at in Chicago. Maggie Daley park has a TON for children and it’s also fun to bring some extra clothes and have an impromptu splash in the Crown Fountain. I love the city view and vibe and the kids love to play. There are also tons of small parks throughout the city so you can easily find somewhere to stop and play.

Explore and Much More
This is my favorite indoor play space in the city. It’s a few block away from Wrigley Field and is a great place to take younger kids to let loose and release some energy.

Wrigley Field
We are HUGE Cubs fans and love taking our sons to games. It’s a great experience for everyone and kids under 2 don’t need a ticket if they’ll sit on your lap! There are family restrooms in the Bleacher area. If the kids get restless you can walk them around the stadium or play catch with them at The Park at Wrigley field.

The Field Museum and Museum of Science + Industry
We love taking our kids to the Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry because it’s a fun learning experience for them. We’ve taken both kids from a very young age and they learn something different at every stage.

Lincoln Park Zoo
We also love the Lincoln Park Zoo, it’s free which is a great bonus! If you come over the Holidays they do Zoo Lights, which is another fun experience.

More Attractions:

• Take a stroll in the Chicago Botanic Garden
• Immerse yourself in the fun of nature at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
• Walk, bike or just discover the art along the 2.7 miles of multi-use recreational trail and park that is the new 606 Trail
• No trip to Chicago is complete without a walk through Navy Pier
• Let kids be kids at the Chicago Children’s Museum
• The newly redeveloped Chicago Riverwalk is the perfect space to eat, drink or enjoy the activities along (or in) the water
• Take in the views from the top of the city at the Sky Deck Ledge
• See the stars at Adler Planetarium and the wonders of the sea at Shedd Aquarium
• Get a cupcake (or two) at Sweet Mandy B’s in Lincoln Park.

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