Libraries with great kids' areas around the Chicago suburbs
Chicago's suburban libraries are among the best-funded in the country: the children's areas at Schaumburg Township and Naperville 95th Street feel like small children's museums, with train tables, pretend-play corners, Lego walls and several storytimes a week, and shelves of picture books in Chinese, Korean, Hindi and Spanish. A free rainy morning there is local-parent consensus.
In the west, choose Naperville 95th Street or Fountaindale in Bolingbrook, both with early-learning play areas for ages 0–5; Schaumburg Township in the northwest is one of the largest libraries in Illinois; on the North Shore, Skokie and Evanston have both won awards and open onto parks and ice cream shops. The Oak Park library sits beside Scoville Park for when the rain stops, and downtown the Harold Washington Library gives a whole floor to children, with the L stopping at the door.
- 7 places
- 7 free
- 7 stroller-friendly
- closest is 10 min away
7 places
Drive times from Naperville
Naperville 95th Street Library kids' area
5.0Naperville · 10 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free library lot (3015 Cedar Glen Dr)
Fountaindale Public Library kids' area
5.0Bolingbrook · 10 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free library lot (300 W Briarcliff Rd)
Oak Park Public Library kids' area
5.0Oak Park · 35 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Library garage under the building (first 2 hours free, check the website); 5-minute walk from the Green Line Oak Park station
Schaumburg Township District Library kids' area
5.0Schaumburg · 40 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free library lot (130 S Roselle Rd)
Skokie Public Library kids' area
5.0Skokie · 55 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free library lot (5215 Oakton St)
Evanston Public Library kids' area
5.0Evanston · 60 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Library garage under the building (Church St entrance, recently free for the first stretch, check the website); 5-minute walk from the Purple Line Davis station
Harold Washington Library children's library
4.0Chicago · 45 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Nearby garages (Van Buren / State St, about $15–25 on weekends); the L's Harold Washington Library station is at the door; 5-minute walk from Metra at LaSalle St
💡 Good to know
- Storytime schedules are on each library's site; Saturday-morning family storytimes are fullest, so arrive 10 minutes early.
- Non-residents can play but not borrow; get a home-library card and reciprocal borrowing at the others. Many library cards also check out museum passes.