Winter with kids around Chicago: sledding, the skating ribbon and warm places to go
Chicago winters are long, so parents keep two plans: snowy weekends for sledding and skating, and sub-freezing dry days for conservatories and museums. This list holds both; look out the window and choose.
After a big snow, west-suburban families head to Mount Hoy in Blackwell, the tallest hill in DuPage County, with tube rentals for a few dollars; downtown, the Maggie Daley skating ribbon winds around the climbing walls and is free with your own skates. On cold, snowless days, the free Garfield Park and Lincoln Park conservatories are 77-degree rainforests; colder still, play with water and real tools at the DuPage Children's Museum or watch belugas and penguins at the Shedd, far emptier on a winter weekend morning than in summer.
- 6 places
- 4 free
- 5 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
6 places
Drive times from Naperville
Mount Hoy sledding hill (Blackwell)
3.0Warrenville · 15 min drive
2 h · carrier recommended
Free · Parking: Free Blackwell Forest Preserve lot (Butterfield Rd entrance)
Maggie Daley Park Skating Ribbon
2.0Chicago · 45 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Millennium Park garage (about $25–30 on weekends); 5-minute walk from Metra at Millennium Station
Garfield Park Conservatory
5.0Chicago · 40 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free conservatory lot (Central Park Ave); the Green Line Conservatory-Central Park Drive station is at the door
Lincoln Park Conservatory
4.0Chicago · 50 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Zoo lot (about $20–35) or Stockton Dr street parking; bus 151 / 156
DuPage Children's Museum
5.0Naperville · 5 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Free museum lot (301 N Washington St); when full, use the Metra station's weekend lot
Shedd Aquarium
5.0Chicago · 45 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$$ · Parking: Soldier Field garage (about $25–30); 10-minute walk from the Metra Museum Campus/11th St station; bus 146
💡 Good to know
- Mount Hoy opens only with 3 or more inches of snow; check the forest preserve site before leaving. Bring a sled or rent a tube there.
- The skating ribbon takes online reservations on weekends; it works for kids 4 and up who can stand on skates. Gloves and helmets.
- Conservatories and museums are warm, so dress the kids in layers. Most Illinois-resident free days at the museums fall in winter.