Posted in Illinois
January 30, 2019
13 Places To Take Your Kids So They Instantly Fall In Love With Illinois
Whether you recently moved to the state or just want to help your children discover what makes Illinois awesome, these 13 kid-friendly attractions will do the trick. Introduce your youngins to the Land of Lincoln through animal encounters, playgrounds, and arcades.
This list includes activities for any season. Check them out:
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
Winter is the perfect time of year to enjoy this Quad City attraction. It features 40-foot jumps, tubes, bars, rails, boxes, and even a staircase to navigate as well as 15 trails, 11 snow tubing lanes, and a massive terrain park. Tubing, skiing, and snowboarding can be enjoyed here.
Southern Illinoisans know that this magical park is one of the most kid-friendly attractions in the state no matter your age. You'll think you're walking into a fairy tale when you enter this world of knights, castles, and dragons. Check out a marvelous oasis that inspires imagination
here.
It doesn't have to be summer to enjoy this water park in Illinois. Everything from the water slides to the lazy river are all inside this 24,000 square-foot area. An arcade, guestrooms, luxury cabins, playgrounds, outdoor mini golf, a restaurant, and nature trails make this a fabulous vacation for the whole family that your kids will want to take every year. Click here to learn more.
Not many people outside of the state realize that nature is one of the most beautiful things about Illinois. Visit this premier tree museum in Chicagoland that is currently being graced with unique troll statues that are each more whimsical than the last. Get more information about this unique and awe-inspiring attraction here.
If you love classic video games like Pac-Man, Mortal Kombat, and Mari Bros, there's a retro oasis just for you. Your kids will love this marvelous place because there are about 55 machines with more than 800 games from which to choose. Find out how you can pay one price for unlimited play here.
Once warmer weather rolls around, take your young ones on a wildlife safari that features more than 50 different species. Llamas, camels, zebras, cougars, ostriches, rams, and many more critters can be seen up close here. Drive through with your own car or hop aboard a safari wagon. Learn more about this one-of-a-kind experience here.
This is one of those kid-friendly attractions your children will never want to leave. With two locations in the state, it features inflatables, obstacle courses, slides, and many other things to jump and climb on. There are different zones for different age groups as well as an arcade, event space, and a cafe. Click here for more details.
If your kids really love exotic animals, you've got to bring them here. Tigers, bears, wolves, and even deer and ponies are featured at this interactive exhibit. You'll never forget this up-close-and-personal experience, which you can learn more about here.
This colorful, outdoor playground is one of the best kid-friendly attractions for children who love to be outdoors. It is the perfect place to play pretend and features a pretend train, a wooden castle, and a make-believe village. There are also swings, slides, and many things to climb as well as a pavilion for events. Click here for further details.
Open in the spring and summer, this unique sky trail has something for everyone and every skill level. In addition to a world of zip lines, tight ropes, and bridges, there is also mini golf, batting cages, and a snack shack to enjoy. For more details about this exciting place click here.
Nature-loving youth will never want to play at another park after experiencing this marvelous spot. Everything is custom designed to look like real marvels in nature, such as caves, tree roots, and all sorts of critters. Especially if you live in a city, this park is a nice escape. Learn more about it here.
If you hadn't noticed yet, Illinois has many kid-friendly attractions for animals-lovers. This one is by appointment only and usually features more than 30 animals. Foxes, hedge hogs, tortoises, ferrets, wolves, bunnies, lizards, birds, and many other creatures are always being cared for, and you can learn more about them here.
Young children and adults alike will get a kick out of this amusement park that is open in the spring, summer, and part of fall. It takes guests back to the 1800s where they'll experience a world of cowboys, mining for gold, and archery. Special activities include a roller coaster, a train ride, pony rides, lazy canoes, a carousel, and hand carts. Click here to learn more.
For more places your kids will love, check out these nine family-friendly restaurants in Illinois everyone will adore.
What other kid-friendly attractions do your children love? Share your favorites with us below in the comments.
