Castle art. Lizzardro Museum of Lapidiary Art photo by Kankakee Carl​ via Flickr 2.0

Lizzadro Museum of Lapidiary Art

Do you even know what lapidary art is? I didn't until I came here. It's the cutting and polishing of stones and displayed in so many fun and interesting ways in this museum. I miss the old retro location of this museum near downtown Elmhurst, but the new Oak Brook building displays many of the same cool dioramas, mosaics, cameos, and more that make this place special. The Lizzadro Castle is worth the look, and my kids like dinosaurs and birds carved out of stones and gems. Kids six and under are free every day, and on Wednesdays, admission is free for all

Illinois Railway Museum

For kids who love trains, this is a must-see. Of course, there's Day Out with Thomas over the summer, where kids can ride on a train with Thomas's face on it, but there are also more than a dozen exhibits devoted to model railroads freight trains, the post office, train signals, train signs, and actual trains. Four "barns" show off train cars from as early as 1906, as well as horse-drawn carriages and buses from throughout history. Check the museum's calendar for special events like the Pumpkin Train, Holiday Train, Scout Day, and STEAM Day.

Juricha-Suchy Nature Museum

If your kids like looking at different specimens of bugs, animals, rocks, and plants—this is the place for you. Tucked away at Benedictine University in Lisle, this is one of several on our list that is actually free. Kids can look at dozens of species of butterflies, birds, fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, and more, and even register to take home a specimen kit to explore more.

International Museum of Surgical Science

This interesting Old Town museum is not for the littlest of our readers, but kids thinking about careers in the medical profession will want to take a trip here. Learn about old surgery techniques, the history of anesthesiology, staying healthy in space, and surgical technology from the last several centuries. Contemporary art featuring health themes adds to the uniqueness of the museum. 

The Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Have you ever seen a million dollars in person? You can do it at The Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago downtown. Learn about counterfeit money, different U.S bill designs throughout the years, and how interest rates change. This museum is also free, although you should make a reservation in advance.

Sock Monkey Museum

This newcomer was established in 2019 in Long Grove and is home to over 2,000 vintage sock monkeys under one roof. See the monkeys in all their silly displays, learn about their history, and even try to sew one of your own. Be sure to visit the gift shop on the way out to adopt a sock monkey of your own!

Volo Museum

This under-the-radar museum in the town of Volo started as an auto museum, and a large portion is still dedicated to historic and unique cars but recently expanded to include other quirky exhibits. In addition to the planes, trains, and automobiles exhibit, the museum features a Hollywood Collection, Carousel and Music Hall, Disney Gallery, Kiddie Rides, Rare Vintage RVs and Campers, and more.

See performances from Rockafire Explosion, the animatronic band from ShowBiz Pizza in the 1990s (operating live on good weather days), the Jurassic Garden,  and the Titanic Exhibit. Check the museum's website for special promotions and events.

Busy Beaver Button Museum

This Logan Square museum is free and open to the public from Monday to Friday from 10-4. It houses more than 9,000 pinback buttons—so think campaign buttons, not the ones you use to fasten your shirt. That's a world record! They're classified you might expect, like advertising, entertainment, music, and sports, and a few you might not expect, like the buttons with I(heart) on them, "Ask Me" buttons, and buttons with beavers on them (as a reference to the museum's name.)

Smart Museum of Art 

Another one of the always-free small museums in Chicago, this art hot spot at the University of Chicago has constantly changing exhibits and family-friendly programming one Saturday a month. The museum is currently running exhibits celebrating its 50th anniversary but has also hosted exhibitions on everything from shoes to money to birds. Be sure to check out its outdoor sculpture garden as well.

Calling all book lovers! Photo courtesy of the American Writers Museum

American Writers Museum

Little readers will love seeing how books and other writing are created when they visit this Michigan Avenue museum. Start at The Negaunee Foundation Children's Literature Gallery for cozy and interactive reading spaces for young children, then progress into the exhibits on "A Nation of Writers," which includes a unique, interactive word waterfall, and the Mind of a Writer gallery, which gives insight into how words are created. A temporary exhibit on writing for video games could be a positive inspiration for teens and tweens.

The Insect Asylum

This oddball museum in Avondale has more than 4,500 insects and a variety of taxidermied animals to help visitors learn more about the ethical treatment of insects. It's a touch-friendly museum, so many parts of the exhibits can be held and interacted with. The museum is planning on building a rooftop garden to expand its offerings. Check out its website for interesting events and classes, like butterfly pinning, owl pellet dissection, and possum painting classes.

McCormick Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum

Most Chicagoans know how cool it is to see the bridges over the Chicago River go up and down, and this is where you can get a close-up look at how the bridges work. At river level, see the gears move as bridges go up and down, and then travel up the five stories of staircase for an amazing 360-degree view of the city. Presented by Friends of the Chicago River, this is a pay-what-you-can museum, with donations supporting river conservation.

American Toby Jug Museum

What even is a Toby Jug? It's a jug, mug, or pot created in the shape of a human or mythical creature. This little museum in Evanston is free and only open on Tuesdays from 12pm to 5pm. It houses more than 8,000 Toby Jugs with many different characters, historical figures, and animals depicted. They're all displayed in rows in glass cases and are a fun diversion from the Purple Line. This museum is in the process of closing, so check that it's open before you go.

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

Possibly geared more toward bigger kids interested in architecture, this unique museum in Chicago shines a light on how Frank Lloyd Wright created some of his famous Prairie-style homes. We recommend trying to book tours of some of his houses as well, which are available at various times throughout the year. You can also visit some of his public buildings, like the Rookery, the Robie House, and The Unity Temple throughout Chicago and Oak Park.

Halim Time & Glass Museum

Currently under renovation, this museum is still open for events and tours by appointment. Its main exhibitions include Clocks of the World, which displays more than 1,100 timepieces from around the globe, and Stained Glass Masters, which shows off more than 30 stained glass windows. Another exhibition displays the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany. This is fascinating, if you've got a rambunctious child, you might want to wait until they're older to check it out.

Graue Mill and Museum

Are your kids interested in how wheat is milled into flour or what life was like in the 1850s? This free museum at Oak Brook's Fullersburg Woods shows examples of both. Check the forest preserve website for dates and times of tours of the house owned by the Graue family, demonstrations of the working gristmill, and how spinning and weaving helped people make clothes last century.

Chicago Sports Museum

This is so much more than just a sports memorabilia hub! Tucked away on the 7th story of Water Tower Place next to Harry Caray's Seventh Inning Stretch, this museum incorporates science and history into some of Chicago's legendary sports stories. See how you measure up to the greats in terms of hand size, wingspan, and vertical leap; see the science behind a corked bat; learn about the curses and hoaxes behind certain losing baseball teams, and test your skills against some of GOATs.

Mindworks is all about the brain. Photo courtesy of Mindworks: The Science of Thinking

Mindworks: The Science of Thinking

At the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, you can learn how the brain works while participating in brain and behavior-related research. Interactive exhibits help you answer questions about yourself while giving the museum a chance to gather data about the decisions people make. Find out if you're a risk taker, what choices you regret, how details determine what seems true, and what shapes your decisions.

Chicago Fire Museum

While many museums frequently host exhibits about the Great Chicago Fire, this museum focuses specifically on the history of the Chicago Fire Department. See fire trucks, helmets, and gear dating back to 1918. This museum is free and open only one day a month, so check the website before you go.

Lisle Station Park

Like neighboring Naper Settlement, this group of historic buildings gives suburbanites an idea of what life was like on the Illinois Prairie throughout history. See an old-timey train car, visit the Lisle Depot, pretend to have a drink in Beaubien Tavern, see how people live in the Netzley-Yender House, and work in the barn or blacksmith shop. As a bonus, Station Park has fun programming for families throughout the year, often themed with the seasons or holidays.

All photos are courtesy of the museum.