43 Best Indoor Playgrounds in Chicago & Beyond

This not-for-profit Chicago gem invites local caregivers and kids under 3 to play together and joyfully connect with the community. HelloBaby holds classes, activities, and drop-in play in a safe and clean indoor play space with toys that are developmentally appropriate and nurture growing brains.

Chicago Children's Museum is located at Navy Pier along with restaurants and cruise boats. Hands-on exhibits include digging for bones at Dinosaur Expedition, and getting your fingertips wet at Waterways. There are also a couple indoor playgrounds, one at the Kovler Family Climbing Schooner and another at the enchanting forest exhibit, Treehouse Trails.

The Hawver and Lacy Families Nature’s PlaySpace at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is an interactive experience that will connect little ones to nature in new ways.

The Wild Sapling Play Forest and the Houston Family Play Treehouse in Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo within Lincoln Park Zoo are both great play spaces for children. The treehouse offers a year-round indoor nature-based play space for children.

Open Gym times at Edgewater Playhouse provide a clean and exciting space where children (from crawlers through 6 years of age) can explore the gymnastics studio and spend time playing with imaginative play toys.

My Kidzplay is a 32,000 square foot facility that features three levels of indoor play, including crawl tubes, slides, a pretend city, a ninja course and much more.

Purple Monkey Playroom, located in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, is a small 1,500 square-foot colorful and inspiring spot for young children to play and explore.

Fit City Kids is a dynamic family fitness and fun center offering open play in a large, multi-level indoor play zone with slides, climbing structures, and obstacle courses designed for high-energy fun.

Joseph Kelley said:  The Exploritorium is much more than an indoor playground. Make-believe in their costumed dress-up area; run your fingers through the water play area; climb a wall, play with trains, experience new heights in their two-and-a half-story tubes and tunnels, and much more.

Mini City on 21 is a parent-supervised indoor playground for children ages 6 and under with colorful custom designed play houses, imaginative pretend-play toys and party space.

Kristy Pepping said:  Flying High is a gymnastics gym that is nearly 30,000 square feet of indoor playground fun. Durng open gym or little tykes time, your kiddo can explore the 60 ft. inflatable obstacle course, jump in the foam pits, bounce on the trampolines, play on the gymnastics equipment, and more!

Lisa R said:  La Grange residents and non-residents alike are welcome to escape the weather at the town's main Rec Center. An indoor playground and designated toddler gym serve as a meeting point for little kids during select hours. Older children can also enjoy basketball and open gym times.

Full of fun, beautiful and imagination-stimulating play zones and toys, Waterlemon is a great indoor play space for little ones under 5 years old.

Kohl Children’s Museum offers more than a dozen interactive, hands-on exhibits including a play cafe to transact food orders and dine in, a pretend grocery store, a hands-on water play area, pretend veterinarian's office and more! The Adventures in Art room provides more than enough art supplies to create your own masterpieces. There is an outdoor playground area, as well as an in-house cafe restaurant.

Kids can climb, conquer, explore, play, slide, fly, compete, jump and more at Funtopia's active entertainment centers for kids!