shedd aquarium: I have been to Chicago probably half a dozen times, and have been there with my family (wife and son) the last two times I went in 2005 and 2003. The last two times we went to the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science & Industry, Adler Planetarium, Brookfield Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago Children's Museum, Millenium Park, Grant Park, Magnificent Mile & Sears Tower. This time we're hoping to do some different things, will probably hit the Shedd again as it's my wife's favorite place, and I'm thinking the Hancock Observatory, Morton Aboretum, and maybe the Museum of Surgical Science (my wife and I went there 12 years ago and we're thinking my son might actually be old enough to be fascinated by it now). So, given that he's a very active child and even though we'd love to go to say the art museum, we know he'd be bored, we're trying to find places where it would be interactive enough for him to enjoy it, while mom and dad would also have a great time. Any suggestions?|||Go to the Art Museum and see the miniature doll houses on the lower level. Go to Millenium Park and see the cool giant silver "bean" that reflects the whole city. Go walk on the beach and collect beach glass. Go to a children鈥檚 theater and see a play. Go to the top of the Sears tower or the Hancock tower and view the city. Take a ride on a boat on the river. Go to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. Go to American Girl store and see all the crazy moms and kids there. Go to an ethnic restaurant and try some new kind of food. Walk out to the Navy Pier and ride the amusement park type rides out there. Shop the interesting shops in the Navy Pier. Go to the Shedd Aquarium, the Planetarium or the Field Museum. Whew....I'm out of suggestions...there are sooo many choices. Its a great city for kids.|||the sears tower or now known as the Willis Tower has an amazing glass sky deck now. if you been there before check it out now. its awesome and even more beautiful!|||When I lived in Chicago, the Tribune always had listings of free events for the week in the Thursday edition and back then the locals always used the Reader as the source for activities. You don't say when you will be there but starting in the spring Chicago has loads of festivals, there was always something going on every weekend at the lakefront. Check this link out; "http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/Ev鈥?br> Plus check out the Botanical Gardens in Highland Park (http://www.chicago-botanic.org/) and the Bahai Temple in Wilmette is just beautiful... (http://chicago.citysearch.com/profile/34鈥?/a>|||Well, if your son is 5 1/2, then he wouldn't have even been around when you visited in 2003 and would have been less than a year old in 2005. Most likely, anywhere you go would be a new experience for him. Brookfield Zoo and the Morton Arboretum are located out in the suburbs, which might be fine if you are planning on driving in and staying out there. Otherwise, I would suggest that you keep within the city. Boys at that age often like riding trains, so one thing that I often recommend is trying to take the 'L' as much as possible. A friend of mine came a few years ago with his son, who was about your son's age at the time and he talked about riding the 'L' for months afterward. It also doesn't hurt that he rides free with an adult. Even if you have no specific place to take it to, it is possible to ride around the loop continuously by switching between the Orange and Pink Lines. You might also just want to take the Brown Line out and back to get a good look at the city and a few neighborhoods. Check http://www.transitchicago.com for more information. North of the Lincoln Park Zoo is the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum which has a number of interactive exhibits designed for children around your son's age. They also have a butterfly exhibit that even I as an adult find enjoyable. Check http://www.chias.org/ for more information. There is the Lincoln Park Conservatory located near the zoo, but I generally like the Garfield Park Conservatory better. It is larger and has several interactive exhibits for the kids as well as a play area. You could get to it by taking the Green Line to the Conservatory stop. Check http://www.garfield-conservatory.org/ for more information. Most importantly, both conservatories have free admission all the time (though they do ask for a donation). The Willis (formerly Sears) Tower Skydeck might be fun. Last year, they added enclosed ledges on the west side of the building. They have a glass bottom allowing one to look straight down. If you are going on a weekend, get there early because the line can get to be over two hours long. I have not been to the Hancock Observatory yet, but I hear that it offers better views of the city. Try taking a river and lake boat tour if they are operating during your visit. For boys who like riding on fast boats I recommend the SeaDog cruise (http://www.seadogcruises.com/chicago/). The River & Lake tour consists of an irreverent look at Chicago architecture near the river followed by a fast speedboat ride on the lake.|||I live here and the places you listed are great. My favorite place to go for kids is the Morton Arboretum. They have a great children's play area. It's fantastic for children and adults. Make sure that you bring a set of extra clothes for your child when you go because the kids like to walk in ponds and play in wet sand. Crocks are the perfect shoes to wear there. I go there every week with my children. Here is a link; http://mortonarb.org/ChildrensGarden/ind鈥?/a> The Chicago Botanic Gardens are also a nice place to go, although a 5 1/2 year old would like the arboretum better. http://www.chicagobotanic.org/ The only place I haven't been on your list is the Museum of Surgical Science, so I can't comment on that. In case you are comming soon, we have a 17 year cicada emergence until the begining of July. If you have any questions about anything, just ask. I would be happy to answer any questions you have.