Kohl Children’s Museum | What to Know Before You Go 

Are you looking for things to do in Chicago with Kids? Look no further than the Kohl Children’s Museum located in Glenview, Illinois. This children’s museum offers tons of cool play areas for your kids to learn and explore. I have taken my children to kids museums all over the country and this one by far has the most to offer. This Chicago attraction has 17 permanent exhibits to explore with hands on exhibits your kids will love.  Follow along with me for tips to make your Kohl Children’s Museum visit a great time for all. 

Kohl Children‘s Museum | What to Know Before You Go 

Kohl Museum Parking and Location 

The great thing about a museum in the suburbs is big free parking lots! This makes it really easy to get in and out with little kids.  

Located in The Glen, a shopping area in Glenview, Illinois, there are tons of things to do with kids before and after the museum visit. The Glen has a great playground and splash area plus tons of shops and restaurants. You could make a full day out of visiting the Museum and The Glen.

Address: 2100 Patriot Blvd. Glenview IL 

Kohl Museum Cost 

The price to get in is a little steep at $13.00 for kids and adults while children under the age of one are free. I will say from experience of going to this museum for years it is well worth the money. There is so much to do and see. You will feel like you are getting your money’s worth and will want to come back over and over. 

Kohl Museum Membership 

If you do plan to come more than once it might be worth looking into the Membership. There are some perks like getting to enter the museum earlier than other guests. I found this to be a great bonus as the kids can play more when it’s less crowded.  I also found it helpful when the kids were younger, we could just visit for an hour or two and not feel like I had to stay all day. Tip: This makes for a great gift from Grandparents

Lockers/ Coats 

Instead of weighing yourself down with all of your coats and bags I suggest you use their lockers located near the entrance. If we bring a packed lunch I will leave this in the lockers and retrieve it when it’s lunch time. This way I have my hands free to play and wrangle children. The lockers only take quarters so make sure to bring some with you. They also provide an area to hang your coat with no fee.

Kohl Museum Restaurant – Cosi

Inside of the Kohl Museum is a Cosi Restaurant that serves snacks, breakfast and lunch. They have kids’ meals plus some pretty good lunch options for adults. You can also bring your own lunch and eat it in the restaurant. If you want a break from the museum head over to the Glen where they have several restaurant choices, such as Potbelly. 

Mixed Ages of Kids

Kohl museum makes it easy for you to take different age children to the museum by providing baby only areas mixed into the exhibits. For instance, your older child can play in the grocery store exhibit while the baby crawls in the attached infant area. This gives you the ability to watch both kids having fun and playing.

I think this museum is great for kids ages 8 and younger. However if you have older children you need to take they will find things to do while your entertaining your younger children. So don’t feel you can’t bring older children with you. 

 

Nursing Stations

The museum does provide two areas for breastfeeding moms which are located in alcoves. There is no door in these Nursing Stations, just a blocked off area and bench.    

Best Times to Visit the Kohl Children’s Museum 

The best times to visit the Kohl Museum are right when it opens and after lunch time. Both will be less crowded and more enjoyable for your family. If you have the membership, I suggest trying out the early hour membership entrance to get the most out of your visit.  

As to the time of year to visit I think this museum is great all year round to visit with kids. In the winter or on rainy days it’s a great way to get the energy out and let your kids explore. While in the summer months kids are able to explore Habitat Park. This is a fun outdoor area with hills to climb, water painting, swings and more.  

Kohl Chicago Children’s Museum Exhibits 

Let me a highlight a few of our favorite exhibits in the children’s museum and give you an idea of what you will see while visiting.

Adventures in Art Exhibit

You will find an engaging art area at the beginning of the museum. Kids can paint, use different materials to create pictures, build with magnetic blocks or do the daily art activity. Several tables are set up with different activities to let all ages find something they like to do. I would suggest going to this area first so that your child’s materials have time to dry before you go home.  

Water Works 

There is a great water exhibit at the far end of the museum. Kids love splashing around in this area of the museum. They do provide smocks but if it is busy, they might be hard to come by. I would suggest throwing some extra clothes in your bag and doing this area at the end of your visit.  

 

City on the Move

Recently the Kohl Museum updated their train area and now have a huge train track. Little ones that love trains will be so excited to see this area.  

Ravinia Festival Music Makers 

The music room introduces kids to all different music concepts while letting them bang on the drums, ribbon dance and listen to different music tones.  

 

Whole Foods Market and Potbelly 

Whole Foods Market and Potbelly have both sponsored exhibits in the museum. Kids get to practice grocery shopping and checking out customers in the grocery store area. While in the Potbelly exhibit, they can create sandwiches ordered by customers just like in the real restaurant. Both of these have great imaginative play that make them so much fun. 

Baby Nursery 

Does your child love to take care of their baby dolls? Here you can pretend to be a doctor checking on the health of your baby doll or being at home in your house feeding the baby and singing them to sleep.  

Pet Vet 

If your children love animals, they will love pretending to be a veterinarian in the Pet Vet Exhibit. Kids wear stethoscopes and listen to the stuffed animal’s heart, check their X rays and wrap up any injuries the animals may have. They can also practice taking care of animals by feeding and grooming them.  

Spot Hero Car Garage 

This is the exhibit for car loving kids. Build your own car and race it down the track, walk through an enormous car wash or fix parts on a car. 

Traveling Exhibits 

There is a rotating area in the museum that houses its traveling exhibit. I love that this area changes every couple of months. It gives my kids something new to explore every time we visit.  

Kohl Museum Programs 

Every day the museum hosts some type of children’s program. Some examples are the Baby and Me class, Preschool Storytime and learning about working animals. Make sure to check their website ahead of time to see what time the children’s program starts. Visit here Kohl Children’s Museum.  

I hope after reading this your family will enjoy exploring the Kohl Children’s Museum as much as mine has over the years. It is a great place for your children to explore and learn. I think if you go once your kids will be begging to go back again and again.

Have you visited this museum before? Please share with us any tips you may have or any questions in the comments. I love to hear from my readers.  

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Want to learn about more Chicago Museums that are great for kids? Check out these Happy Mom Hacks Blogs.