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Too windy? With museums, theatre and outdoors fun galore, Chicago, Illinois is a happening destination for family travelers of all ages, and at all times of year.

We didn't need the daughters of the First Family to tell us how great Chicago, Illinois is -- there's plenty to do in the Windy City for kids of all ages and their curious parents.  For more general information, contact Chicago's tourism office at 877/CHICAGO, 312/744-2400 or www.cityofchicago.org/tourism.  For current entertainment schedules and restaurant guides, check www.metromix.com.

Lincoln Park Zoo
2001 North Cannon Drive
Chicago, IL 60614
312/742-2000
A welcome respite from bustling downtown, the nation's oldest zoo rests on 35 acres of parkland in the heart of the city. Besides an animal collection that's a real treat in nice weather, there is the Lincoln Pritzker Children's Zoo featuring a new Walk in the Woods exhibit recreating the woodlands of North America with native creatures, such as the River Otter and American Beaver. With one of the largest zoo-based Conservation and Science Centers, many exhibits encourage visitors to learn by not only viewing, but by participating. In the Farm-in-the-Zoo, for instance, you can feed and milk the cows, as well as watch the daily milking demonstrations. There is also a farmhouse kitchen where guests can learn where food comes from. Did we mention that admission is always free?

Make a bee-line for Museum Campus, a pedestrian-friendly area which is home to the following three renowned museums:

Field Museum of Natural History
1400 South Lake Shore Drive (at Roosevelt Road)
Chicago, IL 60605
312/922-9410
This world-class museum has hands-on exhibits to help kids and families discover the ancient worlds of dinosaurs (don't miss Sue, the largest T-Rex skeleton ever found), Egyptian mummies, and extinct civilizations. Your family will learn about the power of volcanoes, exotic mammals and different types of birds.  There's so much to see here, don't try to do it all in one day.

Museum of Science and Industry
57th and Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60637-1414
773/684-1414
A thorough look at how things work, with over 25 exhibits designed for hands-on interaction. It also houses the city's major Omnimax theater which is of great interest to younger kids. Our favorites are the coal mine tour which takes you 600-feet below the surface, and the chick hatchery, a genetics study where you can actually watch chicks hatch and hop around. The Great Train Story includes interactive exhibits and realistic terrain with 34 trains, 500 scale structures, 28 bridges, and a 14-foot Sears Tower helps visitors explore rail operations in the United States on a trip from Chicago to Seattle. There's an authentic German submarine to explore, and a "green" house that is a model for future energy efficiency.  In October 2009, the incredible YOU! The Experience permanent exhibit opened; highlights include a truly Giant Heart; a 13-foot-high, 8-foot-wide, working, pumping three-dimensional model of the heart; "corpses" to dissect, multi-media views of every body part and its function, plus imaginative and exciting ways to learn how a healthy body flourishes.

John G. Shedd Aquarium
1200 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
312/939-2438
Home to over 25,000 animals, Shedd is the world's largest indoor aquarium. The Oceanarium recreates a Pacific Northwest coastal habitat for Beluga whales, dolphins, sea otters and harbor seals, all seen through underwater viewing windows. In the main aquarium, habitats from all over the globe are represented. There are plenty of hands-on exhibits, opportunities to try a scientific experiment, a dolphin show and periodic "Sleep with the Fishes" overnights for families.