Museums - Pitstops for Kids

Visiting Atlanta with kids: Children’s Museum of Atlanta

February 19, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

Downtown Atlanta is a quintessential “pit stop,” boasting an array of attractions to break up a long road trip, from the Coca Cola museum to Centennial Olympic Park to CNN’s headquarters. In the center of this thriving metro sits the Children’s Museum of Atlanta. Newly renovated with a focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math education) programming, the CMA offers families, especially those with children up to age 9, a chance to stretch their legs and have fun while sneaking in some stealth learning.

Our family visited CMA during their grand re-opening event. It was busy, but the open layout prevented it from feeling crowded. On the main floor you will find a large area sectioned off for the “farm to table” exhibit, which includes a tractor, milking a cow, a delivery truck, a forklift with a platform that raises and lowers, a grocery store and a diner with the most fabulous kid-sized commercial kitchen any child could imagine. This was the favorite area for my four- and six-year-olds.

CMA has also taken the ubiquitous ball run and re-envisioned it as a series of interlocking mechanisms. Kids can force the balls up into the matrix by air, water, auger, and pulley, and the balls move between areas.

The centerpiece of the main level is the globe, which kids can climb up inside and set in motion. At the base of the globe are a collection of train tables, one for each continent, and moon sand tables. There is also a building area and a section for little ones with fishing (raincoats provided) and a fabulous chicken coop play structure. Here you’ll also find a nursing room.

The “mezzanine” level is aimed at older children. At the “science bar,” a scientist walks kids through experiments. Nearby, interactive stations let kids build a robot, use a touch-screen app to see how food goes through the body, or use their brain waves to move a ball. The museum also offers daily take-home activities (a sailboat, the day we visited) and a presentation at 4p.m. A rotating feature exhibit opens soon.

One of the most striking and wonderful things about this place was the diversity of its visitors. We heard half a dozen languages and saw at least that many skin colors during our short visit. Signage is bilingual, and the staff is courteous and helpful, keeping an eye on each section and making sure items find their way back where they belong for the next child to enjoy. (I spent half an hour watching one young lady in the “farm to table” section patiently picking up all the pieces of toy food and putting them away on the grocery store shelves, only to do it all again five minutes later.) Although the museum caters to age 9 and under, my 10-year-old enjoyed the visit as well.

Shopping/Food:

CMA has a gift shop and vending machines, but no in-house dining. However, there are many dining options within walking distance, and same-day museum re-entry is permitted, providing maximum crowd capacity has not been reached. The best option, though, is to bring lunch along or order from one of a number of nearby establishments that deliver. The museum has set aside a sizable section of the mezzanine level for lunchroom-style tables.

Accessibility

The vast majority of the attractions are stroller/wheelchair accessible–even part of the chicken coop play structure in the little ones’ area. A large open section at the rear of the first floor is set aside for stroller parking.

Hours/Admission:

Plan to spend at least an hour and a half at CMA, and if you have longer, the kids will thank you. Admission is $14.95 for everyone over age one. Discounts are outlined at “ways to save.” If you live within a couple hours of Atlanta, a family membership may be a good option. Tickets are issued for specific time slots in order to help alleviate crowding at peak times. CMA is open from 10-5 seven days a week except on certain holidays.

Parking/Directions:

Children’s Museum of Atlanta is located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, at the corner of Baker Street and Centennial Olympic Park Drive. It has no dedicated parking space of its own; however, parking options are plentiful within a block of the museum.

Our family received complimentary admission to the Children’s Museum of Atlanta in exchange for an impartial review.

Paris day trip: Touring Normandy D-Day battlefields

February 15, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

In each major city we visited during our European trip, we opted to take one long day trip outside the city limits. In Paris, many options for day trips vie for attention, but for our family, a tour of the Normandy D-Day battlefields won out. We have two teens who have studied WWII history, and this tour was their pick.

Touring Normandy D-Day battlefields:

We opted to go through Viator for our tour,, choosing their Normandy D-Day Battlefields and Beaches tour. One of the most respected and well-known tour companies operating across Europe, we trust Viator to provide a high quality experience. One thing for families to note that many don’t realize: Viator is a middle man. They don’t conduct the tours themselves, but rather outsource them locally. For travelers who expect to be led by a Viator guide from a Viator office, this can be unsettling or even alarming, but I think there’s a good reason behind it: Viator is a huge operation, and cannot be the expert on everything, everywhere. I appreciate that they seek out the best guides within each city. In any case, we had a tour with them in both Paris and Rome, and in both cases, our guides were top-notch.

For the D-Day tour starting and ending in Paris, Viator uses Paris City Vision. We met our group and guide at the Paris City Vision office by the Concorde in Paris at 6:30 am the day of our tour. Yes, painfully early, especially since we’d be late if we waited for the metro. We opted to call a car service so we’d be certain a ride would be ready and waiting for us. (We used Blacklane, which I highly recommend. Read more about our experience with them in this post on planning a Paris itinerary.)

After an easy check-in experience at Paris City Vision, we headed for Normandy on a luxury tour bus. I know, I know, everyone hates big tours in tour busses. But it was fine and I’ll explain why: we never, ever walked all around in a huge group at the sites. Our tour stopped at four locations, and our guide talked to us while the bus was in transit in each case, allowing us to tour as individual families. This is where the value of the tour came in: we didn’t have to figure out our own transportation to and from Normandy, we had all entry tickets taken care of, and we had expert commentary before each stop.

The drive to the first stop, which is in Caen, takes almost three hours. Yes, ouch. But we slept, and found the bus very comfortable, with reclining seats and reading lights and a restroom onboard. The first stop on the tour is the Caen-Normandie Memorial museum at the site of a German bunker and stronghold during the French occupation, and covers WWII very much in depth, from pre-war time through the liberation. It does cover the holocaust in detail, so prepare children. In fact, I’d recommend this whole tour only to families with kids age 10 and up. We’d prepared them for D-Day battle details, but didn’t know we’d need to prepare them for some very sad details regarding Jewish ghettos and camps. This part of the museum was too much for our 11-year-old. It’s hard to bypass because exhibits are intermixed, but the area downstairs towards the end of the hall have the most holocaust stories. The violence of the D-Day battles are much less graphic, even in the film…he has no problem with those aspects of the museum.

An included lunch was served in the museum for our group privately. It was a sit-down affair, with a salad bar (French cafeteria style, with a second dessert and cheese station) and main dish. There was not a choice in the main dish. When we visited, it was a rustic French style cuisine of baked chicken or hen. Some of us loved it, others not so much, but there was plenty of food for those who didn’t enjoy the main dish.

The tour then drove us through very pretty Normandy countryside and villages to Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and Juno Beach. Pointe du Hoc is the region on high cliffs scaled by US Rangers and has extensive bunkers and bomb craters to look at and walk through. Omaha Beach has an excellent visitor center (be sure to leave time to go downstairs) and the US cemetery. Juno has the memorial to the Canadian forces and easy beach access.

The picturesque countryside and tiny villages (of which we drove through several) was an added bonus for me on this trip. I had wanted to find a way to explore more of the French countryside, and this way, we got to see some of this without renting a car for the day. Our guide pointed out WWII-related landmarks in and around the villages, such as the hedgerows that cost so many lives as smaller battles were fought through and between them.

The entire day was certainly sobering, but also beautiful and impressive. We learned a lot, and as noted above, we had plenty of time for personal reflection and family time during the day, as we spread out from our larger group at each stop. As a family, we were able to decide our own itinerary through each memorial and museum, spending time together and digesting the information together. For families wishing to find a particular memorial marker or name, there is time for this. However, we found that at each stop, we didn’t quite have as much time as we’d like. Certainly, had we been staying in Normandy and had more time, we would have spent at least a half hour more at each stop.

We returned to Paris around 4 pm, stopping for a quick dinner at a service station along the interstate. This meal was on our own, and nothing more than a necessary stop. I was actually glad they hadn’t built in another longer meal, as we were ready to be back in the city by this point. We arrived back at the tour office around 8:30 pm.

Certainly, this tour was a very full day, but our sixteen-year-old lists it as one of the most memorable of our trip. Teens who have studied (or will study) this war will find it fascinating. Our 11-year-old was also old enough to understand and enjoy the tour, though he did get bored a few times. If you go, be prepared for some heavy subjects and hard questions, and do your best to prepare kids ahead of time. As noted above, there’s nothing visually graphic as far as war images go, but the stories and the cemeteries do take their toll. By the last stop at Juno, I will admit all we wanted to do was walk together as a family on the beach.

A few practicalities and pricing info:

Bring books or iPods for kids’ entertainment on the bus, or even a deck of cards. The bus seats have little trays like airplane seats do. I also suggest bringing bottled water, though our guide was great about pointing out where we could buy more along the way. The cost of the tour is on the higher side of Viator’s Paris offerings, due to the length of the tour and distance traveled. We felt the value was definitely there, provided you have older kids or teens.

Book on Viator.com, and print out your confirmation page. That’s all we needed at the tour office. When you book, you’ll receive an email from Viator letting you know which company is conducting your tour and where to meet.

At the time of our visit, pricing was $199 for adults and kids were approximately $99. This price includes all admission fees and lunch, plus the transportation. There’s an option to pay more for hotel pick up/drop off.

As we disclose whenever applicable, our Normandy tour was paid for by Viator, for the purpose of review. All opinions remain our own.

Chicago Field Museum tips

January 22, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

We love natural history museums and have visited versions of them all over the country. The Chicago Field Museum is in our top five! We loved this cavernous, elegant museum situated on the Museum Campus by Lake Michigan and Shedd Aquarium. Here’s what we recommend seeing and doing, plus tips to plan your visit:

What not to miss:

If you have older kids or teens, the top two or three exhibits may be the Inside Ancient Egypt exhibit, the Mastodons and Mammoths exhibit (extra ticket required), and the Evolving Planet exhibit. We also really loved the Ancient Americas exhibit. The Egypt exhibit hall starts at the main level, but staircases lead both upstairs to get a view of a tomb from the top and downstairs, where to bulk of the artifacts can be found. The best place to enter is on the main level, to get the full experience of walking through the tomb first.

Note: There are mummified remains on display, including the remains of children and infants (and cats and birds). These artifacts were amazing, but I did give my kids a heads-up.

The Evolving Planet exhibit is the primarily exhibit with dinosaur fossils, so this area will appeal to all ages, but the actual exhibit goes even deeper, which is why I recommend it for older children. It chronicles multiple ‘extinction events’ throughout history, starting billions of years ago, and is fascinating in its scope of time.

For younger kids, the multiple halls of mammals, which takes up the entire left side of the main floor, will be popular, as well as the North American Indians section and the Pawnee Earth Lodge. We were lucky enough to step into the Earth Lodge while a museum docent was on duty, and she explained all the artifacts inside, many of which kids can touch and play with. The temporary Underground Adventure (extra ticket required) is lots of fun too; after being ‘shrunk’ to 1/2 inch size, kids can walk through a soil landscape and see ‘life-size’ bugs, worms, roots, and other life in the soil. Think Honey I Shrunk the Kids.

Everyone will want to see ‘Sue’ the T-Rex that has been making its way slowly across the country. We saw it about seven years ago in Portland, Oregon. It was fun to see again. There’s enough to see and do to spend at least 3-4 hours in the Field Museum, and possibly more. You can re-enter with you ticket if you want to take a break in the day and return. A few tips:

Check the Field Museum website’s calendar before arriving:

The Field Museum offers a number of free days, which may or may not work in your favor. During our visit, it was a free day of residents of Illinois. Since we are not residents of the state, a free day only means a crowded day for us, without the benefits. Normally, I would avoid free days that do not apply to us. However, the day we visited also happened to be a game day for the Chicago Bears, played directly adjacent to the museum. This worked in our favor, as long as we timed our bus ride to avoid the fans pouring into the stadium. The Field Museum was almost empty when we arrived at opening, and stayed light on crowds all morning, until the game ended at 3 pm.

Decide what ticket option is best for you:

The basic entry price gets you into all the regular permanent exhibits. To access the ones noted as ‘ticket required’ or to view one of the 3-4 3D movies showing, you’ll need to upgrade to either an All Access Pass (gets you into everything) or a modified all access, which allows you to chose a few extra items to do. If you plan to be in Chicago long enough to visit at least two other attractions participating in the Chicago CityPass, I recommend getting this pass before your trip or at your first stop. The Chicago CityPass is $96 for adults and $69 for kids, and gives you an all access pass to the Field Museum, plus entrance to Shedd Aquarium next door and the SkyDeck at Willis (Sears) Tower, as well as several other attractions.

Dining options in the museum:

There are two dining services in the museum. We ate at the Field Bistro, which serves healthy options like soup, salads, and sandwiches, as well as some samples like hot dogs and burgers. Downstairs, an even more casual option has more ‘kid’ foods, like chicken fingers. We were told there are food trucks at the lower level as well, though we did not see them during our trip.

Outside the museum, families can find several hot dog carts, one of which is located between the Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium.

Tip: Find more things to do with kids in this guide to 25 top things to do in Chicago!

Hours and admission:

As described above, there are several admission levels. Basic admission is $18 for adults and $13 for kids. The Discovery Pass is the middle level, and is $25 and $18. The All Access is $31 for adults and $21 for kids. Hours are listed here.

Getting there:

The Field Museum is located on the Museum Campus, just south of downtown. It’s an easy metra bus ride on the 146 from Magnificent Mile or State Street (it took us about 15 minutes on a single line from State Street in the River North district). As noted above, it can be busier if there’s an event at Soldier Field. You can also drive, but prepare to pay for parking.

How to plan a Paris itinerary with kids

January 13, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

With its 20 arrondissements connected by a busy metro system, Paris can feel intimating at first. The key to planning a Paris itinerary with kids is to plan your days ahead of time, grouping destinations by proximity and utilizing walking tours to bridge the gaps (figuratively and literally).

When planning our five days in Paris, I started by making a list of our must-do’s, which included the usual suspects: the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, and d’Orsay. Of course, at this point in my planning, I knew I was missing a lot. To properly fill out my itinerary, I utilized itinerary planning services that offer local recommendations, walking tours, and dining picks. Once I had ‘B list’ destinations and restaurants in the mix, I organized my days based on where we could walk after only one or two metro rides per day. Finally, I bought every ticket possible ahead of time, including Paris Museum Passes, which allowed us to skip every entrance queue we found (and we found quite a few).

Itinerary services we recommend:

Momaboard:

I’ve known the folks at Momaboard for years, and I was thrilled to learn they’d launched their trip planning program. Momaboard pairs traveling families with local experts with kids of their own. After a brief questionnaire about our trip, the ages of our kids, and our interests and goals, our Momaboard expert put together several days’ worth of itineraries for us, including detailed directions, dining recommendations, and fun facts en route.

How I used this information: certainly, families can use the itineraries ‘out of the box’. They’re ready to go. However, since I already had a very loose sketch of our our days would look, I instead mixed and matched the attractions suggested. For instance, our Momaboard itinerary suggested a morning in Montmartre followed by an afternoon near the Eiffel Tower. I did both, but broke them up into two different days. By far the most useful part of our Momaboard itinerary: the dining recs. We are not foodies, and we have hungry teens to feed, and all the restaurant picks were right on target for us.

TraveLove:

We also tried out Travelove on this trip. Similar to Momaboard in that Travelove uses local itinerary-builders and asks families questions ahead of time, Travelove printed us a multipage, bound guidebook with custom itineraries, walking tours, and maps…lots and lots of useful maps. They also put together a journal/activity book for our ten-year-old that included custom-built questions and activities based on our particular itinerary. He had a lot of fun with it.

By far, the best attribute of our Travelove service was the walking tours suggested. They went point-by-point, with great maps and descriptions. For instance, they put together an excellent walk from the Tuileries to the Lourve, which we actually walked in reverse. Starting at the Lourve after our morning there, we walked along the Seine past the booksellers, Latin Quarter, and Notre Dame, learning things along the way.

Here’s what our itinerary looked like by the time we’d implemented both these services and gathered ideas from other guidebooks. (I recommend Rick Steves.) Our must-dos we started with are highlighted.

Day 1:

Metro from our neighborhood in Montmartre to Musee de Lourve. Morning at the Louvre, followed by a walking tour along the river through the Latin Quarter to Notre Dame. Dinner in the Hotel D’Ville area. Metro back ‘home’ in time to walk to Sacre Coeur at night to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle.

Day 2:

Metro from our neighborhood to the Eiffel Tower area, where we booked a morning Fat Tire Tour of the Concorde and Invalides area. (See separate post.) Lunch at street vendors under the tower, followed by a stop at a creperie recommended by Momaboard. Timed tickets to go up the Eiffel Tower at sunset.

Day 3:

Metro from our neighborhood to the d’Orsay Museum, followed by a shorter stint in the Rodin courtyard (recommended by a tour guide). Built-in ‘free’ afternoon; we spent it watching the new Star Wars movie followed by a visit to the Paris catacombs.

Day 4:

Toured the area near the Arc d’Triumph and Champs Elysees, including dining recommendations from Momaboard. We concluded our day with a boat tour along the Seine, and explored the seasonal Christmas markets. Almost all of this day was built out based on local recommendations.

Day 5:

Viator tour through Normandy to see D-Day beaches and museums (see separate post).

Getting around:

We used the Paris metro system exclusively. We found it very easy to use once we got our bearings, with good signage and multiple stops. Each day, we hopped on the metro from our Montmartre neighborhood (Chateau Rogue stop) and rode it multiple times per day. To do this, we found multi-day metro passes to be crucial (see below).

A word on the Paris Museum Pass:

The Paris Pass allows families to skip the long lines at museums, and gives parents the freedom to plan shorter museum visits (with the pass, it’s no big deal if you only spend 30 minutes checking out 2-3 major works). Kids are free at almost all museums (18 and under) which is wonderful, but if they don’t have a kids’ Paris Pass, you’ll still need to wait in line to get them a ticket (silly, I know). Because the Paris Pass comes included with a multi-day metro pass, it may be worth it to pay for kids’ passes along with adults, so everyone can skip the lines. Without these passes, we would have waited over an hour to get into the Lourve and Notre Dame each (instead we walked in immediately). Look for the Paris Pass or advanced tickets queue, or ask for it. Note: a few locations indicate they ‘don’t guarantee line skipping’, such as Notre Dame. I asked the guard at the start of the line politely if we needed to wait in line, showing our Paris Pass, and he waved us right in.

General tips:

Seek out the less touristy cafes and food carts, but not at the expense of hunger. After hours in the Lourve, we knew we should go in search of a crepe or baguette, but everyone was hungry and tired and ready to revolt if we walked in the wrong direction. The museum cafe sufficed (and actually had very good takeaway sandwiches).

Give kids spending money: there are so many tempting treats as you walk along the streets in Paris, you’ll be saying ‘no’ every ten minutes if you’re asked to open your wallet that often. Give kids money of their own to spend on tasty but small change treats such as macarons, eclairs, and crepes.

What are your best tips for touring Paris with kids?

24-hour Chicago winter itinerary with kids

December 18, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

On a snowy November weekend, my youngest son and I found ourselves in Chicago. Our trip there was accidental; we had been en route to Savannah, Georgia when we became stranded at O’Hare during the first snowstorm of the season. After 30-plus hours trying to continue our planned itinerary, our flight was cancelled and rebooked two days later. Rather than sit around waiting to depart, we decided to enjoy a Chicago winter itinerary. Here’s what we did with 24 hours in Chicago:

Morning: Head to the Museum Campus

Captain Obvious alert: Chicago in winter is cold! Rather than brave the weather all day long, start your itinerary with an indoors activity. We took Metra to the Museum Campus, which houses both The Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium. Families will want to budget at least three hours for each. Because we wanted to spend some time outdoors enjoying the wintry atmosphere as well, we opted to visit just one indoor attraction—Field Museum—but if you’d rather spend all day indoors (or the weather necessitates it), you could happily spend all day on the Museum Campus, checkout out both attractions.

We chose to visit the Field Museum for its temporary exhibits, including an excellent exhibit on Ancient Egypt and on Mastodons and Mammoths. In order to see these, we upgraded from a standard entrance fee to a full access pass, a difference of approximately $10 per person. With this pass comes admission to the museum’s 3D movie options as well. We started downstairs, checking out these special exhibits first, then moved our way up the museum to end with a 3D movie (check movie times when you enter). Favorite stops among the permanent exhibits included the mammals section and dinosaur section (which has a focus on extinctions during the ages).

We spent all morning enjoying the warmth of the museum, then ate lunch at the museum bistro, which had many healthy options, including a full salad bar and specialty sandwiches and soups. Alternatives include classic Chicago hot dog carts outside and—we were told later—food trucks on the museum ground floor.

Afternoon: Ice skating at Millennium Park

From the Museum Campus, we used the pedestrian underpass to access the nearest Metra bus stop, and took a bus back toward downtown to Millennium Park. We used Google Maps to find the correct bus lines for both the ride to and from the Museum Campus, and had no trouble using the system. If paying cash, our rides were $2.50 for adults and $1 for kids, each way.

At Millennium Park, the McCormick Ice Skating Rink is only about half a block further on foot. On the Sunday before the Thanksgiving holiday, the rink was crowded, but not unmanageable. Plus, the snowy weather added charm to the experience! We waited in line approximately 25 minutes to rent skates (they have a timed system here, so not too many people are crowding the rental area and rink at one time). Once on the ice, we could skate indefinitely. We enjoyed the rink for about 45 minutes, then took a break at the Warming Hut, which serves hot cocoa with a full hot cocoa ‘bar’ (toppings include several kinds of marshmallows, chocolate shavings, candy bar crumbles, and syrups), plus tea and coffee, to which liquors can be added. The hut has a padded floor, so there’s no need to take off skates while warming up.

We continued skating about 30 minutes or so, then unlaced so we could climb the stairs above the rink to check out the famous Chicago ‘bean’ sculpture, which overlooks the skating area. It was fun to see it reflecting the snowy Chicago landscape! We didn’t see much else to do outdoors in the immediate vicinity, but were told that had we been there just a week or so later, the ‘ice skating ribbon’ at adjacent Maggie Daley Park would have been open.

Early evening: City lights

Twilight hit the cityscape at approximately 4:30 pm, and we made our way back to the Metra stop to take a bus to Sears Tower (now called Willis Tower). The SkyDeck allows visitors to enjoy amazing views of the city from the 103rd floor, and even step out onto a glass floor for a thrill. Because we weren’t in the city long enough to warrant buying CityPass (more on this below), we had an hour wait in line for the SkyDeck (including the security line). We loved the views of the city with lights aglow, but agreed the wait was too long. There are two alternatives:

1. Buy CityPass tickets. We always buy CityPass when we visit participating cities, but our visit to Chicago was just too short this time around to make it worthwhile financially. However, if we’d even had one more day, we would have bought the tickets, which are approximately $95 for adults and $69 for kids, and allow entry to 5-7 attractions. With CityPass, families skip the majority of the queue at all attractions, and CityPass holders we saw at Willis Tower enjoyed very little wait time.

2. Head to Hancock Tower instead, and eat a meal at Signature Room on the 95th floor. I’m told the views here are just as amazing, and while you do need to purchase something to eat or drink to enjoy it, the price is less than SkyDeck. Unfortunately, during our visit, a small fire caused the building to close.

Evening: Dining in or out

I polled my favorite Midwest travel writers when I realized we’d be spending a day in Chicago, and they offered several great dining recommendations. Topping the list is Eataly, an upscale but fun Italian dining experience that even includes a Nutella bar. Eataly can be found at 43 E. Ohio. Other top picks are Pizzeria Due at 619 N. Wabash and Flo and Santos at 1310 S. Wabash. Where did we go? Back to our hotel to cozy up with room service! We loved ending our day in Chicago in our robes, looking out our window to watch the Chicago skyline.

Deal: Save up to 53% on Chicago’s 5 best attractions with CityPASS. Shop Now!

Alternate ideas for a Chicago winter itinerary:

While we couldn’t get to everything we wanted to during this trip, the following additional winter activities are on our radar for next time.

Museum of Science and Industry: This year, this museum is hosting an amazing robot exhibit called Robot Revolution, which cutting edge robots around around the world kids can interact with. During the holiday season, it also features Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light, which depicts holiday traditions from dozens of countries and cultures.
Christkindl Market: This annual German Christmas market is held on Daley Plaza, with traditional wooden huts and vendors from Germany.
A Christmas Carol: This show is also an annual tradition and almost always a sell-out, so get advanced tickets for the Goodman Theatre.
Zoolights: Held every holiday season, Zoolights at Lincoln Park Zoo showcases light displays across the zoo in the after-hours; families can come during daylight to see the animals and stay for the light show.
Navy Pier: Though a different experience than during the warmer months, Navy Pier has events and attractions open year round. Pick a day that’s not too chilly to be directly on the water. During our visit, it was simply too windy for us to feel comfortable at Navy Pier!

Where to stay: Westin Chicago River North

We stayed two nights in complete luxurious comfort at Westin Chicago River North, which offered the perfect downtown location for our adventure. Our room on the 9th floor overlooked the Chicago River, and we loved watching the snow fall on the water and bridges. We upgraded to club level, which allowed us to use the club lounge on the 20th floor included in our stay. While an initial investment, I always recommend upgrading to club or concierge level when available. Most offer a complete breakfast service, plus snacks and drinks available all day and an appetizer and small plates spread in the evening to easily feed children and even adults (depending the day’s offering). If you’ll be at the hotel enough to take advantage of at least the breakfast and one additional stop-in during the day or evening, the value is there.

From O’Hare airport, the Westin North River is only one metra train line away (blue line from O’Hare), plus a two block walk. It’s also only two blocks from the metra bus lines. The views are amazing, and the concierge desk is invaluable when planning a last minute itinerary!

Photo credit

Best Mountain Towns: Breckenridge Colorado

October 26, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

Yes, Breckenridge, Colorado could certainly fall into Pit Stops for Kids’ Best Ski Towns category; however, this resort town truly is a four-season destination. While it’s best known for winter sports, Breckenridge shines in the warmer months as well, boosting hiking, rafting, biking, and lots of storied history.

Here’s what to do with kids and without in Breckenridge, truly a Best Mountain Town.

For all ages:

Hiking: The Tenmile Range, plenty of 14-ers, and a network of in-town hiking trails give families an entire vacation’s worth of hiking at their fingertips. We love that parents with young kids can access trails like the Burro Trail directly from Main Street in town, whereas serious hikers will be quite challenged at higher elevations. See our entire post on hiking in Breckenridge with kids.

Shopping and eating: Always important activities on a vacation, shopping and dining options abound on Breckenridge’s Main Street and the blocks surrounding. Read our post on where to eat in Breckenridge, and be sure to take the time to walk along the Blue River Rec Path, taking in the fall colors in autumn and enjoying the snow in winter.

Skiing: Of course, Breckenridge Ski Resort is omnipresent in and around town. The peaks of this world class resort span across the town, and lift access is available at multiple points (making many lodging choices ski-in, ski-out. In addition to downhill skiing, Breckenridge’s hiking trails become snow shoe and nordic ski trails in winter. Pick up rental equipment at any one of a vast number of sporting goods stores in town.

Bike riding: There are miles of mountain bike trails around town (more on that below) but for families who don’t want to tackle this extreme sport, the Recreational Bike Path is paved, and connects Breckenridge with Frisco and even Keystone. Families can rent bikes and trailers and spend a day on the path. A rec bike path also winds through town, adjacent to the Blue River. Family tip: For families that pedal together, take a ride from the gate along Boreas Pass Road. It’s an old railroad grade, so the climb is mellow and you’ll see incredible views not far from where you start. The best part? It’s all downhill back to the car.

Historical tours and sites: Everywhere you go in Breckenridge, you’re surrounded by early settler and mining history. Families can see remnants of mining on the area’s trails: an easy hike on the short but beautiful Reiling Drudge Trail boosts an actual drudge and hydraulic mining area, and a longer, steeper hike on the Spruce Creek loop yields mining cabins and an old bull wheel.

Tip! Kids and adults will love the zipline and Gold Runner Coaster at the Fun Park. For history on the town, families can participate in gold mine tours and try their hand at gold panning. There’s also an array of outdoor activities for families to enjoy including, full moon rafting, summer dog sledding, fly fishing, hiking, horseback riding and more.

In town, stop at the Breckenridge Welcome Center on Main Street to tour an excellent and free museum on the town’s mining history. Next, go to the Edwin Carter Discovery Center, where kids learn about one of the area’s first naturalists, and the Barney Ford Victorian Home, also both free. The latter offers a living history tour of the home of Barney L. Ford, an escaped slave who made his fortune in the West. His is an inspiring story for both kids and parents (one tidbit: his mother stole a dictionary for him, hoping it would lead to a better life). There’s also a schoolhouse replica in his home.

If you have school-aged kids, consider booking a walking tour with the Heritage Alliance. Tours are $10 for adults and $5 for kids, and take about an hour and a half. Our guide taught us about the historical buildings in town we didn’t even realize were of significance, and toured us through two 1880s homes not open to the general public. It was absolutely interesting and relevant to kids of about eight and up. See all tours offered.

Check out the Country Boy Mine, just outside of downtown, to tour an actual mine shaft and learn about mining conditions for miners in the late 1800s. Best for older kids who are not afraid of the dark!

For families with young kids:

Be sure to take time while walking along Main Street to play at the small but inventive playground at the River Walk and River Walk Square. In summer, kids can wade in the Blue River here, too, jumping between the stones. The Breckenridge Mountain Top Children’s Museum sits adjacent to the ski village, within easy walking distance of Main Street, and is a good option during bad weather.

For families with older kids:

Rent mountain bikes if you’re family is comfortable on trails, and use Breckenridge’s excellent trail network. Trails are rated green, blue, and black, just like on the ski slopes, and are well-marked. Bike rentals can be found throughout town; we opted for Avalanche Sports. We love that you can ride directly from the rental shops (or your lodging) to the trails, but there are also trailheads with parking lots if you’re coming from further afield. Here are my favorites:

Lower Flume: Access the Lower Flume trail directly from town via the recreational bike path (more on that below). From the Breckenridge Recreation Center, follow the path out of town to where it connects with Lower Flume. Or, follow Main Street down to the 7-Eleven, turn right, and access from the recycling center.
Betty’s Trail: Find this intermediate trail right off Reiling Road. It’s just under one mile, and parallels the road most of the way (you won’t get disoriented). While it goes up and down, it’s not too rocky, though you’ll want to take care on the sharp turns.
Turk’s Trail and Reiling Drudge Trail: Further up Reiling, a parking lot offers access to a wider network of trails, including intermediate Turk’s and easy (and short) Reiling Drudge. Turk’s has quite the incline and tends to be rocky, but intermediate to advanced riders will love that it connects to more in the blue category, or can be looped with easy B&B.The Reiling Drudge Trail is fun because of the historical plaques marking remnants of mining history in the area.
XLOU8: My favorite intermediate trail I experienced, XLOU8 can be accessed from the same Reiling Drudge parking lot, and connects to Minnie Mine trail. It’s up and down, fairly free of rocks, and has an interesting mine to ride past.
Pence Miller: This intermediate trail can be accessed directly from Mountain Thunder Lodge via a short access trail. It winds above the resort area at the bottom section of the ski runs.

If you go:

Many families visiting Breckenridge in the summer months rent a car, but if you are flying in and out of Denver and the Breckenridge area is your only stop, a car is not necessary. We like to take Colorado Mountain Express to and from the airport (there’s WiFi onboard, so I can get work done on the drive) and once in town, we can access all hiking and biking via foot or with the Breckenridge Free Ride shuttle, which runs year-round!

Do you love Breckenridge? What time of year do you visit?

Science City review, Kansas City

September 28, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

Kansas City, Missouri is home to a science center once named one of the nation’s 25 best by Parents Magazine. Science City, housed in Union Station, offers learning experiences in a hand-on environment so well designed, the kids will never catch on that it’s educational.

Science City review:

As with most science centers, exhibits may change periodically, but perennial favorites and rotating displays alike are home runs, engaging kids at a hands-on level. Some of the highlights of our visit were:

Two chlorinated water tables. The smaller one challenges kids to build channels for racing rubber ducks. The larger table contains a number of experiments, including creating a water spout as well as a manual auger that lifts the water to power a water wheel and other fun gizmos.
A space shuttle landing simulator, part of a larger exhibit about physics and space travel.
A wacky “hotel” full of optical illusions.
A real helicopter that kids can climb inside.
The “Skybike,” which is counterbalanced by a load of bricks to keep it on track as it follows a tight-rope 30 feet above the floor (this experience has height/weight restrictions, and although it’s clearly safe, it also feels like a real adventure!).
Excavating dinosaur bones from a shredded-tire-mulch resting place.
The renewable energy exhibit, where we powered light bulbs by running in a human-sized hamster wheel and by riding bicycles.

This is only a sampling of the major exhibits at Science City. You’ll find smaller gems tucked into every nook and cranny, from shadow and kinetic walls to a slide built out of a city water pipe, and a music area in which the floor itself becomes an instrument.

For the little ones, Science City has a small indoor playground and a room dedicated just to them. Older kids can participate in staff-led guided activities every day; on Saturdays there are demonstrations and make-it-yourself opportunities in the Maker Studio. They even offer lock-ins and camp-ins for groups.

One thing you’ll find here that you won’t see at most other science centers is the Kansas City Rail Experience. Union Station, home of Science City, is not only a tourist destination but a working Amtrak station. In the KC Rail Experience, you can climb up in a retired diesel engine and walk through a caboose removed from its wheels to make it wheelchair/stroller accessible. A small theater inside a converted Pullman car plays a video about the history of Union Station—a welcome chance to sit down and rest your feet.

Science City is spacious and airy, with lots of natural light. Visitors enter from the concourse level of Union Station and make their way to the ground level. This is a destination you won’t want to rush; give yourself time to spend most of a day there. Purchase tickets at the ground level ticket booth (down an escalator from the soaring ceilings of the main terminal) and present them at the Science City entrance, where staff will give you a wristband that allows you to come and go all day.

Where to eat:

Food and drink is not permitted inside, but for a memorable meal, take a short walk across The Link, an indoor elevated walkway, to Fritz’s, at Crown Center. Fritz’s offers burgers and all the usual accompaniments, delivered to the table by miniature trains. (There’s no good way to describe how this works. You just have to experience it.) You can eat dessert at Fritz’s or step next door to Sheridan’s Custard, which offers all the usual flavors and mix-ins as well as specialty items. We tried and loved the Grant’s Grasshopper, the Dirt & Worms, and the Mexican Chocolate concretes.

Planning your Science City-Union Station trip:

Science City is located at Union Station, 30 West Pershing Road, Kansas City. It is open 10-5 Monday through Saturday and 12-5 on Sunday. Tickets are $13.50 for adults and $11.50 for kids ages 3-12. Admission is free for Union Station members. See the Union Station website for details about parking and holiday schedules. While you’re on site, take a few minutes to explore the 8,000 square foot model train room at the end of the concourse that houses Science City. It’s free, and with model trains of all sizes, including Thomas and LEGO displays, you’ll probably have to pry the kids away. Union Station also houses a large planetarium and major traveling exhibits (fees separate), so plan ahead to make sure you have time to do everything you want.

Our family visited Science City as guests of VisitKC in return for an impartial review.

Grand Rapids Public Museum

September 9, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

The following post is written by Pit Stops for Kids’ Midwest contributor, Kate Basi.

Situated alongside the Grand River directly across (and linked by pedestrian bridges) from the heart of downtown, the Grand Rapids Public Museum houses an eclectic collection of historic, scientific, and cultural exhibits related to western Michigan. This imposing building, with its three-story wall of windows facing the river, is designed with an eye to beauty as well as function. Older kids will get more out of it than younger, but it has something for everyone in the family.

In the three-story gallery overlooking the river, you’ll find classic cars, life-sized games of chess and Connect Four, and a horse-drawn street car that kids can climb on. Be sure to look up and enjoy the twinkling hangings made of round mirrors and Christmas lights—not to mention the full-sized whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling.

Little girls will love the doll room, which includes a table and play tea set. But the major exhibit on the first floor is “The Streets of Old Grand Rapids.” Here, volunteers staff replicas of historic Grand Rapids shops. The day we visited, a volunteer was using a foot-cranked printing press to create two- and three-color bookmarks, one color at a time. A great photo op in this exhibit is the old-fashioned bicycle, whose front wheel is so big, even adults have to stretch to maneuver the pedals.

As an added bonus, the first floor links to a pavilion built out over the river to house a beautiful restored carousel. Rides cost $1 a ride—a real bargain compared to the average mall carousel.

As you make your way through the museum, keep an eye out for the A to Z signs. (”H”, for instance, is for “hats,” and their collection is a lot of fun, ranging from the exotic to the downright kooky.)

Most of the second floor is dedicated to the traveling exhibits and the planetarium. The planetarium is named after local hero Roger Chaffey, who was killed in the Apollo 1 disaster. At the time of our visit, the traveling exhibit was The Discovery of King Tut’s Tomb. We heard great things about the exhibit, but as we were on a limited time frame and had several children too young to appreciate it, we opted to bypass it.

The third-floor Western Michigan Habitats exhibit has a hefty “gross” factor that’s sure to impress young grade school boys, with a cutaway of the forest floor and a model of a drop of marsh water, magnified 200 times so every amoeba and flatworm has its full impact. Environmental consciousness is a big deal in western Michigan, but the exhibit about Lake Michigan brings the personal, local, and global issues surrounding sustainability into clear focus at a level of scientific authority that parents will appreciate and older kids will find accessible.

Older kids will get more out of the Grand Rapids Public Museum than younger, but there are hands-on exhibits on all three levels, from building blocks outside the planetarium to hinged mystery windows inviting kids to guess which baby goes with which Western Michigan animal. Tucked into the information-dense water-and-forest exhibit on the third floor is a puppet theater and tree house play area to keep the little ones occupied while older siblings and parents absorb the displays.

Signage around the museum is very clear, with “Please touch” and “please don’t touch” signs including pictorial reminders for non-readers as well as words.

Planning your trip:

Give yourself at least three to four hours to see the museum itself, and all day if you want to get the most out of the traveling exhibits. There is a cafe on the second floor, offering soups, snacks, and other luncheon fare.

Daily admission is $8 for adults and $3 for children 3-17; kids 2 and under are free. The GRPM offers discounts to college students, AAA members, military personnel, and others. Planetarium shows add $4, and carousel rides are $1 apiece for non-members.

Note: Admission to visiting exhibits is priced separately (for King Tut, $18 for adults and $13 for kids 3-17) but includes general admission to the museum and a carousel ride.

Hours of Operation:

9-5 Monday through Saturday and 12-5 on Sundays, with evening hours on Tuesday. Be aware that GRPM is closed on major holidays.

Location:

272 Pearl St NW, Grand Rapids, MI.

Our family visited the Grand Rapids Public Museum as guests of Experience Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids Children’s Museum

August 19, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

The following post is written by Pit Stops for Kids’ Midwest contributor, Kate Basi.

There are two kinds of children’s museums—those that focus on science and hands-on learning, and those that focus on play. The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum falls in the latter category.

In a northern climate, where winters last a long time, this museum is a place that will keep kids occupied for several hours. It occupies two stories, with the first floor generally aimed more toward children six and under and the second floor toward older kids.

The museum prides itself on rotating its exhibits periodically. At the time of our visit, the main floor was divided into two major areas for pretend play. A kid-sized town, including a gas station, post office, library, auto shop, and grocery store, occupied one side of the building. The other side was a construction site where kids could build walls and play with shredded-tire mulch, running it over a conveyor belt or hauling it in buckets.

My kids were entranced by the stage between these two areas, which had backdrop, proscenium, limited costumes, and wing doors (not to mention a kid-sized guitar).

The second floor, as our ten-year old said, was filled with “things to do and not just things to pretend with.” A music area included piano, steel drum and other percussion instruments. In the bubble area, the boys spent quite a while trying to encase themselves in a giant bubble. A large spinning disc on a table challenged us to try to get a tire rolling on it without being flung off. There was also a play farm and a real, functioning bee hive connected to the outdoors by a tube so the bees can come and go (the outside entrance is on the second floor far away from human interference).

The second floor also includes the “Wee Discover” area, aimed ages 0-4. The museum offers occasional staff-led activities, from guided sidewalk chalk design to craft projects. The staff will occasionally zero in on a child who is showing particular interest in an area and spend some time playing with them one on one.

As you might expect, a place with this much to offer can be crowded. A sign states that parents are expected to remain with their children; however, the museum is well laid-out, with distinct areas and fairly controlled entry and exit to each. Parents can sit on the benches scattered around the building and still be able to keep track of their kids. However, if you have a wanderer, it might be a good idea to bring along an extra pair of eyes. There was an employee stationed in the entryway to help keep kids from getting out without an adult, but it’s not as tightly controlled as some child-oriented businesses.

There is no food on site, but re-entry is permitted by hand stamp, and there are plenty of restaurants within a block or two, as well as a war memorial park across the street where families can picnic in good weather. Allow a minimum of 2-3 hours, but with so many interesting things to play with, your kids might want to spend the whole day. Our family spent 2 1/2 hours there before breaking for lunch and nap time, after which we came back for another two hours, and the kids would have stayed longer still. It was their favorite place we visited in Grand Rapids.

Hours/Admission:

Admission is $8.25 for ages 1-64, with discounts for seniors and military personnel. It is closed on Mondays and open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 to 5 and Sundays from noon to 5. Thursday “family night,” admission is $1.75 from 5-8 p.m.

Directions:

Grand Rapids Children’s Museum is in the heart of downtown at 11 Sheldon Ave. NE, a short walk from DeVos Convention Center and a number of hotels. It does not have a parking lot, so if you try to drive be prepared to feed the meters. If you’re close enough, I recommend walking.

Our family visited Grand Rapids Children’s Museum as guests of Experience Grand Rapids in exchange for an impartial review.

Titanic Branson: Big city museum in a tourist town

June 10, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

Surprised to learn one of the world’s most comprehensive museums on the Titanic disaster docks in Branson, Missouri? So was I. From the outside, Titanic Branson looks suspiciously like any other gimmicky tourist attraction, a la Ripleys Believe It or Not or Madaam Tussauds wax museums. Step inside, however, and it’s an entirely different story.

The brainchild and passion of former television producers, Titanic Branson is both a serious, historically accurate museum with actual Titanic artifacts and an immersive experience. I am hesitant to say it’s a ‘Hollywood’ experience, in fear this description will imply inauthenticity or hookiness…the museum is neither. Instead, it’s simply delightful, engaging, sobering, and meaty, all at once.

Visitors select an entry time to go through the museum, and the experience begins at the door, as you’re greeted by Titanic crew members. These individuals, who appear throughout the experience to educate, guide, and inform, are talented actors and actresses who know their facts inside and out. The interior of the museum is designed as a replica of the Titanic itself, with corridors, to-scale staterooms, and even a reproduction of the famous grand staircase. The building team used actual Titanic blueprints to create the museum: the result, even while in a group tour with artifacts and exhibits lining the walls, is fully immersive.

Upon arrival, guests are given a card with an actual Titanic passenger bio. Hang onto that: you may see information on your passenger as you tour the museum, and will learn the fate of him or her before leaving. The bottom levels of the museum—aka Third Class—tells the story of the building and departure of the ship in Belfast, and introduces visitors to both key players such as ‘Unsinkable’ Molly Brown Captain Edward Smith, and tycoons such as JP Morgan, as well as ordinary passengers you likely haven’t heard of. There are excellent exhibits on lesser covered passenger groups, such as the children of the Titanic, plus replica rooms of Third Class cabins and actual artifacts such as Titanic menus, tickets, and letters.

Visitors ascend the Grand Staircase, and upstairs, see a model of a First Class cabin, plus models of the bridge where the iceberg was spotted and the outside deck, complete with chilly air and starry skies. In a fully immersive hall, visitors can try to stand on a replica deck angled at three different degrees experienced by the passengers as the ship sunk, sit in a replica lifeboat, and plunge hands into a bucket of icy water the exact degree of the Atlantic on that cold April night. All the while, Titanic crew members regale with stories from the disaster. The entire experience is fascinating.

In the last hall, a Titanic manifesto lets you know if ‘your’ passenger perished or survived the disaster. While this comes at the end, make no mistake: the focal point of the entire museum experience is on personal stories. Yes, there are artifacts that wow, and yes, there is a lot of factual information, but where Titanic Branson shines is in making the disaster personal by telling personal accounts.

Note: The images and exhibits in the museum is suitable for all ages; however, school-aged kids of at least age 8 and up will get the most out of the experience. If you have sensitive children, you may want to wait until age 10 and up, and prepare kids by explaining the event of the Titanic before arriving. There are many stories of people who perished, of course, which could disturb young kids. In other words, this attraction isn’t just ‘movie level’ Titanic…it’s the real deal and sad stories exist here.

Distance from the interstate:

Right off Highway 65 in the heart of Branson.

Cost of admission:

Tickets are $27, with a $3 per ticket discount if booked online. To get the entry time you’d like, booking online is highly recommended.

Hours:

Hours vary substantially by season: check hours here.

Directions:

Find the museum located at 3235 76 Country Blvd & Hwy 165 in Branson, Missouri. Another location is found at Pigeon Forge, TN.

Photo credit: Brad Holt

Shopping/Food:

Accessibility

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Parking/Directions:

Touring Normandy D-Day battlefields:

A few practicalities and pricing info:

What not to miss:

Check the Field Museum website’s calendar before arriving:

Decide what ticket option is best for you:

Dining options in the museum:

Tip: Find more things to do with kids in this guide to 25 top things to do in Chicago!

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Itinerary services we recommend:

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General tips:

Morning: Head to the Museum Campus

Afternoon: Ice skating at Millennium Park

Early evening: City lights

Evening: Dining in or out

Deal: Save up to 53% on Chicago’s 5 best attractions with CityPASS. Shop Now!

Alternate ideas for a Chicago winter itinerary:

Where to stay: Westin Chicago River North

For all ages:

For families with young kids:

For families with older kids:

If you go:

Science City review:

Where to eat:

Planning your Science City-Union Station trip:

Planning your trip:

Hours/Admission:

Directions:

Distance from the interstate:

Cost of admission:

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