Chicago Children's Museum believes an accessible and inclusive museum must address each visitor's experience – making the museum's facilities, offices, exhibits, services, programs, and staff welcoming to all. Access and inclusion practices are intended to open doors and are recognized as critical components of the museum's planning and development.
Play For All
Held the second Saturday of every month, Play For All events invite children and families with disabilities to experience Chicago Children's Museum's inclusive, multisensory exhibits and programs. The museum opens one hour early, at 9am, for pre-registered guests. The first 100 visitors to register receive free admission. Group opportunities are available. For more information, including registration information and accommodation requests, call the Play For All hotline at (312) 321-6551.
Wheelchair Accessibility
- The entire museum is wheelchair accessible.
- Elevators serve each of the museum's three floors.
- Two child-size and two adult-size wheelchairs are available, free of charge, at Membership Desk on the second floor.
- All bathrooms and water fountains are wheelchair accessible.
- Accessible parking is available in the Navy Pier parking garage (www.navypier.com/visit_us/parking.html).
- Service animals are always welcome.
Chicago Children's Museum Staff
Chicago Children's Museum staff receives ongoing professional development to better assist visitors with disabilities and their families. Please don't hesitate to ask for assistance.
Storybook Guide and Museum Kits
The Storybook Guide describes each of Chicago Children's Museum's exhibits from a child's perspective and helps families choose exhibits to visit. The Storybook Guide, specially designed for children with developmental disabilities, is appropriate for any child who would like to know about exhibits and activities. Click here to download the Storybook Guide. Click here to download a museum map.
Museum Kits can be checked out at the Admissions desk. Each kit contains:
- Storybook Guide
- A customizable museum schedule to accompany museum visits.
- Visual rule cards, for children who prefer visual rather than auditory messages.
Therapeutic Play Guide
The Therapeutic Play Guide offers support to children working on their therapies during a museum visit. Utilizing the museum's rich environments, the Therapeutic Play Guide enables children to build skills in many developmental areas, including motor, sensory, language, literacy, social, cognitive and self-care.
- Click here to download the Therapeutic Play Guide in English.
- Click here to download the Therapeutic Play Guide in Spanish.
Assistive Devices
The following devices are available at the museum's admissions desk:
- Sound-reducing headphones
- Lap trays for wheelchairs
Parker Program
Throughout the school year, Chicago Children's Museum welcomes students with disabilities to explore the museum's interactive exhibits with specially-trained students from Francis W. Parker School as their guides. The program provides free transportation and museum admission to participating classrooms. For more information, contact us.
Play For All is generously supported by Morgan Stanley and The Northern Trust Company.