The 5 Best Indoor Things to Do in Illinois

Are you tired of sitting around the same four walls, watching Netflix and not doing much else? There are so many fun activities that can be done from home, especially if you’re a resident of one of America’s most beautiful states – Illinois! From cozy dinners at unique eateries to exploring the outdoors with winter gear on your feet, here are 10 engaging indoor activities in Illinois for days when you just don’t feel like leaving.

The 10 Best Indoor Activities in Illinois

Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

Address: 5700 S Dusable Lk Shr Dr, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.7 (24671)
Phone: +1 773-684-1414
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Thursday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Friday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Saturday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Sunday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Reviews:

This place has an internal parking lot which I wish I knew earlier. Also, it’s better if you buy your tickets in advance otherwise you’d have to wait in a long line. This museum is a must-visit, only that if you’re an adult, I would recommend to start your visitation with the third floor instead of the ground floor. On the third floor, you get a lot of hands-on with science stuff and recent technology. You get better exposure and can take better pictures. Come prepared to spend like 2-4 hours. It gets chilly inside at times. Of course, they have paid exhibitions which you can choose as per your liking. We went for amazing hikes in North America paid exhibition and the experience was spectacular. We were seated in a four-storey dome-based theatre with a movie experience so unique by far. Overall, the museum experience is worth the money, it’s so much better for the young kids but the adults can enjoy it as much.

✭✭✭✭ By Yansi Keim (4 months ago)

What an amazing science museum! Half a day (or even a full day) isn’t nearly enough time to experience it all. So many hands-on experiments for the kids, such as making your own tornado. Get there when it opens to enjoy having some of the areas to yourself. We were especially impressed with the coal mine tour – real mining equipment and our tour guide, Austin, was very engaging. This is definitely on our list again for when we next return to Chicago.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Ben Lake (4 months ago)

Be prepared to be blown away. This massive museum packs so much to do and see. We (two adults) explored for 5 hours. I will say, there are plenty of sections kids will want to fly through – and others you might have to pry them away from. We selected tornado alley for the film we saw in the dome theater – a really cool experience. Wear comfy shoes! It’s a lot of standing and walking around. There are plenty of bathrooms and lots of vending and food options – for being a museum. You have to pay $22 to park on campus – which I found obscene but it is what it is. Definitely recommend coming here!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Cortney Ayers (7 months ago)

This museum was my first tourism stop in Chicago and it did not disappoint. They had well-executed interactive displays of everything relating to science and industry. Even a coal miner simulation! I enjoyed the exhibit on “you!” the most. It was interesting to see the modern wearable technologies and the different showcases of how our bodies change with age. I also thought it was very affordable to go. You could easily spend over 3+ hours here. I highly recommend for anyone visiting Chicago.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Huong Dang (6 months ago)

An absolutely fantastic and in depth museum! So much to explore and you will be busy there for at least a couple of hours. My only complaint is how many exhibits cost extra to go into (like inside the submarine or the Lego exhibit). However, we enjoyed nearly every section we explored.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Nicholas Klein (4 months ago)

Brookfield Zoo

Address: 8400 W 31st St, Brookfield, IL 60513, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.6 (22362)
Phone: +1 708-688-8000
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Reviews:

I have been coming to Brookfield Zoo since I was child. Now I’m older and come when I want. I have a membership, which I recommend if you visit often. I like to go during the week right when it opens at 10a because it’s less busy and I can really enjoy each animal.

Parking is $15 for both the North and South entrance. If it’s your first time visiting I suggest the North gate. If you aren’t looking for a long walk from your car to the entrance I suggest the south entrance. Either way you will enjoy yourself once you’re inside.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Natasha Marquez (7 months ago)

Glad that there is a big zoo like Brookfield! If you know that you are going to be going more than once then it is definitely worth getting a membership. The membership includes free parking, discounted rides on the tram, carousel, etc. There is a lot to see and do, bring your own food and have a picnic! There are multiple playgrounds and they have different installations as well! Wear comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking to do be done. Great for all ages.

✭✭✭✭ By Foodraisedme Lifestyle (2 months ago)

A hidden gem right in the place. Lot to cover and see. Kids will love it as they can see many animals very close. Especially tropical and dessert areas were so close. Have been to San Diego, NC zoo which are bigger but this is very good as well. If you live around, annual pass is worth the price covering few events, discounts as well.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Danda Naveen (5 months ago)

It was a perfect day to go to the zoo. Weather was amazing, not a lot of people there. Peaceful and just relaxing to walk. I have the membership and I saw animals this time around that I had not seen before. I cannot wait to go during the holidays and take my little girl to experience that for the first time.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Raquel Rivera (a month ago)

My husband and I purchased passes for the zoo to take the family because the little ones love animals and the memberships paid for themselves in one visit. We went during the week so it wasn’t as crowded, which made our zoo experience even better. The kids loved the dolphin show and can’t wait to go again. I am terrified of birds but my husband took the kids in to see them and they say it’s magical. Only disappointment was not seeing the gorilla’s but they are still put up because of COVID so I understand. Overall it was a great experience and can’t wait to go back.

✭✭✭✭ By Denise Bowers (5 months ago)

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago

Address: 601 N Martingale Rd, Schaumburg, IL 60173, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 3.9 (3156)
Phone: +1 847-592-9700
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Reviews:

It was fine, I had higher expectations. My 5 year old loved it. Lots of places to build Lego and add to their existing sculpture. the displays were cool. The rides were fine. The 4D movie was very cute and clever. Nice jokes for the adults.

The biggest disappointment was the store, it has limited options and I expected a larger selection and some exclusive kits to the location, not the case.

✭✭✭ By Kyle Ness (4 months ago)

We had so much fun here. Easy to find and navigate to, plenty of parking. So much to see and do here! We hit all of it I think, except the Ninjago section. All over there are places to build, activities and the food spot is good. The magic ride and the 4d cinema we’re probably our favorites, the rides were fun and the play area is big enough for everyone. It is a great family day adventure, for all ages. We had as much fun as our kiddos did! The stamp adventure is well worth the 6 dollars too. Just make sure little hands are helped, we did get a little pinch but it was taken care of in a timely manner!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Andromeda Dickey (5 months ago)

This was my second time at this location, but the first time I brought my own kids…6yo, 4yo, & 2.5yo. It looks like they changed a few things for the better since the 1st time I was there with an ex & his young kids from a previous marriage. The rides that they have are few but the kids def loved them & rode them multiple times. The park/play area upstairs kept them busy for HOURS. We went on a Sunday afternoon when the Bears were playing so it wasn’t as busy as it can normally be, which was nice because there were enough kids there to interact with mine, but it wasn’t over-packed chaos like I saw the 1st time I was there years ago. I highly recommend going there if you haven’t. Also, check A around online because there are often coupons or discounts available, which makes going even more appealing to us adults. ?

✭✭✭✭✭ By Barbara Huba (2 months ago)

The displays of the Chicago Landmarks were wonderful! A fun filled day, the kiddo spent most of his time at the build & test area. I wish the build & test area were just a little bit more cleaner and organized. The kingdom quest ride, Merlin’s apprentice ride, pirate adventure island jungle expedition were all good.

✭✭✭✭ By Aishwarya Rakesh (7 months ago)

I think that we were expecting a better overall experience for the price of entrance. We got the all access pass which wasn’t worth it – just stick with the general admission. I would also say that this is best suited for kids 10 years old and under.

It was really cool seeing all of the large sculptures but it wasn’t very clean throughout the space. I could use some freshening up. The 4D movie was a lot of fun!

✭✭✭ By Angie Lind (3 months ago)

Accelerate Indoor Speedway & Events – Chicago

Address: Southwest Suburbs, 8580 Springlake Dr 2nd Floor, Mokena, IL 60448, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.4 (2909)
Phone: +1 708-457-7772
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Thursday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Friday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM

Saturday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Reviews:

Took my son for his 14th birthday. Was the perfect father son getaway. We had a good lunch, then we hit the race track and that was pretty cool, we finished the day with an hour and a half of axe throwing.
The place is big with other pretty cool activities.
Would be a great place to have a birthday party or even a company event. The go carts are as fast as you’d want them to be but also safe.
Staff was friendly and service was good.
The axe throwing coaches we’re really great.
Grand total was around $250 for everything and we spent 4+ hours there having a great time.
Worth every penny to hear his mom tell me how much she appreciated me making my son’s birthday “The Best”..apparently he had as much fun as dad did!! Win win.
I highly recommend taking your kids here to experience it for yourselves.
We’ll definitely be back!!

✭✭✭✭✭ By T Bear (a week ago)

Carting on two different great tracks! Indoors and weather-proof. Part rooms to reserve for events or parties. The facility is clean and well managed. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The upstairs restaurant has a full bar with commanding views of both tracks. The carts are nimble and will test your racing line thru the curves. The video gaming room is great for the arcade buffs! A fun time is not in question. Very good job by the “Accelerate” crew. KUDOS!!!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Jim Hopton (10 months ago)

Came here for the first time to do axe throwing for my friend’s birthday. We had so much fun! Coach Melvin was seriously fantastic – he stayed with us the whole time, gave pointers with each throw so we could improve each time, and came up with some fun games that really brought out our competitive streaks. The bartenders were also super friendly. Can’t wait to come back!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Suzi Voss (9 months ago)

This place was great! We came here for a corporate event and the staff couldn’t have been more friendly. Our hostess memorized all our names (all 40 of us) and provide outstanding customer service. We will definitely be returning.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Ed S (9 months ago)

The raceway is fun and everything is digital. There are no vegan options. The bar staff was not friendly at all. They were chasing about their weekend instead of taking drink orders. When I asked if they were available to take orders one woman smacked her lips at me and the other helped reluctantly. The arcade is ridiculously high. Most games are $6-8 for one play

✭✭✭ By Shakah Basheer (6 months ago)

K1 Speed – Indoor Go Karts, Corporate Event Venue, Team Building Activities

Address: 2381 Army Trail Rd, Addison, IL 60101, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.4 (2104)
Phone: +1 630-433-3700
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM

Tuesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM

Wednesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM

Thursday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM

Friday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM

Saturday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Reviews:

Great location using electric karts. They can be throttled(and are based on bad driving and/or incidents). They have two tracks, a beginner and an intermediate. The prices aren’t terrible if you buy multiple races. Overall great, but scheduling and time between races could be better

✭✭✭✭ By Richard Linchangco (2 months ago)

Came here on a Friday night and it was a fun activity to do. Be ready for a long wait though, you’ll probably have to come in early and out your name down for an hour or two later so you can get something to eat nearby.
The cars were fun to use and were pretty fast so definitely worth a try

✭✭✭✭✭ By Chris E. Herrera (4 months ago)

We rented out a track for my brother in law’s bachelor party and we all had a great time! We chose to do the Grand Prix, which gives you three races. The go karts are pretty fast and the track is fun to race around. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it was pretty expensive in my opinion – $95 each! The price does include a helmet and cloth that goes around your head/face as well. In addition, they do give you $150 food/drink credit, which is nice, so we stuck around to eat/drink afterward and then played some pool too. The venue was cool – really big, has a nice little bar area, an area to eat, pool tables, and some video games too. We all agreed that we would definitely do it again! I would definitely recommend coming here!

✭✭✭✭ By Anthony Ermitage (2 months ago)

It was fun, the carts are good the track is small though, but the speed of the cart and the service overall is good.

We bought 2 rides for $57.

✭✭✭✭ By Shashank Tiple (a month ago)

First impressions place looks awesome,plenty of billiards tables ,comfy leather couches to chill,stocked up bar sucked i couldn’t have a beer tho.and clean. Person in the front desk was no help, rude,and ignorant if it wasn’t for me that read up about the deal that was going on that day she would of never said anything .food was eeh ok grease from fryer definitely had to be changed.ONE MAJOR FACT YOU CAN NOT HAVE ALCOHOLIC BEVAREGES IF YOURE GOING TO RACE big bummer for me . Overall the racing part and go-karts was awesome go karts super fast ,faster then i thought they would be.Track a bit small but fun.

✭✭✭ By Roberto Renteria (9 months ago)

If you’re looking for some indoor activities to keep you busy during your stay in Illinois, look no further. We’ve compiled a list of the 10 best indoor activities in the state, so you can make the most of your time here. Whether you’re into history, art, or science, there’s something for everyone on this list. So what are you waiting for? Start exploring!