Chicago truly has it all! An incredible dining scene, luxurious spas, and top attractions, but with so many adult responsibilities, there are moments when we just want to break free and be as carefree as we were as kids!
Get ready to dive into 7 fantastic activities guaranteed to awaken your inner child for some much needed fun. We can guarantee you we won’t judge.
1. Spend hours playing your favorite childhood arcade games
If you really want to feel like a kid, we suggest venturing just 30 minutes outside of Chicago to check out the Galloping Ghost Arcade in Brookfield, a.k.a, the world’s largest arcade! Play rare finds like Sega R360 or enjoy your favorite classics, including Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders—all iconic arcade games from the 80s!
If you want to stay within the city limits, we suggest checking out the brand new 3,000-square-foot Neon Gardens, taking over the former Broken English Taco Pub space in Lincoln Park. Enjoy New York-style pizza from the Slice Hut, sip on delicious cocktails like the Summer in Sicily or Purple Smash, and feel like a kid again in their arcade that gives off all the 90s-era nostalgia you could ever want! Just don’t leave without enjoying a cocktail on their open-air, Italian-inspired patio.
Read our full list of arcades in and around Chicago!
2. Enjoy the thrilling immersive VR experiences like Ghostbusters and Jumanji at Wonderverse!
If you want to unlock your inner child, we suggest heading out to Oak Brook to check out Sony Motion Pictures’ Wonderverse! This 45,000-square-foot space is packed with fun for kids, but with high-end dining, a full bar, an arcade, Zombieland bumper cars, the Uncharted Escape Rooms, and two exciting VR experiences—the Ghostbusters VR Academy and a quest to find the stolen jewel in Jumanji: Reverse the Curse—adults won’t want to miss out either! Plus, enjoy half-off cocktails during happy hour and test your trivia skills every Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m.!
Find out more here!3. Fall in love with science again at one of the quirkiest shops we’ve found!
If you once had a passion for science, you can rest assured that it will be reignited at the American Science & Surplus store near the city. From frogs to dissect to vintage Russian microscopes and 1950s Geiger counters, they have it all.
📍27 N. Northwest Hwy., Park Ridge, IL 60068
4. Step into the metaverse
Step out of your everyday reality and into the metaverse at Verse: The Art of the Future. This exciting experience merges art and technology, inviting you to marvel at a digital art exhibition like no other. Featuring augmented reality holograms and artwork by top-selling artists from the world of NFTs, Verse offers a truly immersive experience. Using an AR headset, smartphone, or tablet, visitors can explore the intersection of art and technology and delve into the stories shaping this dynamic sector of the art world.
🥽 Get your tickets for Verse: The Art of the Future in Chicago here!
📍Location: Block 37, 108 North State Street, Chicago, 60602
5. Have an all-out live-action gaming experience with friends or colleagues
Activate Games is undeniably a blast for families with young children, but let’s be honest, it’s also a fantastic outing for friends or a team-building adventure with coworkers (*wink, wink, Secret Chicago team)! These live-action games challenge teams to collaborate, testing their mental and physical agility in three-minute face-offs. From Hoops and Push to Hide (reminiscent of Netflix’s Squid Game), Megagrid (a sprawling space with color grids on the floor), and laser games straight out of thrilling spy movies like ‘Entrapment,’ there’s something here for everyone. It’s the perfect activity to unleash the inner child in all of us!
Read more here!6. Play Pickleball at this beach-themed indoor spot!
Pickleball has swept the nation, with courts popping up all over the city. One, in particular, offers 40,000 square feet of indoor fun with a beach theme, letting us feel as if we’ve escaped Chicago’s harsh winters.
Lincoln Park’s Social Pickleball Fun has it all—a massive turf, nine pickleball courts, Kikwetu coffee shop, Honey Butter Chicken restaurant, and a touch of luxury in the locker rooms with saunas. We don’t know about you, but this gives us all the adult camp vibes we need to bring back the carefree days of our youth. With the beach theme, we’ll feel like it’s summer all year round.
Get all the details here!