Wheeling, Illinois: 5 Fun Things to Do Near Chicago With the Kids! by Mike Prochaska

Wheeling, Ill., is a northwest suburb only 30 minutes away from downtown Chicago. It is a great place to visit on vacation or to raise your family. Wheeling is a very diverse community. You will find more ethnicities than you knew existed: Polish, Ukrainian, Mexican, Albanian, Bosnian, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Bulgarian… Here are some more reasons to visit Wheeling: 

If you like golf, Wheeling is home to the Chevy Chase Golf Course. They also have an amazing clubhouse here that they rent out for weddings, and sometimes the park district does community events here. The golf course is 125 acres built in 1927 by Thomas Bendelow and is a great place to tee up.

Photo: Chevy Chase Golf Course Facebook

The Wheeling Aquatic Center is one of the best kid’s pools in the suburbs. There is something for everyone at this pool. They have three water slides, volleyball courts and a water basketball play area. They also have a bucket and smaller slide area, too, for younger kids. My kids love this area because there a few smaller water slides they can do all by themselves. Many summer camps come to this pool, so it is best to visit after 1 p.m. when the camps leave.

Photo: WheelingParkDistrict.com

Foodies will love Restaurant Row! Wheeling is known for all the amazing food on Milwaukee Avenue and is home to some of the best dining experiences along Chicago’s North Shore. We could go out to eat every day at a different restaurant for a month and still not have tried them all. My favorite is Bob Chinn's Crab House for seafood and mai tais. My wife’s favorite is Cooper's Hawk and the kids’ favorite is Market Square, a family dinner.

Photo: Cooper's Hawk

Wheeling has been remodeling and updating all their parks over the last three years. Friendship Park has an amazing fountain that lights up at night. They decorate it at Christmas and Santa comes to visit. Last year they completed a new park at Heritage Park with recreational areas to enjoy such as turf soccer and softball/baseball fields. And for those that just want to relax, there are many concerts and outdoor movies. Right next to the park district is the Metro train station, making the trip to Chicago very convenient.

Photo: Foursquare.com

The new Indian Trails Public Library is amazing. The children area alone has a LEGO wall, light-up tables, iPads, a giant computer on the wall and huge windows overlooking the park next door.

Photo: Study room at Indian Trails Public Library

Photo (main): WheelingIl.gov

So, the next time you come to Chicago check out Wheeling!