Suburban Stadiums: Exploritorium

Facility and History:

After being open for 10 years, the Exploritorium went through much-needed renovations in late 2009. The center was reopened in June of 2010 with entirely new walls and exhibits and was named Chicagoland's "Best Rainy Day Activity Site" by Chicago magazine.

The idea behind the Exploritorium at 4701 Oakton St. is to provide Chicagoland children a large indoor playground filled with a variety of activities that are both physically and mentally stimulating. The admission is a modest $3 for Skokie residents and $5 for nonresidents, with a slight discount for those purchasing a 10-visit pass.

“The Exploritorium is really a great place for children and families to come play indoors,” said Mary Grear, the Exploritorium and special event supervisor for the Skokie Park District. “The idea is to give children a space where they can run around, use their gross motor skills and release their energy and get them out of the house for a while.”

Among the many different arenas in the Exploritorium are a water area, climbing wall, toddler zone, music walls and a theater area with costumes.

The Exploritorium’s open floor plan is advantageous for parents as adults can stand in the center and keep an eye on every play area that a child may visit.

Other Features:

While the Exploritorium focuses on children up through age 8, older elementary school students are often entertained by the tubes and tunnels indoor playground that extends more than two stories high.

The water section comes with miniature boats, a waterfall and various floating toys, while the music wall has a variety of instruments for children to try out.

The next major event at the Exploritorium will be its Halloween celebration titled “Ex-Scare-Itorium.”

“Kids can play in the Exploritorium for free,” Grear said. “I have an entertainer, a balloon artist, games and prizes and crafts that we do for Halloween.” 

Event Calendar:

Oct. 29: Ex-Scare-Itorium