On the ground floor of the grand Harold Washington Library downtown, the Thomas Hughes Children’s Library turns reading into an adventure: a soaring, colorful space with a LEGO wall, early-learning play areas, discovery tables and librarians who treat every child’s question like a treasure hunt. Story times, maker programs and family events fill the weekly calendar.
It’s not just downtown: Chicago Public Library branches in every neighborhood run free programs for babies through teens, from bilingual story times to homework help and summer reading games. For families, the library card is the best free ticket in Chicago – and the children’s library is its happiest proof.
