Mother-Daughter Bonding at American Girl Cafe in Chicago
Moms of a certain age (ahem) can certainly remember drooling over the American Girl catalog. Now it’s our turn to share this timeless line of books and toys with our own daughters! Join me as I tour the American Girl store and cafe in Chicago, Illinois.
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The American Girl Place
The store and cafe are located in the same space in the Water Tower Place mall at 835 Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611. There is a parking garage around the corner from the mall or you can easily walk from the Magnificent Mile area.
Shopping Areas
Downstairs
The store is two levels with an impressive escalator to take you up to the second story. (They also have an elevator if needed.) When entering from the street entrance, you will enter a room featuring all of the American Girl books.
Can you believe that this tweenage girl bible is now 25 years old!!??
Moving beyond this area, you will begin to discover the classic dolls we all remember. The store sells matching outfits for girls and dolls, accessories, clothes and of course the dolls. Each “main character” doll has their own vignette set up, some with interactive elements.
Upstairs
When you visit the second level of the store you will find the Girl-of-the-Year display, as well as specialty outfits (such as Disney, Harry Potter or Wicked).
This is also where the Bitty Baby, Wellie-Wishers and Truly Me dolls are located.
If this is all gibberish to you, you have some research to do before your trip! The store also offers personal shoppers by appointment.
Beyond the retail area you will also find the salon, bake shop, hospital and American Girl Cafe.
The American Girl Salon
Yes, you read that correctly, a salon for a doll! You are able to make appointments online or they will do their best to fit you in as a walk-in. The following services are available for either your daughter, a doll or both. Note: The salon will only style true American Girl 18 inch dolls.
- Ear Piercing (yes, even for the doll!)
- Nails
- Hair Styling
There are several accessory options for the dolls available at the salon as well, including hearing aids.
Doll Hospital
American Girl dolls are expensive. It is a hard pill to swallow to spend $100+ on a delicate toy and then hand it over to a seven year old. The good news is, American Girl realizes this and provides doll hospital services.
Rather than purchasing a new doll for my daughter, I had gifted her mine. My daughter loved her and played with her often…and it showed. Knowing we were visiting the Chicago location we packed up the doll and asked for her to be admitted to the hospital.
The staff is amazing and makes the kids feel they will take extra good care of their doll. Ours required some inpatient care and had to be shipped back home weeks later. For around $50.00 our doll had her arms repaired, skin cleaned up and hair redone. She was shipped home to us and arrived in a hospital gown, complete with a hospital bracelet! I would recommend this service to anyone.
*The American Girl Doll Hospital is being renamed the American Girl Doll Care Center.
American Girl Cafe
The Cafe allows your child to dine with their doll! During your meal, the staff will provide highchairs and pretend food for the dolls. Reservations are highly recommended. The Cafe is open for lunch, weekend brunch, tea time and also hosts special events throughout the year.
The dining menu is currently pre-fixe. It includes a drink, cinnamon rolls, “first course” (an appetizer), main course and dessert. Alchoholic and specialty beverages are available for an upcharge.
Pictured below are my daughter’s crudite, macaroni and cheese and birthday chocolate mousse dessert.
While pricey, (but not as bad as a Disney character meal!) I do think this is a worthwhile experience. The perfect place for some mother-daughter bonding or even a fun Galentine’s tea time, your child will love this experience.
Hours, Pricing and FAQs
American Girl Chicago Hours of Operation
The store hours are currently 7 Days a week from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Over the years this has changed often, so be sure to check the website before your trip.
The Cafe has an even more varied schedule. It is not open for all meals on all days and does not follow the same schedule as the store.
Reservations
As I mentioned above, reservations are highly recommended for the salon and cafe. They are also offered for a personal shopper, as well as private events.
Other American Girl Locations
Besides Chicago, American Girl also has locations in:
- Charlotte
- Dallas
- Los Angeles
- Nashville
- New York
- Orlando
- Washington D.C.
Typical Pricing at American Girl
Take a deep breath…this one might hurt! A doll with a standard outfit and book is currently $125. A specialty licensed doll (Disney etc.) is $135. Outfits run between $25+ and furniture can cost hundreds of dollars. That being said, there are smaller items available for less than $20.
It is a good plan to have a discussion with your child ahead of time as to what your financial expectations are when shopping. The store is huge and overwhelming, it may also be good to check out the website ahead of time to make some initial decisions.
Salon pricing
Pricing at the salon depends on if you are getting services for a child, doll or both. They begin around $25 for doll hair services.
American Girl Cafe Pricing
Lunch prices at the Cafe begin at $30.00
What else can you do in Chicago?
Water Tower Place is also home to a Lego Store (in fact it is right around the corner from American Girl Place). The mall has great shopping as well as Harry Caray’s restaurant.
The greater Chicago area is a wonderful place to spend time with kids after you’re done shopping at the mall. Museums abound, Navy Pier looms and dining is fabulous. Some suggestions include:
The Craziest McDonalds in Chicago
The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
The Chicago Children’s Museum
The Shedd Aquarium
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