Looking for an easy family day out in the Chicago suburbs? Yorktown Center in Lombard is so much more than a place to shop, with outdoor play, unique specialty stores, arcade games, claw machines, fun food experiences, and plenty of places to grab a treat along the way.
Here’s exactly how we spent our family day exploring Yorktown Center!
Disclosure: A huge thank you to Yorktown Center and their partners for partnering with us. As always, all opinions are my own. Read full disclosure policy here.
Outdoor Fun at The Square
The newest addition to Yorktown Center is The Square, a welcoming outdoor community space that is perfect for hanging out with the family. Here, you’ll find a cute nature-themed play area, colorful Adirondack chairs and tables for enjoying your food, a fun mural for photo ops, open green space for kids to run around, and a pet-friendly atmosphere.
When the weather is nice, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of coffee while the kids burn off some energy. We grabbed iced matchas from Gloria Jean’s, and they were so good!
Located just outside upper level of JCPenney entrance.
Tip: You can even visit before the mall opens.
Variety of Unique Shops
Instead of the typical mall stores, Yorktown Center has several specialty shops that catered perfectly to our family’s interests.
MINISO, Little Peach, and Too Cool were immediate favorites for my daughter, who is obsessed with blind boxes and basically anything cute. The boys are always on the lookout for collectibles and their next fun treasure hunt, so Comic Forge was another must-stop with its comics, manga, and collectible finds.
I loved browsing Barbara’s Bookstore to find another book to add to my ever-growing TBR list. We also found plenty of fashion stores like Akira and H&M to browse for back-to-school ideas, making it easy for everyone in the family to find something they enjoyed.
Fun Activities
Dave & Busters
We are an arcade-loving family, so Dave & Buster’s was the perfect way to kick off our day!
Before diving into the games, we started with an appetizer spread of nachos, mozzarella sticks, and spinach dip. Everything was so good! The nachos topped with chicken and white queso were a definite hit, and we could not get over the crazy cheese pull from the mozzarella sticks.
Once we hit the arcade, everyone had a blast trying to win as many tickets as possible. There was a really nice variety of games, including Ball Drop, Pop the Lock, air hockey, and Skee-Ball, which is always a family favorite. We also love pretty much any game that involves throwing something. We even showed off a few dance moves! The prize selection was also really good, with plenty of fun options for the kids to choose from when it was time to cash in their tickets. We had so much fun that we even returned later in the day to use the remaining credits on our game cards.
Crafty Claw
For even more fun, this time in the form of claw machines, make your way to Crafty Claw. I secretly love claw machines just as much as the kids, so this was such a fun stop!
Armed with a basket full of tokens, we searched for the plushies we wanted to win and tried our best to grab them. Collecting our prizes in one of the adorable pink shopping carts made the experience even more fun. Along the way, we learned a few tricks and eventually walked out with a bag full of goodies. The machines also felt more winnable than many of the claw machines we have tried elsewhere. The claws seemed to have a better grip, so it felt like we actually had a fair chance of taking home a prize.
Had we had more time, we also would have loved to try one of the DIY projects offered in the back, especially the Patch Bar, where guests can customize an item with decorative patches. That is already on our list for next time!
Dining
Noriteo
Another fun stop was Noriteo, a Korean snack shop where we tried ramyun. What a fun experience! We chose our ramyun from the wall, prepared it using the self-serve electric noodle cookers, then sat down and enjoyed it. It was such a cool way to try a new flavor of ramyun and make the meal part of the experience.
Gloria Jean’s
Our family days always have to start with coffee, and this one was no exception. We grabbed iced matchas from Gloria Jean’s before exploring the rest of Yorktown Center, and they were so good!
Mochii Donut
There are plenty of restaurants surrounding the mall, but Yorktown also has The Eatery, where you can find some more unique snack and dining options. We stopped at Mochii Donut for bubble tea and mochi donuts, which made for the perfect afternoon treat.
Other Dining Options
Should you want a sit-down spot, they have plenty of dining in and around the mall. Yorktown Center is also home to Gia Mia, one of my favorite spots for pizza. Even better, pizzas are half-price on Mondays for dine-in! If you’re looking for fast options, you can’t go wrong with The Eatery. We heard great things about the Thai spot there, so we will definitely need to return and try it next time.
Photo Ops
You know I love finding murals and public art! We spotted several fun photo ops throughout Yorktown Center, including a huge mural near the entrance by UFC Gym, the beautiful “Yorktown Butterfly” mural by popular street artist Kelsey Montague, and, of course, the “Greetings from Yorktown” mural on the first floor across from Express.
Final Thoughts of Yorktown Center
What started as a day at the mall turned into a full family adventure filled with outdoor fun, unique shops, arcade games, claw machines, great food, and plenty of treats along the way. I loved that Yorktown Center had something for everyone in our family. We still have more places we want to try, including the Patch Bar at Crafty Claw and the Thai spot inside The Eatery, so we already have plenty of reasons to return.
