10 ways to experience Christmas in Chicago

There’s more to Christmas in Chicago than the sparkling lights of Michigan Avenue and a majestic tree in Millennium Park. Chicago is a city that oozes holiday spirit from the department store windows downtown all the way to the suburbs. Whether sparkling lights, a German-style market, or a dance party in a decked-out botanical garden are on your Christmas list, this city is ready to make all of your holiday wishes come true.

Head to the Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park to experience an unforgettable Christmas around the world. This annual exhibit began with a single Christmas tree in 1942 and has since grown to include more than 50 trees representing holiday traditions from around the world. The centerpiece of this exhibit is a four-story-tall tree.

Take your annual viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life up a notch by swapping the movie for a live, interactive 1940s-style radio broadcast version of the holiday classic. The American Blues Theater has been bringing the story of George Bailey to life every holiday season for more than 20 years. There may be no better way to experience this classic.

You don’t have to fly to Europe to experience an epic Christmas market. Just head to downtown Chicago where you’ll find Christkindlmarkt, the city’s German-style holiday market complete with gluhwein, pretzels, and collectible mugs. Each year, the market releases a new signature mug and welcomes dozens of artisans selling ornaments, warm weather essentials, and anything else you might need for a festive holiday. A smaller version of the market is also located outside Wrigley Field. If you’re looking for more winter festivals in Chicago, you can check out our guide.

You may have seen The Nutcracker before, but you’ve never seen it projected onto the 2.5-acre facade of an architectural icon. When it opened in 1930, the Merchandise Mart was the largest building in the world. It has since lost that title, but each holiday season it becomes an epic canvas for a showing of The Nutcracker. Art on the Mart—which creates the largest permanent digital art projections in the world—projects the Christmas classic each year. For the best views, head to the Riverwalk between Wells and Lake Streets.

Nothing feels more like Christmas morning than waking up at the Swissotel’s Santa Suite. This sprawling penthouse hotel suite is a whimsical holiday wonderland decorated with more than a dozen locally-themed Christmas trees. There are trees dedicated to the Cubs, White Sox, Bears, theater, Chicago’s world-class museums, luxury shopping destinations, and even the local transit system. The Holiday Penthouse package comes with room for six guests, a bottle of Moet, lots of holiday treats, a hot cocoa bar, and an unforgettable in-room breakfast. The experience will set you back more than $1,000 a night—but there are more affordable rooms with holiday cheer. Consider an elf-decorated room with welcome cake pops for under $350 a night or reserve yourself a spot for the hotel’s PJs and Pancakes with Santa experience, which will cost between $60 and $80 per person.

Each year, the Chicago Transit Authority decks out one of its trains for the holidays. The Santa Train runs along several different routes and has a flat-bed train car set aside for a very special passenger and his reindeer. Check the CTA calendar for the Santa Train schedule, and don’t be surprised when you look up and see the man himself riding by on the train.

There’s nothing quite like a beautiful garden all lit up for the holidays, and the Chicago Botanic Garden is one of the best. Not sure where to start? Take a walk through the Winter Cathedral—an idyllic archway of lights—and be sure to stop at the zen garden.

Chicago provided the backdrop for this iconic John Hughes Christmas movie, and there may be no better American city to experience a Home Alone–themed holiday. What’s on the itinerary? See the McAllister family home in suburban Winnetka. Stay in the Home Alone Suite—a recreation of the McAllister parents’ bedroom— at the Graduate Hotel in Evanston. Or treat yourself to "Home Alone in Concert" by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

If you prefer to sip on your mulled wine indoors, head north of downtown to Andersonville—an LGBTQ-friendly neighborhood on the northern edge of the city. Simon’s Tavern, which opened its doors in 1934, is best known for its Swedish glögg once the temperatures drop. There are few cozier places to bask in the glow of kitschy holiday decorations on a cold winter’s night than this Chicago dive bar.

Why take a leisurely walk through a winter wonderland of lights when you could dance? Check out one of The Morton Arboretum’s late-night trance and progressive house experiences for an especially unique way to enjoy its 50 acres of holiday lights long after dark.