12 Things to do in Chicago at Christmas

Make no mistake, the Illinois metropolis is known for its cold and wet winters. Snow and sub-zero temperatures are a constant at this time of year, yet it's well worth the trip to spend Christmas in Chicago.

Christmas markets, ice skating, traditional drinks... there are plenty of activities to take your mind off the cold temperatures. This article explains everything you should include in your list of things to see and do in Chicago if you travel during the holidays.

From the second half of November through December 24, Daley Plaza hosts a typical German Christmas market. This tradition was born in 1996 thanks to the collaboration between the German-American Chamber of Commerce and the Chicago authorities. The result is so appreciated that it has become a much-anticipated event for locals and travellers alike.

A stroll through the Christkindlmarket will take you back to the old continent and give you the opportunity to sample the classics of Germany (and some neighbouring countries):

• Glühwein, mulled and spiced wine. It's the perfect thing to take the chill off Chicago's chill. It is made with cinnamon, orange, lemon, star anise, nutmeg and ground ginger.
• Currywurst, a pork and beef hot dog topped with a tasty curry sauce. You can try it at the Donermen stall.
• Alpine-style raclette. The cheeses are made by the Baked Cheese Haus.
• Gyulai kolbász, Hungarian sausage with sauerkraut.
• Traditional and modernpretzels. If you like to experiment, I recommend the "pizza pretzel" with mozzarella and tomato sauce.
• Applestrudel or with an almond and apricot filling. According to connoisseurs, the best ones are sold at Helmut's.

In addition to food and drink, the market offers handicrafts such as Christmas decorations, advent calendars, music boxes and the typical figurines of Krampus, the Christmas devil.

Practical information

• Address: Daley Plaza (50 W Washington Street).
• Price: depends on what you buy. Note that a glass of spiced wine usually costs about $8 - €7.50 while a currywurst with fries is about $9 - €8.50 approximately.

The Merchandise Mart, nicknamed theMART, is the largest commercial building in the world. It is located next to the river and has a special feature: at night, its huge façade becomes the backdrop for artistic projections. Because of its location, you may be able to see the building while on a Chicago sunset cruise or a Chicago dinner cruise

. The show is repeated every night of the year (twice a night). However, on the occasion of Christmas, the digital art pays homage to the holiday of December 25th. You can consult the programme on the official website.

Also, if you are interested in these themes, I recommend you book a ticket to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA).

Practical information

• Address: 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza. To see the show you can get a spot on the Chicago Riverwalk pier (corner of Wells Street and Franklin Street).
• Price: free.

Attending an NBA game is an incredible experience that you have to live at least once in your life and Christmas, because of its festive atmosphere, is an unforgettable time to do so. Therefore, on your trip to Chicago during Christmas you have to buy your ticket for a Chicago Bulls game, because as I said: the atmosphere in the stadium is always spectacular, but at Christmas it is even more so.

When buying your ticket, take into account the choice of seat to enjoy the game to the fullest. And on the day of the game, don't arrive just in time. An NBA game is a spectacle and I recommend that you experience it at the highest level, enjoy the atmosphere, buy some souvenirs, watch the dances of the cheerleaders, feel the music and, above all, don't miss how the players enter the court. All of this now so that you can fully enjoy the experience.

An NBA game officially lasts 48 minutes (4 quarters of 12 minutes each), but between half-time, when you can go and buy a snack or drink, and time-outs, it usually lasts up to two hours.

Practical information

• Address: 1901 West Madison Street, in the West Loop, the United Center.
• Price: Different prices depending on the seat chosen.

Don't miss the unique opportunity to fly over the city of Chicago in a helicopter at Christmas time. You'll have the most breathtaking panoramic views of the city and get the best pictures as you fly over popular landmarks such as Navy Pier, Wrigley Field Stadium, Millennium Park, the Willis Tower, the John Hancock Building and more.

Throughout this three-person tour, you won't miss a thing, as during this 45-minute flight, live commentary is included and the pilot will tell you numerous stories and anecdotes about the city.

And if you think you'll miss out, don't worry. This experience includes noise-cancelling headphones.

Practical information

• Price: From €811.

In the month of December, the Illinois metropolis hosts temporary pop-up bars that feature holiday decorations and cocktails. If you take a tour of Chicago, try to keep the addresses so you can come back later.

Here's a short list of the best:

• Elfd'd Up (Stretch Bar & Grill, 3485 N. Clark Street).
• Rudolph's Pop-Up Bar (3660 N Clark Street).
• Santa Baby Bar (3505 N Clark Street).
• 8 Crazy Nights Chicago (3441 N Sheffield Avenue).
• Frosty's Bar (809 W Evergreen Avenue).

Practical Info

• Address: Various locations.
• Price: Depending on the location, can be around $15 - €14.20.

The Windy City's best restaurants are open for both dinner on the 24th and lunch on the 25th. If you plan to spend Christmas in Chicago, I recommend booking a table well in advance. There are several options and the list below lists my favourites:

• Maple & Ash, where the grill takes centre stage. It's worth trying both the grilled seafood and their famous rib-eye, a delicious steak cut from the rib of the calf (8 W. Maple Street).
• Osteria Langhe, the Italian restaurant specialising in Piedmontese cuisine. It may not be like those in the transalpine country, but its recipes are finger-licking good: vitello tonnato (thin veal fillets with a tuna and caper sauce), agnolotti (stuffed pasta), bagna cauda (a walnut, garlic and anchovy sauce) and other recipes, all washed down with excellent red wines (2824 W Armitage Avenue).
• Tortoise Supper Club, a real time machine. Its interiors will take you back to the 1920s. I recommend ordering the ribs, seafood starters or the meatloaf (350 N State Street).
• Somerset, the restaurant at the Viceroy Chicago hotel. On Christmas Day they offer a special menu. Located on the Goald Coast, an elegant neighbourhood on the shores of Lake Michigan (1112 N State Street).
• I, one of the best rooftops in Chicago. You can eat on the rooftop even in winter, as the tables are covered by a heated dome (127 W Huron Street).

Note that lunch and dinner times are different in the US. Dinner is usually between 6pm and 7pm.

If you like to eat and want to discover more of what the city has to offer in this respect, my advice is to complement your New Year's Eve dinner with a food tour of Chicago.

Practical information

• Address: the establishments are located in the most central part of the city.
• Price: All the restaurants are in the upper mid-range. In the end, a day is a day and it's not often you get a Christmas in the Illinois metropolis.

The Chicago City Council puts up a large Christmas tree in Millennium Park. The lighting ceremony usually takes place at the beginning of December and includes characters such as Rudolph the reindeer, Elf , Father Christmas and other seasonal characters.

The ceremony is complemented by concerts and other entertainment. It's definitely one of the best things to do in Chicago with kids.

Practical information

• Address: 201 E Randolph Street.
• Price: free.

If your children love the film "The Polar Express", you can treat them to an unforgettable experience. Polar Express is a special train that pays homage to this Christmas classic. The journey begins with the punching of the iconic golden ticket and, once on board, Santa's helpers entertain the passengers with carols and little shows.

The experience lasts about an hour and hot chocolate and biscuits are served along the way. If you are interested, I recommend booking tickets well in advance. For more ideas, you can read the post that lists the 10 things to see and do in Chicago with kids.

Practical information

• Address: the convoy departs from Union Station (225 S Canal Street).
• Price: there are three tickets, Value ($45 - 42.50 approx. adults, $40 - 38 approx. children), Standard ($65 - 61.50 approx. and $60 - 56.50 approx.) and Premium ($80 - 75.50 approx. and $70 - 66 approx.). All prices are approximate.

Are you familiar with the sport? Curling is a winter sport played on a small stretch of ice. And an ideal plan if you're thinking about what to do in Chicago in winter.

Players must get a 20-kilogram granite stone to a target painted on the icy surface. To straighten this heavy disc, the other participants use a kind of broom to speed it up or slow it down.

You've probably seen it at the Winter Olympics! Well, during the Christmas season, The Gwen hotel sets up a rooftop court and offers packages that include renting the 'court' and one or more cocktails. It's a fun experience and gives you the chance to try an unusual sport.

Practical info

• Address: 521 North Rush Street.
• Price: depends on the day. I recommend you check the hotel's official website.

Whether you're an experienced athlete or a beginner, Chicago has a rink for you. At Christmas time you'll find them at various locations around the metropolis, but the most beautiful is called the McCormick Tribune and is located in downtown Millennium Park.

It's a very American option, giving you the chance to skate in the shadow of the skyscrapers.

Here you can rent your equipment, learn how to ice skate with free lessons or grab a hot chocolate at Momentum Coffee (2119 S State Street Chicago).

Practical info

• Address: McCormick Tribune is located at 1 N Michigan Ave.
• Price: Admission is free, but you must reserve a ticket in advance. You can do so through the official website.

Glögg is the Scandinavian version of mulled wine. The Swedes do it a little differently: they add more alcohol (usually aquavit or vodka) and round out the flavour by adding nuts such as almonds and walnuts to the mix. During the holiday season, one Chicago bar is the place to be: Simon's Tavern. The owners have been serving glögg since 1934 and, almost a century later, the brew is still made according to the family recipe.

You may be wondering why a Northern European drink has become such an icon on the shores of Lake Michigan. The answer is simple: from the early 19th century until 1960, Chicago was a favoured destination for Swedish immigrants. The Scandinavian community was concentrated in Andersonville, a neighbourhood on the north side of the city.

A hot cup of glögg is the perfect excuse for a stroll here. It's a quiet district that's home to Ebenezerel Lutheran Church (1650 W. Foster), the Swedish American Museum (5211 N. Clark Street) and Rosehill Cemetery (5800 N. Ravenswood Avenue).

Practical Information

• Address: 5210 N Clark Street.
• Price: Simon's Tavern is an inexpensive bar. A glass of glögg is priced at less than $5 - approximately €4.70.

Are you nostalgic for the 80's and every Christmas you don't miss a replica of Only at Home? Then you can take advantage of your stay in Chicago to take a trip back in time. The cult film starring Macaulay Culkin was shot in Winnetka, a sleepy town about 25 kilometres from the metropolis.

The McCallister house is an elegant Georgian-style residence, with a floor area of about 400 square metres and a market value in excess of $2 million. Unfortunately, it is not open to visitors, although the owners occasionally rent out the mansion for special promotions and events.

Once in Winnetka, you can take the opportunity to visit other places immortalised in the film. The meeting with Father Christmas was filmed in the small park at Chestnut Court, the toothbrush scene at the drugstore at 942 Green Bay Road, while the police officer's escape took place in Hubbard Woods Park (939 Old Green Bay Road). True, a route like this can be done at any time of the year , but it wouldn't have the same magic. *Home Alone" is a Christmas classic and wouldn't be the same without snow and festive decorations.

Practical information

• Address: 671 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka. You can get there by train (UP-N line) from the Richard B. Ogilvie Transportation Center station (500 W Madison Street). The trip takes just over half an hour.
• Price: Tickets cost between $4 and $6 - approximately €3.80 and €5.60.

The metropolis of Illinois is located in the Midwest of the United States, an area characterised by a continental climate. In the month of December, minimum temperatures drop below freezing (peaking at minus 20 degrees Celsius) while maximum temperatures rarely rise above 3 degrees Celsius/4 degrees Fahrenheit. The blizzard, a wind that sometimes blows from the north, exacerbates the feeling of cold. But the temperature shouldn't be a factor when it comes to organising your list of things to see and do in Chicago.

For a bit of warmth, you can visit Chicago's best museums. The Field Museum of Natural History is highly recommended. It houses an ancient Egyptian tomb, the most complete tyrannosaurus fossil ever discovered and thousands of other gems. It is located on the shores of Lake Michigan (1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago).