Things to Do

Things to do

16 amazing ways to spend the holidays in Chicago

Celebrate the season with gorgeous light displays, festive theater productions, outdoor markets and spirited live music.

Things to do

The absolute coziest things to do in Chicago

Don't despair when the weather gets chilly—here's where you can stay toasty

Things to do

Our guide to Christmas in Chicago

Find the most festive events and the biggest trees with the help of our holiday guide

Things to do

Raise a mug at Christkindlmarket Chicago

With locations in the Loop and Wrigleyville, this holiday market is a beloved local tradition

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Things to do

The 9 best ice skating rinks

Strap on your skates and take a few laps around these remarkable local rinks

The best things to do in Chicago

Attractions

The 25 best Chicago attractions

We’ve assembled the city's must-see attractions for your touring convenience.

Things to do

Best things to do in Chicago that locals and tourists will love

We've searched the city to assemble this list of the best things to do in Chicago.

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Restaurants

The 17 best cheap eats in Chicago

We searched high and low to find awesomely inexpensive culinary delights.

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Things to do

Free museum days at the best Chicago museums

You don't have to spend a fortune in order to visit some of Chicago's best museums and cultural institutions.

Events and festivals

Things to do

Chicago Architecture Biennial

Learn about archiecture from around the world during this city-wide event

Things to do

ZooLights

2.5 million bulbs light up the night at Lincoln Park Zoo's winter display

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Winterland at Gallagher Way

Skate, shop and eat by Wrigley Field while the Cubs are hibernating for the season

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Lightscape

Walk through an epic new light show at the Chicago Botanic Garden

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Winter WonderFest

Navy Pier brings all of the winter fun indoors, with skating, rides, cocoa and more

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Deals & Giveaways

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Hamilton

Don't miss your chance to see the smash hit Broadway musical in Chicago

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Gangsters and Ghosts Tour

This tour visits the locations frequented by some of Chicago's most notorious gangsters along with many of the most haunted locations in Chicago

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Mean Girls

After debuting on Broadway in 2018, the musical version of Tina Fey's high school comedy Mean Girls is going to try to make "fetch" happen in Chicago. The James M. Nederlander Theatre will host the touring production of the stage adaptation for a five-week engagement from December 25, 2019 to January 26, 2020. Boasting a book by Fey, the Mean Girls musical follows home-schooled teenager Cady Heron as she begins attending a high school in the Chicago suburbs and contends with Regina George, the most popular (and meanest) girl in her class. Time Out New York theater critic Adam Feldman awarded the original Broadway production four stars, calling it "A canny crossbreed of Heathers and Hairspray... updated to reflect the new realities of smartphones and social media." Tickets for the Chicago production of Mean Girls will go on sale soon and, just like the touring production of Dear Evan Hansen, they're likely to sell out extremely quickly.

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The latest Chicago news

News

CTA Holiday Train season in Chicago has arrived

If the opening of Christkindlmarket, tomorrow's City of Chicago Christmas Tree lighting ceremony or next week's ZooLights opening doesn't get you in the...

News

Time Out Market Chicago is now open, with 19 amazing chefs

Almost two years ago, we announced our plans to open Time Out Market in the West Loop, vowing to bring together the best of the city under one roof. Today...

News

Time Out Market Chicago opens tomorrow in the West Loop

The wait is almost over. Time Out Market Chicago flings open its doors tomorrow, Nov 21, welcoming Chicagoans to an immersive culinary destination featuring...

News

This vegan Italian beef is a new Chicago classic. Really.

According to very official food historians, the Italian beef was born in Chicago in 1938, in the throes of the Great Depression, when meat was scarce and...

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