The best things to do in Avondale

Walk through one of the largest breweries in Illinois during Revolution Brewing’s 45-minute guided public tours, which take place every Saturday afternoon at the brewery’s 90,000-square-foot facilities on Kedzie Avenue. For $15, you’ll receive two fresh beer samples throughout the tour and a keepsake glass at the end, plus tons of newfound knowledge about the iconic brewery’s history and significance to the Chicago craft beer scene.

The retro vibes are strong at this eight-lane bowling alley located in the former home of Northwest Bowl, a neighborhood staple that originally opened in the 1940s. While the decor leans old school—and scoring is manual—the bar’s beverage menu is decidedly contemporary, with a strong showing of craft cocktails and draft beer. Don’t miss out on weekly happy hour specials, including $8 frozen White Russians on Thursdays.

For nearly a quarter century, this arts and music nonprofit has highlighted Puerto Rican culture with a robust schedule of art exhibitions, live performances and music classes. Swing by to wander through free art shows (past exhibits have centered on everything from the Puerto Rican experience in the Midwest to a showcase of the artist Héctor Rafael) or sign up for classes to learn how to play guitar, violin or cuatro with instruction that focuses on a Latin American repertoire.

Once a humble Polish dive bar, Podlasie was reborn in 2022 as a hazy nightclub and lounge, quickly becoming a cornerstone of Chicago's nightlife scene. Its calendar runs the full spectrum of modern electronic music—ambient, house, drum 'n' bass and beyond—drawing DJs and dancers into its dimly lit embrace. Keep an eye on their socials for special one-off events, like pop-up art installations and open decks happy hour, when anyone can try their hand at spinning records.

Located at the sprawling Rockwell on the River complex near Avondale’s eastern edge, Judson & Moore is a family-run craft distillery that creates whiskies with local flair. Founded by entrepreneur Judson Bergman alongside his daughter (designer Elise Bergman) and her husband (distiller and engineer Collin Moore), Judson & Moore distills spirits using Midwestern grains and Lake Michigan water before aging them in Minnesota white oak barrels. At the riverside distillery space, visitors can purchase bottles, sip craft cocktails curated by operations manager Colleen Malone (Violet Hour, Superkhana, Lula Cafe), book hour-long tours through the production facilities and catch live music throughout the week.

Local climbing gym First Ascent has four locations throughout Chicago, but the massive Avondale outpost offers an especially strong showing for roped climbing—including auto belay, top rope and lead climbing—with terrain stretching up to 60 feet tall, plus a smaller bouldering area on the second floor. Test your skills with a day pass (note that first-time climbers will need to sign a waiver and receive a short safety briefing) or opt for a membership, which includes free yoga classes and access to the three other First Ascent locations.

Part bar, part music venue, Sleeping Village boasts a lengthy list of craft beer and cider on draft as well as a 300-person venue tucked in the back of the building, where you can nab tickets for a wide array of intimate concerts and comedy shows. But even if you’re not seeing a performance, Sleeping Village is a worthy hangout destination—especially if you can take advantage of the bar’s adjacent patio, which fills to the brim when the weather’s agreeable. 

This nonprofit, all-ages spot has quickly become one of the premier venues in the city for free jazz, electronic and other edge-riding music. You'll usually find interesting art on the walls, cheap beer at the bar and something on the calendar worth checking out in the near future. The crowd ranges from hipsters to older jazz fans to the curious and uninitiated, but there’s no intimidation factor to be found—it’s always friendly.

Transplanted from Logan Square to Avondale, Bric-A-Brac's brightly colored storefront still feels like the bedroom of every ’80s kid’s dreams. Mural-covered walls are lined with shelves of toys, from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to vintage Transformers. It’s one of the only stores in town where you can pick up a Clash cassette, a VHS copy of Blade Runner and some E.T. earrings in one fell swoop. All of this supplements a highly curated selection of punk and garage rock records, including a healthy number of releases from local bands and archival LPs issued through the shop's own label.

Next door to Bric-a-Brac lies The Brewed: every horror lover's dream—and perhaps anyone else's nightmare. More museum than coffee shop, it's filled with giant movie posters, curio cabinets brimming with memorabilia and walls painted in homage to Suspiria (1977). The menu features themed drinks like the “Leland Palmer” (cold brew swirled into tart lemonade) and lattes swirled with “Firestarter” syrup (a chili-infused citrus syrup inspired by Mexican mole), along with grab-and-go bites and macarons from local confectioner Bad Channel Co.