If you’ve followed me for awhile, you probably know Mr. Sweet Southern Oaks is originally from Chicago. Last week we took a trip to the Chicago suburbs and spent a few hours in the Windy City. We didn’t go to be tourists {although let’s get real, I took a ton of pictures!} instead we went to see his best friend get married and to spend time with family. A trip into Chicago to sight see for a few hours was a must! What can you do during Christmas in Chicago?
It turns out, there are a lot of things you can do in the city during the holidays. We only had about three or four hours to spend, but I had my list of sites and we did quite a few things! Christmas in Chicago can be a magical place to visit for the holidays! Go ahead and pin this post for next year so you can plan a trip to spend Christmas in Chicago.
Christkindlmarket Chicago
The Christkindlmarket is a festive open air market sure to get you in the holiday spirit! I had a few friends on Instagram tell me I needed to check it out! I’m so glad we did because it was my favorite thing we did in the city. We took the blue line train into Chicago and got off on Washington Street. The market was right there when we got out of the train station and this is where we started our Chicago adventure. Christkindlmarket brings the charm of German markets with traditional food and drinks and gifts.
It’s free to get in and you can walk around to shop and eat. We were really cold so we made sure to take a few stops into the stores that had heat! Be sure to bring some cash with you so you can try the German food and drinks. Mr. Sweet Southern Oaks tried the brat and I warmed up with a cup of hot chocolate. For a few dollars more, it was a no brainer to get the mug!
Ice Skating at Millennium Park
Millennium Park is free to get in and you can walk around to visit the Christmas tree and The Bean. You can also ice-skate right in front of The Bean. It cost $13.00- $15.00 to rent a pair of skates, depending on when you go. Check out the City of Chicago’s website for more information.
This reminded me of a scene that should be straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie!
You’ll also find the iconic Cloud Gate, AKA The Bean, in Millennium Park which reflects the Chicago skyline.
Christmas in Chicago: Macy’s Windows and Trees
The Macy’s on State Street is adorned with vintage looking trumpets and Christmas wreaths outside of the store. Each window has it’s own festive window scene. To warm up, we walked around inside of Macy’s nine story store!
About a block from Macy’s on the intersection of Lake Street and State Street you’ll find the Chicago Theater Sign. Of course, I had to stop and snap a few pictures of this sign. As they say, when in Chicago. Ok, maybe that’s not really a saying, but it should be.
Shop Michigan Avenue and State Street
There are a lot stores on Michigan Avenue and State Street to window shop. Known as the Magnificent Mile, you can check out designer shops and boutiques to finish your Christmas shopping.
Holiday Train Ride
You can take a holiday train ride that runs around the city. It’s decorated with lights on the outside and inside of the train is decorated and plays Christmas music. I hear Santa and his reindeer, Ralphie, are ready to take a quick picture on the train, too!
We happened to take the Blue Line, which was the route of the holiday train that particular week. We saw the holiday train for a quick second (I didn’t even have time to get my camera ready!) on the way back to the train station. It was a magical millisecond though! If only we had waited a few more minutes, perhaps we could have taken the holiday train back to the station. The holiday train also delivers food baskets to local Chicago charities. What a great way to give back to the city! Definitely plan ahead if you want to catch the holiday train and prepare yourself for lots of people on board to enjoy the magical train ride!
“Home Alone” House and Church
In the suburbs of Chicago, you can visit the “Home Alone” house and the church where the movie was filmed. While you cannot go inside of the house, many fans do drive to see the home. It sounds really fun to do around Christmas, especially if you enjoy the movie!
See The Nutcracker at the Joffrey Ballet
A fun fact you probably don’t know about me is that I use to be a dancer. Ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical– I did it all! Pointe was my favorite and I dreamed of playing Clara in The Nutcracker and be a Rockette (but I was to short!). To see The Nutcracker at the Joffrey Ballet would be amazing!
Christmas in Chicago can be really fun. The only thing missing from our trip into the Windy City was snow. If it’s going to be twenty degrees with a windchill in the teens, this Southern girl wants to play in the snow! There was a dusting of snow on the day we left. Would you believe I took this picture from inside of a moving bus? Because I totally did!
Have you ever been to Chicago at Christmas? Chicago is an amazing city to visit with all of the architecture and food, especially during the holidays.
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Such a great article!
Thank you! Christmas is such a fun time of the year to visit the city!