Five Reasons to Spend Spring Break in Chicago

Forget Cancún and Fort Lauderdale. They're fine if you want a tan and a week of doing nothing. If you'd rather have a city break with good food, big museums and a skyline worth the trip, look at Chicago. The spring break months of March and April are cold, sometimes wet, and a lot cheaper than summer. Here's why that trade is worth making, plus what to do if you're bringing the kids.

1. Hotels cost less

Fewer people visit Chicago in early spring, and from October to April, outside the holidays, hotels have to compete for guests. That's your chance to stay on or near the Magnificent Mile for well under what the same room costs in July. Two caveats. St. Patrick's Day weekend is busy and priced to match, and a big convention at McCormick Place can fill downtown in any week, so check the events calendar before you book. Chicago's hotel tax is steep, too, so compare total prices, not nightly rates. Our hotels, where to stay and hostels pages will help you choose.

2. Getting here is easy

Chicago has two big airports, and both have a train straight downtown. The Blue Line runs 24 hours from O'Hare, and the Orange Line gets you from Midway to the Loop in 20 to 25 minutes, according to our getting to Chicago guide. If you're coming from elsewhere in the Midwest, Amtrak trains from Milwaukee, St. Louis and Detroit end at Union Station on the edge of the Loop, and the buses are cheaper still. Search for flights to "Chicago (CHI)" to compare both airports at once, and see flights to Chicago for more.

3. Chicago knows how to party

If your spring break lines up with St. Patrick's Day, you'll see how wild this city can get. The river is dyed green and the downtown parade marches on the Saturday on or before March 17, and the bars are packed from the morning. We've picked the best bars for St. Patrick's Day. Even without the holiday, there's something for every kind of night out, from dive bars and blues clubs to rooftop lounges and the gay bars of Northalsted. Start with our nightlife guide, plus unique bars and blues and jazz clubs. The drinking age in Illinois is 21, and the bouncers check.

4. Colder weather keeps the crowds down

Everyone knows summer is beautiful in Chicago, so everyone comes then. The beaches fill up, Michigan Avenue is a crawl, and the line for the Skydeck at the Willis Tower (it was the Sears Tower until 2009) can eat your afternoon. In March and early April the sidewalks are quieter, and you can step out onto The Ledge, the glass boxes 1,353 feet above the street, without waiting as long.

Be realistic about the weather. By the NWS normals, March averages a high of 47°F and April 59°F, and snow is possible in both. Pack layers and waterproof shoes, and read Chicago in March and Chicago in April before you go. On the plus side, the architecture river cruise starts its season in March. On a raw day, the spring flower shows at the Garfield Park and Lincoln Park conservatories are a warm place to wait it out.

5. You can see a lot in a short time

If you can't get away for a full week, a few days will still give you a good taste of the city. Most of what first-timers want to see is in or near the Loop, and the L gets you everywhere else. Try our three days in Chicago itinerary or a long weekend in spring.

Spring break with kids

The quiet streets don't extend to the museums. Spring break is when families hit the Museum Campus, so the big three are busier in these weeks than in the rest of early spring. Buy tickets online and get there when the doors open.

The Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium sit side by side on the lakefront south of Grant Park, and doing all three in a day is too much. Pick two. At the Field Museum, SUE the T. rex is the one the kids will want to see, and Illinois residents get in free every Wednesday. The Shedd is the priciest museum in town at peak times, because it uses date-based pricing, so a weekday visit is cheaper as well as calmer. The skyline view from the front steps of the Adler is one of the best in the city, and that part is free.

Down in Hyde Park, the Museum of Science and Industry is now called the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, a name it took in 2024. The U-505 submarine and the coal mine are the favorites, and each costs extra, so budget for them. See our five best exhibits and how to get there.

For a free day, the Lincoln Park Zoo is open every day of the year and doesn't charge admission. If you're doing several paid museums, a city pass usually saves money. Our family fun in Chicago and plan a family trip pages have more, and things to do in March and things to do in April list what's on while you're here.

Photo by multisanti