Things to Do in Chicago in December

December is a lovely time in Chicago. The city sparkles with holiday lights from Daley Plaza to Lincoln Park Zoo, and even though it's getting properly cold (the average high is 36.6°F and the low 24.4°F, by the National Weather Service's 1991-2020 normals), there's plenty indoors and out to warm you up. It's also busier and pricier than January, so book your hotel early if you're coming for a December weekend. Here are the best things to do.

Dates shift a little every year, so check each event's own site, or the city's festival dates page, before you plan around one. For packing, see what to wear in Chicago in winter, and for the whole season, Chicago in winter.

Christkindlmarket

The Christkindlmarket is a German-style Christmas market modeled on the one in Nuremberg. It started on Pioneer Court in 1996 and moved to Daley Plaza the next year. It opens on the Friday before Thanksgiving and runs daily until Christmas Eve. Entry is free, and you'll pay for the sausages, the ornaments and the glühwein, which comes in a collectible mug that people actually collect. There's a second market at Gallagher Way next to Wrigley Field that runs through New Year's Eve, and one in suburban Aurora.

ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo

ZooLights turns Lincoln Park Zoo into a light show from late November into the first days of January, from 4:30 to 9pm. It used to be free. Now everyone needs a ticket, but they're cheap if you buy ahead, $7 to $12 depending on the date, or $20 on the day. Most Mondays are free with a reservation, released a week in advance. Extras like the Ferris wheel and carousel cost more, and there are fire pits with s'mores and mulled wine. It closes on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and on some other nights, so check the calendar.

Skating in the Loop

The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park is free, with the city's big Christmas tree lit up nearby and the Bean reflecting it all. You'll need an online reservation, and rentals cost extra. Next door in Maggie Daley Park, the Skating Ribbon winds through the park for twice the length of a regular rink lap. Sessions are two hours and booked ahead, and rentals run $17 to $23.

For something more contained, Wintrust Winter WonderFest takes over part of Navy Pier with seasonal attractions, holiday decorations and an indoor rink from late November to early January. Skating is included in the ticket, and buying at least a day ahead is cheaper than paying at the door. It's built for families with young kids, and adults on their own will get more out of the free rinks downtown.

Christmas Around the World at the Griffin MSI

The Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry started in 1942 with one tree. Now it has more than 50 trees and displays decorated by community volunteers who draw on their families' heritage, plus a four-story Grand Tree and displays for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Diwali. It opens in early November, so it's in full swing all December.

A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker

The Goodman Theatre in the Loop has staged A Christmas Carol every holiday season since 1978. It runs from mid-November to New Year's Eve. Book early.

The Joffrey Ballet dances The Nutcracker every December at the Civic Opera House on Wacker Drive, with the Chicago Philharmonic in the pit. Since 2016 it has used Christopher Wheeldon's version, which moves the story to Chicago during the 1893 World's Fair. Tickets are on the Joffrey's site. For other shows, see theatre in Chicago and Hot Tix for discounts.

Ride the CTA Holiday Train

The CTA Holiday Train began on the Blue Line in 1992 as a train delivering food to charities. It still does that, but now the cars are wrapped in holiday art, lit with thousands of lights, and Santa rides on an open flatcar with his reindeer, waving to people on the platforms. It runs on every L line in turn from late November through late December, on regular service, so it costs a normal fare. CTA posts each line's schedule on its site before the season starts. There's a Holiday Bus too.

The Garfield Park Conservatory's winter show

The Garfield Park Conservatory puts on a winter flower show from late November into early January, included with general admission. Entry is free for Chicago residents and $10 for other adults, with timed tickets, and it's closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Take the Green Line to the Conservatory stop. On a gray December afternoon, the palms and ferns are a welcome change.

Free days and cheap nights

Illinois residents can still use the museum free days. The Field Museum is free for them on Wednesdays, and the Museum of Contemporary Art on Tuesday evenings from 5 to 9pm. The full list is on our free museum days page. Lincoln Park Zoo is free every day of the year, if you want to see the animals in daylight before ZooLights. More ideas are in free and cheap things to do in Chicago.

New Year's Eve

The month ends with fireworks. Navy Pier sets them off over the lake at midnight, and the city has added a show on the river along Wacker Drive in recent years. CTA trains and buses have been free late on New Year's Eve every year since 2012. Our New Year's in Chicago page has the details, from where to stand to how to get home.

For more holiday ideas, see Christmas events in Chicago and our holidays and events calendar. The month after this one is January.

Photo by Tom Gill (lapstrake)