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Activities to Do in Winter in Chicago

 Ice skating is a popular winter activity in Chicago. (Photo: Figure Skates image by Alaskajade from Fotolia.com )


Winters in Chicago can be brutal, generally dipping down into freezing temperatures, but don't let that stop you from seeing the sights and participating in winter activities. Whether you want to show off your spin on an ice skating rink in Grant Park, view the lights while strolling down the Magnificent Mile, or see how ice sculptures are made, Chicago is almost as busy during winter as it is in spring and summer.


Try a new dish or stroll to one of your favorite local restaurants during Chicago's annual Restaurant Week, which takes place for one week in late February. Each of the 170 participating restaurants prepares three-course dishes at discounted prices. The restaurants design different meals for both lunch and dinner. This week allows you to dine at some of the more expensive restaurants in the city or test out an exotic dish you have been tempted to try.


Museum Campus is home to three of the more popular museums in the city: the Shedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum of Natural History. Begin the morning visiting penguins and view a dolphin feeding at the Shedd Aquarium, stroll over to the Field Museum to take a photograph of the life-size Tyrannosaurus rex, and pretend to be an astronaut and build a robot at the Adler Planetarium. The museums provides discount days during select dates, offering free general admission at different times throughout winter. If you plan your schedule well, you could visit all three museums at no cost.


Ice skating rinks are located throughout Chicago and offer a way to get some fresh air and a little exercise. If you are already downtown, stroll over to the popular Daley Bicentennial Plaza in Grant Park, just off of East Randolph Street. After your skate, warm up with hot chocolate from the vending machines around the rink. If you're looking to avoid a large crowd, wander over to the Olympic-size Midway Plaisance Rink in the Hyde Park Neighborhood, which provides an indoor warming center and a viewing area for non-skaters. There is no fee for ice skating at public rinks; skates may be rented for a small fee. All public ice skating rinks are maintained by the Chicago Park District.

Zoo Activities

You might not think of visiting a zoo during winter, but the Lincoln Park Zoo just off of North Cannon Drive offers winter activities for both children and adults. From the end of November to the beginning of January, stop by the park for ZooLights, a free, family-friendly event in which you can stroll through the exhibits after the zoo has added hundreds of holiday lights and decorations. Photograph yourself in front of the giant snow globes and stop to admire the turtle and penguin ice sculptures. You can even watch an ice sculpture being created by a professional. At the end of the tour, warm up inside with a cup of hot chocolate.

Sleigh Rides

A good way to get into the holiday spirit is by riding through Chicago and the area neighborhoods on an authentic sleigh. A Zoo to You has been offering sleigh rides throughout Chicago since purchasing the sleighs in 1996. The company provides a 12- to 15-passenger sleigh pulled by four horses. Each ride lasts approximately two hours; you can ride longer for an additional fee. Sleigh rides fill up quickly before the holidays and reservations are recommended.




Alison Merfeld has been a freelance writer since 2008. Her published articles can be found on various websites, covering golf, the outdoors and other topics. She is currently working on her first fiction novel. Merfeld earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Iowa.





Merfeld, Alison. "Activities to Do in Winter in Chicago." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/activities-winter-chicago-15300.html. Accessed 19 December 2018.
Merfeld, Alison. (n.d.). Activities to Do in Winter in Chicago. Travel Tips - USA Today. Retrieved from https://traveltips.usatoday.com/activities-winter-chicago-15300.html
Merfeld, Alison. "Activities to Do in Winter in Chicago" accessed December 19, 2018. https://traveltips.usatoday.com/activities-winter-chicago-15300.html






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