Winter in Chicago: Top 10 Winter Activities in Chicago

Who says the

best things to do in Chicago

are only available in the summer? While the beaches, music festivals, and rooftop bars might not be hopping during winter in Chicago, there's still a great variety of activities to discover in the Windy City come wintertime.

There's no shortage of events and activities in Chicago in winter, and November and December take the cake for showcasing the festive spirit. You'll find the German-inspired

Christkindlmarket

in Daley Plaza, as well as

Caroling at Cloud Gate

,

ZooLights

at the Lincoln Park Zoo, and

Winter WonderFest

at Navy Pier throughout the winter season. Other festive events include

Holiday Magic

at the Brookfield Zoo, the

Magnificent Mile Lights Festival

, and the

Millennium Park Christmas Tree

.

Ring in the New Year

The Windy City's hundreds of bars and clubs are a great place to celebrate the New Year, and there is a spectacular fireworks display at midnight.

Chi-Town Rising

hosts the New Year's Eve celebration with celebrity and musical guests, and a countdown to midnight in the Loop. It's one of the best ways to keep warm and celebrate Chicago in winter.

And don’t miss another kind of New Year celebration … the

Chinese New Year

. Chicago's Chinatown is one of the largest in the U.S., making it a great place to be for the Chinese New Year. The city celebrates with two parades (Chinatown and Uptown), as well as performances throughout the city.



Related: 12 New Year's Traditions from Around the World



Expand Your Palate at Restaurant Week

Held annually after the holiday craziness has died down, 

Chicago Restaurant Week

 is a city-wide celebration featuring prix fixe menus and samples at hundreds of restaurants. Chicago's culinary scene is booming, with the new Fulton Market District and city staples like steakhouses and deep-dish pizza joints. Cozying up to a good meal at a great price is the perfect way to spend an evening in Chicago in winter.

See a Show

Spend an evening indoors and catch a show during winter in Chicago. After the holidays the city hosts

Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival

and

Chicago Theatre Week

. If you're looking for an inexpensive show to see in Chicago in winter, Theatre Week is the perfect time to do so, as tickets for more than 100 shows are under $30. Going to a show at famed 

Second City

or the 

Chicago Theatre

is also a popular thing to do in Chicago in winter.

Explore the City's Museums, Aquarium, and Planetarium

Keep warm at Chicago's aquarium, its planetarium, or its many museums to discover a new traveling exhibit or check out a permanent display. Venues like the

Museum of Contemporary Art

, 

Chicago Children's Museum

,

Chicago Cultural Center

,

Museum of Science and Industry

,

DuSable Museum of African American History

, and

Field Museum

all have rotating exhibits. For families, the

Shedd Aquarium

and

Adler Planetarium

are two of the best things to do in Chicago in winter with kids.

Wander Indoor Food Markets

Explore Chicago's culinary scene at one of the city's indoor food markets or food halls.

Chicago French Market

in the West Loop hosts more than 30 local food and artisan vendors inside so you don't have to shop in the cold. The recently opened

Revival Food Hall

houses 15 stalls featuring locals' favorite restaurants, as well as concept spaces with well-known Chicago chefs.



Related: What to Eat in the World's Top Foodie Cities



Go to New Heights

Discover the beauty of winter in Chicago from above with the city's two sky-high attractions,

360 Chicago's TILT

and

SkyDeck Ledge

. TILT is a new experience on the top of the John Hancock Building that has a tilted glass lookout 1,000 feet in the sky. And if that's not enough for you, check out the Ledge on top of the Willis Tower where you step onto a glass ledge on the second tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Another adrenaline-pumping indoor winter activity in Chicago is rock climbing at an area gym, like 

Brooklyn Boulders

.

Snowshoe at Northerly Island Park

Northerly Island

is a peninsula close to Adler Planetarium and Soldier Field that has walking paths and great views of the city. The park and fieldhouse are open only on the weekends during winter and spring, but snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are popular winter activities to do here. And the island's Polar Adventure Day series is one of the best things to do in Chicago in winter with kids.



Related: 8 Crazy-Fun Sports to Mix Up Your Winter



Sip on Libations

After a cold winter's day you deserve a nice warm cocktail, and Chicago has plenty of options for you. The 

Signature Room at the 95th

offers a build-your-own hot chocolate bar (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), and the

Virgin Hotel Chicago

hosts an "Upside Down Tea Party" every weekend (boozy or non-boozy options available). Also in the hotel is a cozy wine and coffee bar,

Two Zero Three

, serving coffee cocktails like Peach Fuzz Buzz.

If you're opting to use alcohol as an extra layer of warmth, tour one of the city's popular breweries,

Goose Island

or

Lagunitas

; cozy up with a craft beer in a neighborhood taproom; or take a cocktail making class at

KOVAL

, the first distillery to open in the Windy City post-prohibition.