Holiday Gift Guide

By
December 2018 View more

Although Chicago’s lakefront lies just two dozen miles to the east, suburbanites sometimes forget to enjoy the delights of their big city. So this holiday season, gift yourself—and your loved ones—with a day of culture and experiences that are uniquely Chi-Town.

Sure, big-city tickets can be pricey, but be sure to factor these bonuses into the gift-giving equation: Experiential gifts require no dusting, upkeep, or re-gifting, and the memories will last longer than the batteries required of a new gadget (that will likely be abandoned in days). And the reduction of ugly Christmas sweaters and light-up ties in the world? Priceless.

Arts & Theatre

GOODMAN THEATRE
170 N. Dearborn St.
A Christmas Carol
Through December 30
$25–$140/ticket; premium package includes special seating and a holiday ornament.

St. Nicholas
January 9–27
$29–$81
goodmantheatre.org

MUSIC BOX THEATRE
3733 N. Southport Ave.
Double Feature & Sing-Along
After Santa greets you in the historic theatre’s lobby, belt out a few Christmas songs—karaoke style—and watch a single or double feature of White Christmas and It’s a Wonderful Life at its 35th annual holiday event. December 7–24, $10–$15/child, $13.50–$20/adult
musicboxtheatre.com

ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
111 S. Michigan Ave.
Holiday Thorne Rooms
Through January 7
Tomma Abts
Through February 17
$16–$35/person
artic.edu

AUDITORIUM THEATRE
50 E. Congress Pkwy.
The Nutcracker
World’s Fair retelling of the classic holiday ballet through December 30
$35–$179
Anna Karenina
February 13–24
$35–$176
joffrey.org

CHICAGO THEATRE
175 N. State St.
Cirque Dreams Holidaze
December 12–16
$28.50–$98.50/ticket
Amy Schumer
December 19–20
$73–$128.50/ticket
msg.com

BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE
175 E. Chestnut St.
Stomp
December 5–30, $39+
’Twas the Night Before Christmas
through December 30
$12+/ticket
broadwayinchicago.com

ORIENTAL THEATRE
24 W. Randolph St.
The Play That Goes Wrong
December 4–16, $25+/ticket
The Lightning Thief
January 8–13, $25+/ticket
broadwayinchicago.com

CADILLAC PALACE THEATRE
151 W. Randolph St.
Fiddler on the Roof
December 19–January 6
$25+/ticket
Kinky Boots
January 22–27, $25+/ticket
cadillacpalacetheatre.com

MCANINCH ARTS CENTER
425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn
Gavin Coyle’s “A Celtic Christmas”
December 14, $35/ticket
Swan Lake
January 13
$39/child, $59/adult
atthemac.org

UNITED CENTER
19 W. Madison St.
Disney on Ice: Mickey’s Search Party
January 30–February 3
$15–$60/ticket
Cher
February 8
$69–$500+/ticket
unitedcenter.com

CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE CENTER
111 E. Wacker Dr.
Ongoing exhibits
$8/student, $12/adult
architecture.org

DRURY LANE
100 Drury Ln., Oak Brook Terrace
Beauty and the Beast
Through January 27
$60–$75
drurylanetheatre.com

GREEN MILL JAZZ CLUB
4802 N. Broadway
Battle of the Saxes NYE Bash
December 31
First-come, first-served. Champagne toast at midnight.
$30/adult, 21+
greenmilljazz.com

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.
The Science Behind Pixar
Through January 6
Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light
Through January 6
$12.95/child, $21.95/adult
msichicago.org

HARRIS THEATER
205 E. Randolph St.
Handel’s Messiah
December 15–16
$35–$70
Jamie Allan’s iMagician
December 22–January 6
$49.99–$159.99
harristheaterchicago.org

NAVY PIER
600 E. Grand Ave.
Winter WonderFest
November 30–January 6
$10–$20
Crystal Gardens NYE 2019
December 31
$99–$1,592/ticket
The Beach Chicago
January 19–February 3
Free admission
navypier.org

Sports

WRIGLEY FIELD
1060 W. Addison St.
Chicago Cubs
Home opener April 8.
mlb.com/cubs

GUARANTEED RATE FIELD
333 W. 35th St.
Chicago White Sox
Home opener April 4.
mlb.com/whitesox

OAK STREET BEACH
1000 Lake Shore Drive
Polar Bear Plunge
This chilly dip into Lake Michigan benefits deserving families.
January 26, $40/person
chicagopolarbearclub.com

UNITED CENTER
19 W. Madison St.
Chicago Bulls
Through April 10
nba.com/bulls
Chicago Blackhawks
Through April 6
nhl.com/blackhawks
CBS Sports Classic
UCLA vs. Ohio State (2:00 p.m.) and UNC vs. Kentucky (4:15 p.m.)
December 22, $45–$415+
Harlem Globetrotters
December 28, $20–$185+
NCAA Men’s Basketball
March 13–17, $210/person
unitedcenter.com

SOLDIER FIELD
1410 S. Museum Campus Dr.
Chicago Bears
Through December 16
chicagobears.com

JOSEPH J. GENTILE CENTER
6525 N. Sheridan Rd.
Loyola Basketball
Through March 2
$9–$30/person
loyolaramblers.com

WELSH-RYAN ARENA
2705 Ashland Ave., Evanston
Northwestern Basketball
Through February 26
$22/person
nusports.com

UIC PAVILION
525 S. Racine Ave.
University of Illinois at Chicago Basketball
Through March 2
$20/person
uicflames.com

WINTRUST ARENA
200 E. Cermak Rd.
DePaul Basketball
Through March 9
$18–$200/person
depaulbluedemons.com

MAGGIE DALEY PARK
337 E. Randolph St.
Skate with Santa
December 16
Free admission; skate rental is $15/person. Skip the line with a $40/person Fast Pass for skates and a locker, or $90/pair for a package that also includes hot chocolate.
chicagoparkdistrict.com

Wildlife

Chicago fun for free—these outdoor events are all no-charge and don’t require advance reservations.

NORTHERLY ISLAND
1521 S. Linn White Dr.
Polar Adventure Day
January 26, February 23
chicagoparkdistrict.com

GARFIELD PARK CONSERVATORY
300 N. Central Park Ave.
Tickled Pink
The humidity and warmth of this urban greenhouse oasis is especially appreciated in the cold-weather months. Pink and red plants are featured during the holiday season.
November 23–January 1
garfieldconservatory.org

LINCOLN PARK ZOO
2001 N. Clark St.
Zoo Lights
Through January 6
Tribute to Charlie Brown Christmas
December 9
Zoo Year’s Eve
December 31
lpzoo.org

Food

CHICAGO FOOD PLANET
1564 N. Damen Ave.
Best in Chow
Dive into food favorites at Lou Malnati’s, Portillo’s, Al’s Beef, Garrett’s Popcorn and Cooper Fox while you learn about Chicago history, architecture, and culture on this River North and Streeterville tour. $35/child, $57/adult (13+). chicagofoodplanet.com

THE FIELD MUSEUM
1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.
First Bites Bash
The kick-off event for the 2019 Chicago Restaurant Week
January 24
firstbitesbash.com

GOOSE ISLAND BEER CO.
1800 W. Fulton St.
Brewery Tour & Tasting
Thursday–Sunday
$12/adult, 21+
gooseisland.com

CHRISTKINDLMARKET CHICAGO
50 W. Washington St.
Stammtisch
Through December 24 Two-hour private seating reservations for eight people. German food and beverage packages served family-style. $200–$450+/table. christkindlmarket.com

MACY’S
111 N. State St.
Chicago Holiday Traditions Tour + Lunch
Learn about the history of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, animated store window displays, Frango Mints, and the Great Tree, followed by a three-course lunch in the Walnut Room. November–December. $45/person, 10-person minimum. visitmacysusa.com/Chicago

PENINSULA CHICAGO
108 E. Superior St.
Holiday Afternoon Tea
2:30 and 4:30 p.m. (Monday to Saturday), 3:30–5:00 p.m. (Sunday). $39/child, $85–$95/adult
peninsula.com

LAWRY’S THE PRIME RIB
100 East Ontario St.
Lunch with Santa
Saturdays in December
$40/adult, $20/child (12 and under).
lawrysonline.com

SHOPPING

RANDOLPH STREET MARKET
1341 W. Randolph St.
Holiday Market
December 15–16
Find unusual vintage and modern decor, housewares, fashion, art, and more. Admission is $5–50; food and drink extra, parking is free. randolphstreetmarket.com

EATALY
43 E. Ohio St.
Holiday Edition Tour
December 5–19
Take a guided walking tour of the two-story marketplace, including plenty of seasonal tastes (panettone, wine, and hot chocolate) and a 10 percent-off coupon. $35/person. eataly.com

ARCHITECTURAL ARTIFACTS
4325 N. Ravenswood Ave.
Antiques and adventure
80,000 square feet of extraordinary treasures brought to Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood, sourced from dozens of countries and cultures. architecturalartifacts.com

THE MART
222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza
One of a Kind Holiday Show
December 6–9
The 18th annual show includes more than 600 independent makers, together at the Mart for four days. Enjoy fashion runway shows and live music in one of the largest commercial buildings in the world. $12/adult. oneofakindshowchicago.com

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
220 E. Chicago Ave.
Museum Gift Shop
Shop some of the most unique items in the city, including art objects, jewelry, fashion, homewares and more. Gallery tours are held daily at 1:00 p.m. Museum admission is $15/adult, $8/student or senior; free for Illinois residents on Tuesdays. mcachicagostore.org

Illustrations by John Kenzie