Six Winter Attractions in Chicago Worth Getting Out of the House For

One of the many advantages of living in the best city in America—Chicago—is that there are always fun and entertaining things to do, even in the cold of winter.

Here, courtesy of Choose Chicago, are six diverse suggestions to brighten up the season and lure you out of the house.

Admire Architecture’s Past, Present, and Future

The Chicago Architecture Biennial is the largest architecture and design exhibition in North America.

This ground-breaking event is free and open to the public. This edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial will feature more than 100 projects by contributors from around the globe.

Many of these free exhibits and events can be found at the Chicago Cultural Center, with a selection of off-site projects, related exhibitions, and programming in neighborhoods all across the city.

See Tiffany’s Beloved Lamps in a New Light

From the 1890s to 1920s, Tiffany Studios created a captivating range of decorative lighting fixtures.

To achieve founder Louis C. Tiffany’s vast artistic vision and bring lighting designs to life, artisans at the Studios used a range of materials—including bronze, enamel, pottery, and glass.

Tiffany Lamps: Beyond the Shade at the Richard H. Dreihaus Museum takes you inside the exciting world of Tiffany Studios.

Activate Your Spidey Sense

Step into the exciting world of one of the most beloved superheroes of all time in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing – The Exhibition.

In this immersive exhibit at the Museum of Science and Technology, you’ll see rare comic books, view props and costumes from your favorite Spider-Man movies, explore cutting-edge interactive installations and take photos with life-size statues of your favorite characters, like Miles Morales, Ghost-Spider and, of course, Spider-Man!

Skate Through Downtown

For the ultimate winter experience in Chicago, take a spin on the ice at the iconic ice rink in Millennium Park, surrounded by breathtaking winter views of downtown. Admission is free, but you must reserve a time slot online in advance.

Nearby, strap on a pair of skates and glide through a winter wonderland along the curvy Skating Ribbon in Maggie Daley Park. The winding path, which is twice the length of a lap around a traditional skating rink, passes through the whimsical park and is surrounded by skyline views. Admission is free most days, but some Friday-Sunday sessions or holidays may require a small admission fee. If you need skates, they are available to rent at both rinks.

Do the Zoo

Chicago’s free Lincoln Park Zoo is open for exploration 365 days a year. In the colder months, you can admire majestic polar bears, penguins, and snow monkeys as they play outside. Many of the animals move indoors during the winter, so warm up inside the animal houses, where you can watch penguins, gorillas, colorful birds and more.

Enjoy the Best of Broadway Without Leaving Town

Nothing compares to the thrill of live theatre. Throughout the year Broadway in Chicago offers a full slate of Broadway blockbusters as well as a diverse mix of original productions.

This is just a small sampling of the loads of activities abuzz around our city. For more suggestions visit choosechicago.com and then go out there and have some fun.