Spring break, a time for spending it with your friends, family, significant others, or even some alone time for yourself! Either way, it’s the taste of adventure, before summer. That little much-needed break to get you through until then!
Your typical Spring Break destinations are always packed, that may be your scene, but if you want to get away to somewhere just as fun for a spring break spot, come to Chicago! You might be asking yourself, do people go to Chicago for spring break? The answer is yes and we’re going to give you some suggestions and inspiration to indulge in what Chicago has to offer for spring break 2024!
Shop Til You Drop
Chicago is known for shopping. The north side of Michigan Avenue bridge is a great place for a walk whether you decide to shop or save money by enjoying the beautiful buildings!
There are shopping malls downtown such as 900 N Michigan Shops, Block 37, The Shops at North Bridge, The Water Tower Place, and The Roosevelt Collection Shops. If you’re looking for high end luxury stores, the Gold Coast is a great place to find what you are looking for while also being able to enjoy your walk with some good eats nearby for a shopping intermission!
Starting March 25th to March 31st, Navy Pier is hosting different kinds of arts and crafts, singing, dancing, double dutch, youth yoga, interactive tech, and more activities for all ages around the pier and you can even spend Easter at Navy Pier as Harry Caray’s is offering an Easter brunch. Navy Pier is also home to the Chicago Children’s Museum, which will be extending their hours of operation for spring break so kids and families having the chance to visit for their Spring Break Play Days!
When you visit Navy Pier, take a tour with us! We offer the Chicago Skyline Lake Cruise, a six-mile loop around Lake Michigan and we also have our Architecture Tour departing from Navy Pier, both are unique ways to see Chicago!
Just in time for Spring Break, Navy Pier has welcomed a new experience, Flyover. Without giving away too much detail to keep the element of surprise, Flyover is an immersive experience that lets you see Chicago in a new and exhilarating way.
The whole experience is about 30 to 40 minutes and before you take your seats you are guided through two immersive video experiences to set the stage of what makes the City of Chicago a great place to live and travel to.
Once the video ends you are then welcomed into a room where you take your seats, fasten your seat belts and the fun begins! While out of towners will love this experience, locals will also appreciate the experience and fall in love all over again with the City of Chicago.
Outdoor Activities
Since the weather is starting to warm up, Chicago has many ways to spend some time outside. If you’re looking for more of a relaxing stroll, the Chicago Lakefront Trail is your spot, while getting your steps in you get breathtaking views of not only Lake Michigan but also the city skyline as well. Lincoln Park Zoo is a city zoo that is free of cost! Lakeshore East is a quiet neighborhood that has a scenic park. While any other day we would recommend taking a visit to Cloud Gate, the Bean, we do want you to keep in mind that it is closed due to construction!
For the picture perfect shots, head down to the Riverwalk. Here you can get as close to the water as possible, and watch boats pass by. While admiring Chicago’s breathtaking Architecture, try taking one of Shoreline Sightseeing’s Chicago Architecture River Tours, you’ll step onto our double decker vessel with a full service bar and bathrooms. While you sit back and relax, the docent will tell you more about Chicago with their fun story telling capabilities!
Fun at the Museums
When you think of museums, we bet you don’t think of ice cream or fun immersive experiences. Well, Chicago has all different types of museums, the ones where you can deep dive into the interesting past of the world we live in or the ones where you can be wowed in a whole different way!
The WNDR Museum is an immersive museum that has 22 different exhibits you can walk through. You might be wondering why we’re recommending museums as part of your spring break experience, well Chicago is one of its three locations in the states so its something you don’t come across often! If you’re someone who likes to spark creativity and curiosity come check it out! While not necessary, it is suggested you book a reservation in advanced that caters to your schedule as it can get busy! WNDR is a museum for those of all ages to enjoy.
The next unique museum is the Museum of Ice Cream. Just like the WNDR Museum, there are only four locations! How lucky is Chicago to have both of these museums? You will learn all about ice cream and its story, taste different treats during your visit, areas to play, and all in all have create memories. Who doesn’t like ice cream, its a treat for all ages just like this museum!
Chicago Nightlife
For those of age, Chicago is a great scene for going out. From fancy dinners to fun nights out, you can find what you enjoy in the city because Chicago has it all.
Wrigleyville
Home of the Chicago Cubs. There are casual bars where you can sit down at a table or grab a bar seat and grab a beer or hey, even a shot of Malort to get a real true taste of Chicago, but tread lightly! Murphy’s Bleachers across the street from Wrigley Field, Sluggers which is a fun bar where one floor is your normal bar scene with two rooms and a dance floor and the next floor has arcade games, batting cages, and dueling pianos! It’s a great place to hangout and have a good time!
Old Town and Gold Coast
Just like Wrigleyville, Chicago’s Old Town has places to grab dinner and drinks! Benchmark is a fun and upbeat bar that plays great pop music, not much of a sit down place.
The Vig is also a fun spot to get some dinner and as time passes it slowly becomes crowded as it starts to become lively as a reserved going out spot! Butch McGuire’s, just like us, is family owned! Opened in 1961, they have everyday specials, from food and drinks items but also everyday special events that keep the bar fun and exciting, go check it out!
River North
If you like to bust out some moves, Hubbard Street has plenty of places where you can dance. Joy District is a multi level bar with a fun rooftop and each floor plays music that makes people want to dance!
Celeste has multiple levels, with each floor playing music from different eras like house and disco.
Three Dots and a Dash has a Polynesian style setting with fun cocktail drinks! There is so much more to discover in River North Chicago and on Hubbard Street.
Chicago Events for the Week
Some well-known artists coming into town for spring break such as Bad Bunny, Dan and Shay, and Olivia Rodrigo. You can find more information on other upcoming artists in Chicago for this week and ticket prices on this page!
Chicago sporting events are a fun way to hangout and a great scene for all ages. The Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks are both home at the United Center! Now that the weather is finally starting to warm up, catch a nice ballgame at Wrigley Field or Guaranteed Rate Field, or both! Checkout the Chicago sports team and choose you game and purchase your tickets here!
