We list 8 Christmas lights across 5 towns around Chicago, 2 with free admission. Season runs November to January.
GuideChristmas Lights in Chicago 2026: The Big Shows Compared →8 results
Chicago, IL
Lighting ceremony Fri, Nov 20, 2026; tree on display through the holidays
The city's official Christmas tree in Millennium Park. Free lighting ceremony on Fri, Nov 20, 2026; free to visit through the season.
Checked Nov 8, 2026
Chicago, IL
Nov 7, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
More than 50 trees decorated by Chicago's cultural communities and a four-story Grand Tree, Nov 7, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027. Included with museum admission.
Checked Nov 8, 2026
Wheaton, IL
Select evenings, late Nov – Dec 2026
Garden light show and a Christmas-decorated McCormick House at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, on select evenings in late November and December 2026.
Checked Nov 8, 2026
Brookfield, IL
Select dates, Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
Lights across Brookfield Zoo on select evenings, Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027, 3–9 pm. Tickets from $29.95; free for members.
Checked Nov 8, 2026
Lisle, IL
Nov 14, 2026 – Jan 2, 2027
Walking trail of light installations among the trees at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Nov 14, 2026 – Jan 2, 2027. Timed tickets; prices vary by date.
Checked Nov 8, 2026
Glencoe, IL
Select evenings, mid-November 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
After-dark trail of 24 light installations at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, through Jan 3, 2027. Dynamic pricing; many nights under $30.
Checked Nov 8, 2026
Chicago, IL
Sat, Nov 21, 2026
Free parade that switches on the lights on Michigan Avenue's trees, Sat, Nov 21, 2026. Family activities from 11 am; parade at 5:30 pm.
Checked Nov 8, 2026
Chicago, IL
Nightly, Nov 20, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
Lincoln Park Zoo's holiday light show, Nov 20, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027, 4:30–9 pm. Tickets $7–12 when bought ahead; free on most Mondays.
Checked Nov 8, 2026
Our take
ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo is the light show most Chicago families know, and it's also the cheapest of the ticketed ones: $7 to $12 bought ahead, and free on most Mondays. The bigger, more elaborate trails are in the suburbs, at the Morton Arboretum, the Chicago Botanic Garden, Brookfield Zoo and Cantigny. Downtown, the tree lighting and the Magnificent Mile parade are free.
In the city, ZooLights is open every night from November 20 and is reachable by transit. Christmas Around the World at the Museum of Science and Industry is indoors and included with admission. In the western suburbs there are Illumination in Lisle (from November 14), Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo (from 3 pm, so you can arrive in daylight) and Christmas at Cantigny in Wheaton. On the North Shore, Lightscape runs at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.
The city Christmas tree is lit in Millennium Park on Friday, November 20. The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival parade on Saturday, November 21 switches on the lights on 200 trees along Michigan Avenue.
The suburban gardens charge by date, so book early for December weekends. On a bitter night, the museum is the indoor fallback. Our full comparison of Chicago's light shows has every date and price side by side.
Reviewed November 8, 2026 by the Farms & Fairs editorial team · How we check
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