December 2020
The holidays will look a bit different this year. Here's a list of things to do drive-through, drive-by, in-person, live stream, and video-on-demand.
Contents
Online lists of decorated houses and events
My Suburban Life -- Check out the houses in Downers Grove Park District's decorating contest
Daily Herald -- 10 outdoor and drive-through holiday light shows in suburbs, Chicago
Drive-thru
Aurora Festival of Lights (FREE)
Morton Arboretum Illumination ($)
- November 20, 2020–January 3, 2021
Illumination is Currently SOLD OUT - Additional Tickets Added On Mondays
The Morton Arboretum continues to evaluate its capacity for Illumination, with safety in mind.
See trees in a different light at a reimagined Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum. Designed with your safety in mind, this year’s new driving experience (20–30 minutes long) features an unparalleled spectacle of color, light, and music you won’t experience anywhere else.
You will be delighted to see returning favorites reenvisioned, including Symphony Woods, Woodland Wonder, and Crystal Promenade, and five newly designed sights displayed along a two-mile road among the Arboretum's magnificent trees. Immerse yourself in a captivating tunnel of lights, an awe-inspiring magical woodland filled with dazzling color and starlike light, and a landscape filled with thousands of lights dancing to a musical soundtrack, all from the warmth of your car.
Also new this year, the exhibition will stay open later, until 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and it will be open on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas, in addition to New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, as in previous years.
Expressing the Arboretum’s mission and identity as The Champion of Trees, Illumination is a must-see exhibition and holiday tradition enjoyed by all.
In-Person
Brookfield Zoo ($)
Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo
- Holiday Magic 2020 Dates
- Friday through Sunday, November 27-29
- Wednesday through Sunday, December 2-6, 9-13, & 16-20
- Saturday through Thursday, December 26-31
Lincoln Park Zoo ($)
- SELECT DATES
- November 21–January 3
