Rides, Slides, and More at Navy Pier

Instead of lamenting the end of warm summer days on the Navy Pier, enjoy the area’s Winter Wonderfest now through January 8th. With 170,000 square feet of rides, slides, and skating rink, it’s tough to get bored. Take a journey on the Arctic Express Train, which travels more than 300 feet around a holiday village display. The Candy Cane Lighthouse lifts kids 16 feet in the air, giving them a new vantage. If you have a strong stomach, spin around in the oversized hot cocoa cups. Check the calendar for opening times.

Watch out for special events as well—prix fixe dinner cruises on the 7^th and 8^th, theatrical presentations, and concerts enliven the pier throughout December. Or, usher in 2017 on a Mystic Blue New Years Eve cruise. No noise complaints on the water.