Things to do in Chicago in the fall

Chicago has something to offer every season of the year, but fall is particularly magical. The leaves turn golden in Millennium Park, a crisp breeze blows near the lake, and the city boasts tons of cool activities and events.

Fall is also one of the best times to visit for culture lovers, when the city is filled with film festivals, exciting theatrical premieres, blockbuster museum exhibits, architecture events, and so much more.

A few upcoming fall 2025 highlights in Chicago not to miss:

• The Chicago Architecture Biennial, the largest free architecture exhibition in North America.
• Chicago Fashion Week is back with runway shows, pop-ups, exhibits, and more.
• The highly anticipated Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
• Chicago Exhibition Weekend features more than 50 unique galleries and creative spaces.
• Enjoy more than 100 free performances at Chicago Live! on the city’s scenic lakefront.

Whether you want to celebrate Halloween, admire unique architecture, soak in the autumn colors, attend a fall food festival, or hear about the city’s urban legends, fall in Chicago has something for everyone.

Here’s our guide on things to do in Chicago in the fall.

Admire the stunning fall colors

This city is gorgeous year-round, but it really shines in the fall. Whether you’re wandering a lakefront park or just meandering the leaf-strewn streets of a charming neighborhood, you’ll find pops of fall foliage everywhere you go.

Do some serious leaf peeping at these top places to see fall colors in and around Chicago:

• Lincoln Park, particularly the area around North Pond and South Pond
• Jackson Park, home to an ornate Japanese garden
• Lakefront Trail, featuring a sparkling waterfront and skyline views
• Humboldt Park, known for its sprawling lagoons and wildflowers
• Morton Arboretum, a tree-filled oasis just a short train ride away

Explore more: Read the full fall colors guide to Chicagoland.

Attend only-in-Chicago Halloween events

Chicago celebrates Halloween with its own unique style — you’ll find artistic evening spectacles, glowing pumpkin displays, spooky tours of haunted places, family-friendly festivals, and beyond. Discover a few of the events we’re most excited about this year:

• Arts in the Dark is an artistic evening parade that takes over State Street in the Loop
• Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade in Northalsted is an over-the-top nighttime spectacle
• Spooky Zoo at Lincoln Park Zoo offers the perfect kid-friendly Halloween activities
• Boo! at the Zoo at Brookfield Zoo is another family-friendly celebration, just outside the city

Explore more: Check out our guide to Halloween events and activities for more.

Visit a one-of-a-kind pumpkin patch

It’s not fall until you visit a pumpkin patch. And you don’t even need to leave the Chicago area to do it. Our seasonal pumpkin patches include an over-the-top pop-up, an artist-driven nighttime display, and a family-friendly event at the zoo.

• Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-up claims the title of Chicago’s largest fall festival. Jack’s takes over Goose Island with tons of fun seasonal activities, including fortune tellers, a corn maze, food trucks, photo ops, and more than 10,000 pumpkins.
• Fall Fest returns to Lincoln Park Zoo on select dates from late September through October. The free family-friendly event includes a cute pumpkin patch, perfect for all your fall photos.
• Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns transforms the Chicago Botanic Garden into a glowing wonderland, where artist-carved pumpkins light your way during this spooky after-dark celebration.
• Glass Pumpkin Patch at Morton Arboretum is an artistic tradition, featuring 7,000 one-of-a-kind pieces of blown glass art.

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Honor Day of the Dead

Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is a time to remember and honor loved ones who have passed. Experience authentic traditions, cultural celebrations, art exhibits, and more inspired by the Mexican holiday during Day of the Dead celebrations throughout Chicago.

The National Museum of Mexican Art is a hub for many of these activities, including the popular Day of the Dead celebration that spills out of the museum and into nearby Harrison Park. The festivities include decorated altars made by locals, sugar skull painting, and more cultural activities.

The museum also hosts the fundraising event Día de los Muertos: Love Never Dies Ball and the annual Día de Muertos exhibit, which runs through mid-December.

Hop on a fall boat cruise

It’s not too late to get out on the water! Many of Chicago’s boat tours are still setting sail through autumn, like the Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady through late November (weather permitting). Led by expert docents, tours include the fascinating stories of more than 50 buildings that make up Chicago’s iconic skyline.

Shoreline Sightseeing architecture tours, City Cruises dining cruises, Wendella Tours and Cruises, and more are also booking lake and river adventures through autumn. And many offer indoor and climate-controlled options so you can stay comfortable no matter the weather. Grab your tickets today.

Explore more: Check out all of Chicago’s lake and river cruise options.

Take a ghost tour of haunted Chicago history

Chicago is home to plenty of haunting history, from the Great Chicago Fire to the sinking of the SS Eastland. These events have led to more than a few urban legends and countless alleged supernatural sightings. Step into the shadows on these haunted ghost tours and uncover the chilling truth for yourself:

• Chicago Ghost Tours presented by Tours by Foot
• The Devil in the White City Bus Tour by American Ghost Walks
• Chicago Booze and Boos Tour by Nightly Spirits

Explore more: See our full guide to haunted Chicago tours. Or create your own DIY walking tour with our list of Chicago’s most haunted places.

Admire architecture’s past, present, and future

Architecture fans will find a jam-packed fall calendar in Chicago. These autumn architecture events take you behind the scenes of some of the city’s most historic, innovative, and iconic spaces — so you can experience Chicago’s groundbreaking architecture up close.

Chicago Architecture Biennial (opens Sept. 19): The largest architecture and design exhibition in North America, this free citywide celebration includes over 100 projects by architects, artists, and designers from 30 countries.

Historic Pullman House Tour (Oct. 11 – 12): A local favorite for more than 50 years, this weekend event offers an exclusive inside look at homes in the Pullman National Historical Park, an 1880s industrial town known for its unique residential architecture.

Open House Chicago (Oct. 18 – 19): This annual event is one of the largest architecture festivals in the world. Go behind the scenes of the greatest spaces and places in Chicago, including soaring skyscrapers, historic spaces, members-only clubs, and other areas not normally open to the public.

Experience exhilarating live theatre

Nothing compares to the thrill of live theatre. And the curtain is rising this fall on Chicago’s dynamic theatre scene, from our stunning downtown venues to intimate neighborhood storefronts. You can catch exciting Broadway in Chicago productions, world premieres, classic favorites, hit musicals, family-friendly shows, and so much more.

This year also marks milestone anniversaries for two of Chicago’s most innovative theatres. The legendary Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s 50th season is filled with dynamic artists and exciting productions. And The Goodman Theatre is marking its Centennial Season with 100 Free Acts of Theater across the city.

Fall also brings captivating theatrical events, like the annual Destinos: Chicago International Latino Theater Festival. This acclaimed multi-week fest spotlights Latino theatre artists in venues across the city from Oct. 1 to Nov. 2.

Explore more: Find theatre events and shows all over Chicago.

Attend a culinary festival

The cooler weather brings an exciting blend of fall food and drink festivals to Chicago, including one of the city’s signature culinary events — Chicago Gourmet. Foodies can get their fix at these upcoming events celebrating the city’s food, beer, and wine scenes:

• Chicago Gourmet (Sept. 25 – 28) includes a celebratory brunch, a burger competition, and an elevated tasting experience.
• St. Al’s Oktoberfest (Sept. 26 – 28) brings a big dose of German cuisine, heritage, and beer to Lakeview.
• Lincoln Square Apple Fest (Oct. 3 – 5) celebrates the fall harvest in Ravenswood with apple pie, apple cider, and other autumnal treats.
• Chicago Beer Festival (Oct. 4) features seasonal brews from more than 65 local breweries inside the iconic Field Museum.
• Lincoln Park Wine Festival (Oct. 3 – 5) lets guests sip wines while strolling an open-air market of sommeliers, food tastings, and live music.
• Cider and Ale Festival (Oct. 4) celebrates seasonal sips at the scenic Morton Arboretum just outside Chicago.
• Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer (Nov. 7 – 8) showcases a curated selection of rare aged beer, mead, and cider at this prestigious competition.

Explore more: Check out more festivals and events in Chicago this fall.

Catch an iconic film fest

Fall in Chicago is an excellent time for movie lovers. In October, the city hosts the longest-running competitive film festival in North America, along with a variety of niche festivals that feature everything from hard-to-find indie picks to spine-tingling horror films. These film screenings in Chicago are well worth adding to your fall calendar:

• Chicago International Film Festival (Oct. 15 – 26), now in its 61st year, is an esteemed event featuring films from around the world.
• Chicago Underground Film Festival (Sept. 17 – 21) is the longest-running event of its kind, highlighting genre-defying works from independent artists.
• Reeling Film Festival (Sept. 19 – 28) is the second-oldest LGBTQ+ film festival in the country.
• Music Box of Horrors (Oct. 18) is a cult favorite with 24 hours of horror movie madness.
• Black Harvest Film Festival (Nov. 7 – 16) celebrates Black storytelling through cinema spanning the diaspora, spotlighting rising voices and acclaimed filmmakers.

See an unforgettable museum exhibit

Fall is typically a busy season for art lovers in Chicago. This year, there are plenty of must-see exhibits at our amazing museums all around the city. Explore everything from world-class art institutions to under-the-radar neighborhood galleries and tons in between. Check out a few of the season’s must-see exhibits:

• Strange Realities: The Symbolist Imagination at the Art Institute of Chicago
• Tiffany Lamps: Beyond the Shade at the Driehaus Museum
• Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind at the Museum of Contemporary Art
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing at the Museum of Science and Industry
• After the Age of Dinosaurs at the Field Museum
• The Joffrey + Ballet in the U.S. at Wrightwood 659

Explore more: Find more exciting museum exhibits in Chicago this fall.