19 Top Indoor Activities in Chicago From Fancy to Free in 2024

Looking for the perfect indoor activity in Chicago?  Chicago is a lively place all twelve months of the year, indoors and out. In the winter, the beachgoers and outdoor enthusiasts come inside to weather the occasional bouts of polar cold and snow. This means time spent amid the many cultural, culinary and entertainment offerings of the city.

Is Chicago worth visiting in winter? How do you occupy kids on a rainy day in Chicago? While Chicago is host to a number of winter activities outdoors like ice skating and sledding, colder weather may have you looking to stay inside, The Windy City offers plenty of options, ranging from laid-back and casual to cultural and educational experiences that can’t be found elsewhere. We’ve rounded up a few favorite ways to spend a day inside in Chicago, whether you are going it alone or bringing the entire family. 

Jump to Section 

• Best Indoor Activities in Chicago for Adults
• Creative Indoor Activities in Chicago
• Winter Indoor Activities in Chicago for Families
• Free Indoor Activities in Chicago

Best Indoor Activities in Chicago for Adults

1. Take a Cooking Class

Chicago is a city known for its food culture and culinary charm. Why not take a cooking class to amp up your kitchen skills and learn to create some great Chicago foods and international cuisine?

You can find cooking classes in Chicago covering everything from expert sushi rolling to creating the perfect charcuterie board. This fun indoor activity in Chicago will leave you with a full stomach and some new skills.  

2. Visit a Museum

Chicago’s museums are world-class. Visit the Art Institute of Chicago to check out its huge collection of art and antiquities dating from prehistoric periods to today.

Wander the Field Museum for a peek at the natural world or visit the Museum of Science and Industry to marvel at centuries of technological and scientific advances.

Spending the afternoon at a museum is a fun and informative activity for a cold day indoors in Chicago. Passes or memberships also make a great Chicago gift idea.

3. Take in a Movie 

Chicago boasts a wealth of movie theaters, ranging from national chain multiplexes to small, local theaters that show all manner of new and film classics.

Visit the Logan Theater's charming vintage interior for new and old classics. Stop in at the Music Box for movie sing-alongs and other events.

Check out a movie party or brunch at Alamo Drafthouse or watch the award-winning cinema at The Gene Siskel Film Center. A night or afternoon at the movies makes a perfect indoor activity in Chicago and a popular indoor date idea.

4. Take an Improv Class

Improv is serious business in Chicago, whose Second City has been a major feeder into the entertainment industry and the likes of Saturday Night Live.

Classes are offered at Second City and iO (Improv Olympics), as well as numerous smaller and neighborhood improv organizations and groups. Improv classes are one of the most popular indoor activities in Chicago for adults.

5. Visit a Speakeasy

Chicago speakeasy bars are a not-so-carefully-guarded secret, with many cropping up in all areas of the city. Usually found behind unlabeled doors, in the basements or floors above popular restaurants or down secluded alleys, these secret bars are usually intimate and charming, offering a variety of entertainments and amusements in addition to ample cocktails.

Check out a list of the best of them for a fun indoor Chicago activity or romantic winter date idea.

6. Participate in a Trivia Night

Chicago venues love trivia nights, so you will have lots to choose from scattered far and wide across the city.

Usually hosted in bars, they allow you to show off your knowledge while kicking back some beers or cocktails in a relaxed (but fiercely competitive) environment, making them a fun thing to do indoors for adults at night. You can choose from trivia nights devoted to current events, history, films and other cultural knowledge. 

7. Take a Brewery or Distillery Tour

Chicago is home to several small breweries and distilleries, many of which offer tasting rooms and brewpubs to enjoy their creations, as well as classes, tours and other events to show you behind-the-scenes of alcohol manufacturing.

Check out Revolution Brewery of KOVAL Distillery for a fun and tipsy Chicago indoor activity and fun thing to do indoors for adults.

Creative Indoor Activities in Chicago

8. Do a Paint and Sip

Paint and sips offer a great chance to create and socialize while kicking back a few cocktails. You can find many paints and sips in Chicago that work with a variety of mediums, including acrylics and watercolor.

They are the perfect Chicago indoor activity for small groups of friends or special occasions. 

9. Take an Art Class

Art classes in a variety of creative mediums are offered all over the city in places like community centers, galleries, academic institutions and craft retailers.

Check out a selection of art classes in Chicago or try your hand at more 3-D creations with pottery classes in Chicago. You can learn everything from painting and drawing to glass blowing, making them a fun and educational indoor activity in Chicago. 

10. Learn to Arrange Flowers

Winter and its lack of greenery and color on the landscape is a perfect time to enjoy it indoors. Numerous florists and community organizations offer classes in flower arranging for all skill levels and purposes.

Learn to make the perfect hostess or Valentine's Day  Bouquet as well as learn tips for keeping bouquets and bunches fresh and pretty. 

11. Create a Signature Scent

Looking to create or find a signature scent? Numerous venues in Chicago offer classes in scent blending and the history of the perfume industry, including The Aroma Workshop and the Chicago Botanical Garden.

You'll get to take home a new bottle of custom scent as well as an appreciation for fine perfumeries, making it a fun and sweet-smelling indoor activity in Chicago. 

12. Make a Zine

Chicago is host to great underground publishing community, with its nexus most likely Quimby’s Bookstore in Wicker Park, which has been in business for several decades offering all manner of independent publications from well-heeled art publications to saddle stapled zines.

They offer regular zine-making parties and events that make a perfect indoor activity in Chicago, including an annual zine slumber party.

Winter Indoor Activities in Chicago for Families 

13. Take in the View

Chicago is a city of skyscrapers, but one in particular stands out for its amazing views and visitor friendliness. A perennially popular Chicago indoor activity for families is a visit to the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) which stands over 1700 feet and 108 stories above the skyline, making it the third tallest building in the U.S.

The observation deck is a popular attraction, especially in the summer months, when you can see four states and the deep blue expanse of Lake Michigan. 

14. Swim With the Fishes

Well, not technically, but you can watch them swim at the Shedd Aquarium, which offers one of the best collections of sea life, including dolphins and sea lions, in the Midwest. The aquarium also offers occasional free days throughout the winter, making it a popular Chicago indoor activity for families.

15. Build Things

You will have to go a little further afield for this one to Schaumburg, but it's definitely worth it if you have Lego lovers in your family. A popular indoor activity in the Chicago suburbs, this immense store not only sells Legos in every possible set and variety but features history and exhibits alongside shows and related activities for all ages. 

16. Commune With Nature

Located along the lakefront, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum hosts one of the most impressive butterfly habitats in the country, offering you a warm spot to enjoy these soft and alighting creatures even while the snow swirls outside the glass enclosure.

The museum also features kid-friendly science experiments, classes and ecology education events, as well as exhibits exploring the natural world.

Free Indoor Activities in Chicago

17. Check Out First Fridays

If you’re looking to enjoy art, but aren’t quite ready to pay the admission charge to one of Chicago’s amazing museums, you can always get a look at some of the most exciting contemporary artists and their work at Chicago art galleries many of which participate in the First Fridays series of open studios, artist talks and gallery tours to check out the best of what Chicago artists have to offer, making it a perfect free indoor activities in Chicago.  

18. Lincoln Park Conservatory

Located on the edge of the free Lincoln Park Zoo, this indoor greenhouse is blooming all through winter, making wandering its stone floors a great indoor activity in Chicago.

While not as large as the Garfield Conservatory on the west side, the Lincoln Park Conservatory is host to a huge selection of tropical plants and a collection of gorgeous orchids, as well as rotating floral shows that make it the perfect indoor winter activity in Chicago.

19. Chicago Cultural Center

Run by the city, the Chicago Cultural Center hosts largely free programming and exhibits in its picturesque spot access from Millennium Park. A series of rotating exhibits, readings, performances and tours make the Chicago Cultural Center a required stop and one of the best free indoor activities in Chicago.

The interior has a café, a shop to buy work from Chicago artists and authors, as well as a gorgeous Tiffany-designed dome on the top of the building.

Chicago has much to offer during rain, snow or shine. After all, what is Chicago best known for? Cold winters! This means there is no lack of indoor pursuits of all varieties to fill your chilly winter days. 

For even more fun things to do in Chicago, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!