Skate Beneath the Lights at Navy Pier
Step off the CTA at Navy Pier on Christmas Eve and the cold hits first, then the noise: skate blades scraping, the Centennial Wheel turning against a slate-grey lake sky, families in puffer coats queuing at the doors of the Pier. This is where Chicago puts its holiday season indoors and on a grand scale. Wintrust Winter WonderFest runs annually from late November through early January (in the 2026–27 season, November 27 through January 3), and Christmas Eve is one of its busiest days — the festival stays open daily from 10 AM, though holiday hours apply on December 24.
Ice skating is included with every admission, which makes it the simplest way to spend an hour on the ice without booking anything extra. If you want the view from above, add a Centennial Wheel ride for $10, valid the same day as your admission. Tickets are date-specific, so buy for the day you actually plan to go: $27 online at least 24 hours ahead, or $32 within 24 hours or at the door. Children two and under get in free; everyone three and older needs a ticket. Note the one hard rule of the season — Winter WonderFest is closed on Christmas Day, so Christmas Eve is your window, not the 25th.
Plan Around the Holiday Calendar, Not Against It
Chicago's Christmas Eve is a moving target depending on the year, and the city's holiday attractions keep their own schedules. Build your day around a few reliable rhythms:
- Christmas Eve is a full operating day at Winter WonderFest, but Christmas Day is not. If the festival is the centrepiece of your trip, December 24 is the date to book.
- Watch for group-only dates. In the 2026–27 season, November 30 through December 2 are reserved exclusively for pre-booked groups of 20 or more and closed to the general public — a reminder to check the calendar before you assume a date is open.
- Buy early and online. The $27 advance rate requires purchase at least 24 hours before your visit; waiting until Christmas Eve morning puts you in the $32 tier.
- Go at opening. Doors open at 10 AM daily, and closing times vary by day, with holiday hours in effect on Christmas Eve. Arriving at 10 gives you the ice and the Wheel before the afternoon crowds thicken.
Make the Pier Your Christmas Eve Anchor
The advantage of building your evening around Navy Pier is that everything sits in one place: skate, ride the Wheel, eat, and walk the length of the pier as the lake darkens. Because admission covers skating and the Wheel is a small same-day add-on, you can shape the visit around however long you want to stay rather than committing to a fixed block of time.
Because Winter WonderFest shuts on Christmas Day, travellers who want a holiday-adjacent visit have two natural options: Christmas Eve itself, or the days between Christmas and New Year's, when the festival runs right through to January 3. Either way, the indoor setting means weather doesn't cancel your plans — a real consideration on a Chicago December day when the wind comes off the lake.
Know Before You Go
- Dates: November 27, 2026 – January 3, 2027.
- Hours: Opens 10 AM daily; closing times vary, with holiday hours on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Closed Christmas Day.
- Tickets: $27 online 24+ hours in advance; $32 within 24 hours or at the door. Free for ages 2 and under; tickets required for ages 3 and up. Date-specific — buy for your intended date.
- Included: Ice skating with every admission. Centennial Wheel add-on $10, same-day validity.
- Groups: Parties of 20+ can pre-book; certain dates are group-only and closed to the public.
Christmas Eve in Chicago rewards a little advance planning: pick your date, buy your ticket online more than a day out, and let the pier carry the evening. Start with the calendar, then the ticket, then the skates.