Winter Break in Lake County 2022
By: Nick Borowitz 11/17/2022
It is the magical time of year when the kids have winter break, are playing with their holiday gifts and looking for something to do with their day.
Whether enjoying the holiday light displays, catching a theatre performance, buying last-minute deals or just enjoying the Holiday Your Way, use this guide and plan out your schedule during winter break in Lake County 2022.
- Visit the Sock Monkey Museum in Historic Downtown Long Grove and show the kids what was prevalent in past years. They can browse the gift shop, learn about the history of classic dolls and even make their own creation. INFO»
- Pack everyone into the family car and cruise through the light displays of Santa's Rock N Lights at the Lake County Fairgrounds and Event Center. Light displays are synced up with some of today's most popular tunes as you take in the bright sights. The show ends January 1. INFO»
- Travel back in time to olde England and stroll through Antioch's Kringle's Christmas and Dicken's Holiday Villages. Dicken's Holiday Village features life-sized wax figurines adorned in Dicken's era clothing. Kringle's Christmas Village features large shadowboxes with holiday village scenes. Both displays run through New Year's Day. INFO»
- Gather the family for an icy dip into Lake Michigan for the Polar Bear Plunge at Waukegan Municipal Beach on New Year's Day. INFO»
- Visit Volo Museum and Jurassic and Jurassic Gardens for a day of learning about history. The Volo attraction features 45 different exhibitions spanning genres of vehicles, gadgets, classic entertainment, historical oddities and more. While there, stop and visit Jurassic Gardens. The exhibit allows the young family members to dig up hidden fossils (that you hide) and interact with various animatronic dinosaurs. INFO»
- Check out the Christmas Musical Light Shows in downtown Antioch. The drive-up attraction takes you by the Bandshell and there's no need to leave the car. Shows at the Antioch Bandshell run through December 25. INFO»
- Immerse your kids in nature at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The Winter Break Camp features nature walks, snow art, science, exploration and learning how animals adapt to the winter weather. INFO»
- Let the kids test their throwing skills at Lumberjaxe Axe Lounge in Libertyville. Participants must be 12 years old to participate with a parent or guardian's signature and supervision. INFO»
- Break in the winter school break with the Waukegan Park District at the Belvidere Recreation Center. They celebrate the arrival of winter, make gingerbread houses, play games, make arts and crafts, do science experiments and have a pajama party. INFO»
- Gather the crew for a bumping good time at WhirlyBall. The Vernon Hills venue features bumper cars, laser tag, arcade games and delicious food. INFO»
- Cruise through Shiloh Park for the Zion Park District's Home for the Holidays - Lighted Christmas Trail. There are 50 displays composed of over 100,000 twinkling bulbs. The light show runs through January 1, 2023. INFO»
- Visit the National Museum of the American Sailor for their "Sails Unfurled" exhibit and add an educational element to your kid's holiday break. The exhibits tell the story of American sailors throughout the decades. INFO»
- Walk the 1.25-mile path with art installations, thousands of glowing lights and bright colors complemented by musical trees at this one-of-a-kind experience at the Lightscape inside the Chicago Botanic Garden. Purchase tickets now to secure a time slot. This lighted extravaganza regularly sells out. Lightscape goes through January 8, 2023. INFO»
- Watch the classic tale of "The Magic of the Nutcracker" at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan. The show runs for one weekend December 21-22. INFO»
- Learn about a huge variety of reptiles, birds, mammals, critters, crawlers and everything in between at the Wildlife Discovery Center. INFO»
- See if you have what it takes to fly a 737 passenger plane or F-18 fighter jet at Extreme Flight Simulation in Gurnee. INFO»
- Visit the Volo Bog State Natural Area for warm indoor music, photo contests, kid's winter crafts, bog tours, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at Winterfest. INFO»
- Celebrate Christmas Eve with friends and family by having brunch at the Chocolate Sanctuary. INFO»
- Break a sweat and stay active during the winter break and visit the Canlan Sports facilities in Libertyville and Lake Barrington. The Libertyville building features rock wall climbing, fitness center, walk/run track, turf soccer fields, basketball courts and youth sports training sessions. The Lake Barrington facility offers turf fields for soccer, lacrosse, softball and football. There are also four basketball and eight volleyball courts. INFO»
- Take in nature-inspired art as part of the "At Ease: Healing in Nature" exhibit at the Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods. The exhibition goes through December 21. INFO»
- Sign up for a cooking class and learn how to make holiday-inspired fare at The Joyful Gourmet on December 21. INFO»
- Visit the Dunn Museum in Libertyville to experience Color & Light. The exhibit highlights Mundelein resident Charles Warner’s (1884–1964) hand-carved folk art cathedrals. They range in size from three to five feet tall. A digital component that lets you "see" what they look like on the inside. INFO»
- Follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Marriott Theatre at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort for the "Wizard of Oz." The production runs through December 31. INFO»
- See if you can keep up with the kids as they zoom around the ice rink at Top Shelf Ice Arena and Top Shelf Bar and Grill. INFO»
- Visit the Citadel Theatre Company for their kid-friendly stage production of "Junior Claus." The Citadel Theatre production runs December 20-30. INFO»
- Vote for your favorite holiday tree and see which one fits the "Santa's Workshop" motif for the Grayslake Giving Trees at the Grayslake Heritage Center and Museum. INFO»
- A winter break is never complete without hitting the sledding hills. Be sure to stretch before taking to the slopes. INFO»
- Check out the Tarkowski Family Light Show in Antioch for their Christmas display. The holiday light show goes through December 25. INFO»
- Catch the residential glow bonanza by visiting the Germann Family Light Show. The family changes the display theme each year. The show goes through January 1, 2023. INFO»
- Visit Viking Park for Frosty Fest. The free Gurnee Park District experience features sleigh rides, candle making, ice skating, s'more's, cocoa, coffee and more. INFO»
- Experience an eight-course meal and listen to some tunes for The Shanty's Christmas Celebration on December 22. INFO»
- Learn about 10 historical Grayslake stories and float around the facility when you visit the Grayslake Heritage Center and Museum. The exhibit opened in February and December 28 is the last day of the display. INFO»
- Bring the kids with to the Marriott Theatre at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort for their rendition of "A Christmas Story." The Marriott Theatre production goes through January 1, 2023. INFO»
- Visit Snowland with the family at the Great Wolf Lodge Illinois. This holiday celebration features games, scavenger hunts, prizes, yoga, bingo and holiday activities. INFO»
- Celebrate one more trip around the sun at the Sullivan Community Center in Vernon Hills at their New Year's Eve Party. The jubilation is the Friday before the actual new year to make it timely for families with young children. There is a DJ, games, activities and more on December 30. INFO»
- Bounce around on trampolines, play dodgeball, jump into foam pits, test your ninja skills, go bowling and much more at Launch Trampoline Park in Gurnee. INFO»
Find more experiences to Holiday Your Way in Lake County! Read holiday stories about Lake County around the camp fire.
WINTER OUTDOOR GUIDE
ROAD TRIPS
Volo Museum
Family-Friendly Dining
Breakfast/Brunch
Lakeside Dining
MainStreet Libertyville
Historic Downtown Long Grove
Downtown Highland Park
Great Wolf Lodge Illinois
Lincolnshire Marriott Resort
Hyatt Deerfield
Visitors Guide
Special Offers
Accommodations
Weddings
Group Tours
Military Reunions
Community Partners
Partner Directory
Become a Partner
