Spring is officially here, and we’re rounding up our favorite things to do in Chicago in April. Marked by Chicago’s breathtaking Chicagohenge spring equinox spectacle, from here on out, things start to look up each year.
The notorious Midwest winter has passed, and Chicago is gearing up for bloom, growth, and warmer days ahead. At the same time, events and activities across the city offer countless possibilities for having fun.
There’s so much to do regardless of whether we’re treated to sunshine or April showers, so here are the best things to do in Chicago in April and how to fully embrace the spring cheer.
Prepare For The Return Of LIV Golf to Bolingbrook Golf Club
From August 8–10, 2025, LIV Golf brings its high-energy, festival-style tournament back to Bolingbrook Golf Club. The three-day event features 54 of the world’s top golfers competing in a team-based format with shotgun starts, ensuring nonstop action. Beyond the course, attendees can enjoy the Fan Village with interactive activities, food & drinks, and live music. To top it all off, kids under 12 get in free, making the whole weekend a family-friendly affair. Click here for tickets & more!
🗓️ When: August 8-10, 2025
📍 Where: Bolingbrook Golf Club – 2001 Rodeo Dr, Bolingbrook, IL 60490
Take in the spring flowers of Michigan Avenue
Every fall, the City of Chicago plants tens of thousands of tulip bulbs in the Michigan Avenue medians from Oak Street to Roosevelt Road. In April, these bulbs then begin opening up and filling Michigan Avenue with a kaleidoscopic sea of tulips. They have become synonymous with the arrival of spring in Chicago and immediately fill the air and city with spring cheer.
Perusing the stunning spectacle is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Chicago in April.
Explore Stunning Tulip Fields Near Chicago
Discover breathtaking tulip fields near Chicago this spring, with locations like Richardson Adventure Farm and Kuipers Family Farm offering vibrant displays. These fields boast thousands of blooming tulips, perfect for a day trip filled with photo opportunities, picnics, and even live music. Don’t miss the chance to see over 700,000 tulips at Kuipers Family Farm or explore the historic gardens of Cantigny Park. These destinations promise a delightful escape into nature.
📍 Location: Various locations near Chicago
🗓️ Dates: Mid-April through May
Celebrate Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie With Special 4/20 Screenings In Select Theaters
Celebrating 50 years of comedy from the two best buds around, Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie is rolling into theaters on April 25, with special “Bring a Bud” screenings available at some locations on 4/20. The “moviementary” features behind-the-scenes moments, archival footage, and all-new interviews, chronicling the highs, lows, and legacy of the legendary comedy duo. Click here to find a showtime near you!
Club Med’s All-Inclusive Resorts Are Only A Few Hours From Chicago
Paradise is closer than you think! Club Med, the pioneer of the all-inclusive resort, is just a quick direct flight from Chicago. Lounge on the pristine white-sand beaches at Club Med Punta Cana, escape to the serene Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda in Miches, or experience the new family oasis and water park at Club Med Cancún. Which resort is calling your name? When you’re ready to escape the Chicago wind for tropical breezes… that’s l’Esprit Libre. – Melissa Maynard
See La La in Concert
This April in Chicago, experience La La Land in concert! The acclaimed, Academy Award®-winning film starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone will be played with a live orchestra. Justin Hurwitz is set to transform the auditorium with a mesmerizing live concert as the Chicago Philharmonic and a live jazz band perform the score in sync with the movie.
🗓️ When: April 5
📍 Where: 50 East Ida B. Wells Drive, Chicago, IL 60605
Catch the cherry blossoms bloom
If you can’t get enough of that floral fun, one of the best things to do in Chicago in April is to see the cherry blossoms. Another impressive spectacle is provided by the cherry blossom trees in full bloom.
Typically, the sakura blooms start within the first two weeks of April in Chicago. Though it can be a guessing game, they could flourish at their peak towards the end of April. The soft, delicate blossoms only bloom for a week or two, making it a rare sight, especially when options for where to see them in Chicago are somewhat limited. If you want to behold the blooming season this year, head to our article on where to view the cherry blossoms in Chicago this spring.
Check out a flower show
An Evening of Beauty and Bubbles in Lincoln Park
Join Shot Bar Medspa and @ChicagoIsMyBoyfriend for a chic evening of beauty on April 10, 2025, at their stunning Lincoln Park location. Enjoy discounted Botox, free consultations with expert providers, and exclusive event-only discounts on select treatments. With bubbles, mingling, and a first-hand look at Chicago’s most talked-about medspa, this is the perfect opportunity to toast to beauty in style. Space is limited, so RSVP now to secure your spot!
📍 Location: Shot Bar Medspa, 2444 N Clark St, Chicago
🗓️ Date: Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 6 PM – 8 PM
Celebrate Earth Day with a Sustainable Sip
Celebrate Earth Day at The Grillroom Chophouse & Wine Bar with the launch of their “Sips That Give” initiative, which donates proceeds from featured cocktails to environmental causes. Enjoy the “Bee Line” cocktail for Earth Day, a floral gin sour crafted with sustainable ingredients like Barr Hill Gin and organic honey from local farms. On April 22, 20% of the proceeds from every Bee Line sold will support Bee Haven, an organization preserving pollinator habitats in Chicago. Guests ordering the Bee Line through May 1 will also receive native wildflower seeds to promote urban pollination.
📍 Location: The Grillroom Chophouse & Wine Bar, Chicago
🗓️ Date: April 22 – May 1
Be captivated by a Candlelight Concert
Step into Chicago’s most exquisite spaces to experience some unforgettable performances. The beloved Candlelight series has organized an array of talented musicians performing at the city’s best venues illuminated with hundreds of candles, and there are some extra special candlelight concerts in Chicago this spring.
See the full list of candlelight concerts taking place in Chicago this spring.
Send your senses soaring with a Dining in the Dark experience
Engage your taste buds at a unique night out as you indulge in a delicious three-course meal at the exclusive ‘Dining in The Dark’ dinner parties.
Take your date night to the next level or enjoy a surreal experience with friends, tempting your senses with dark surroundings to focus on more important things like the exquisite food and wine pairing you’re about to try.
Diners can choose vegan, seafood, or red meat options, enjoying a starter, main entree, and dessert.
Grab tickets to a Dining in the Dark experience.
Enjoy free admission to the Field Museum on a Wednesday
The most popular museums and attractions in Chicago have nearly always announced random free days throughout the year, especially during the months that are quiet for Chicago’s tourism industry. This year, however, the Field Museum is doing things a little differently, and the iconic museum invites Illinois Residents to enjoy free admission every Wednesday in 2025.
Spend an evening at Shedd Aquarium for free
Another place that has recently announced a schedule of free admission slots is none other than Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. Following in Field Museum’s footsteps, the beloved aquarium is offering free entry every Tuesday evening of spring through to the end of June. Illinois Residents can enter the beloved aquarium from 5 p.m. through to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays this April.
Welcome back the ART on THE MART projections
One of the lights at the end of the tunnel comes as artistic projections on the 2.5-acre river façade of the Merchandise Mart every year. It has been several months since Chicago has been treated to stunning art spectacles, but now, after some spellbinding displays last year, ART on The MART is about to return.
One of the best things to do in Chicago in April, on Friday, April 25, at 8:30 pm, ART on The MART will fire up all 34 digital projectors for its Spring 2025 Program and once again breathe life into the 25-story-tall face of the Merchandise Mart every night through June 5.
📍 Location: Merchandise Mart
🗓️ Date: April 29
Revel in one of Chicago’s best speakeasies
One of the best things to do in Chicago in April is head to this electric speakeasy is near Fulton Market. Upstairs at Nisos, The Lounge is an alluring, hidden cocktail lounge (hint: look for the bookshelf) tucked away on the second floor of Nisos Prime. The 2,000-square-foot room offers a wondrous, carefree late-night experience full of energy and music and transports guests to the nightlife of the Mediterranean.
Read more about Chicago’s best speakeasies.
Try an escape room in Chicago
While at speakeasies, the challenge can be getting in, at Chicago’s escape rooms, the challenge is getting out. A great plan for families, friends, or work events, escape rooms put your problem-solving skills to the test with puzzles, clues, and tasks designed for groups or all ages to enjoy.
Luckily, Chicago has an array of exciting escape rooms from which to choose!
Buckel up for a Drunk Shakespeare show
Another brilliant Chicago experience comes in the form of a live Drunk Shakespeare show.
On a stage in a hidden speakeasy behind the Chicago Theater, guests will find a glam cocktail bar and library with over 10,000 books. Five classically-trained actors meet as members of “The Drunk Shakespeare Society.” One of them has had at least five shots of a strong spirit, and then they (quite over-confidently) attempt to perform a major role in a Shakespearean play!
Hilarity and mayhem ensue while the four sober actors try to keep the script on track. Every show is different depending on who is drinking… and what they’re drinking!
Grab tickets to a Drunk Shakespeare show.
Gaze at the stars at the Adler Planetarium for free
Talking of theatrical experiences, Chicago’s Adler Planetarium is currently offering a new Afrofuturistic multiverse experience in its Grainger Sky Theater titled Niyah and the Multiverse.
Perfect for those with kids, it takes guests on a visually stunning journey as a curious Chicago pre-teen travels through the multiverse.
Adler Planetarium is always worth a visit and makes for a great April activity before sunset gets later and later. Illinois residents can enter for free every Wednesday evening from 4-10 pm provided they bring proof of residency and enjoy access to the largest public telescope in the Midwest as well as a range of exciting astronomy events and activities.
More information and tickets can be found at adlerplanetarium.org.
Head out of the city and see Illinois’ natural spectacles
Ok, we know this one isn’t strictly in Chicago but with so much going on in the city, one of the best things to do in Chicago in April is escape to the quiet of Illinois’ natural beauty and explore the natural spectacles a short journey from the city.
Though our state may not boast wonders with the universal magnitude of the Grand Canyon nor the grandiose reputation of Niagra Falls, Illinois is teeming with diverse ecological landscapes that transform into incredible natural paradises this time of the year.
From monolithic marvels to cascading waterfalls, we’ve selected seven natural wonders of Illinois that you can visit during their spring transformation:
Read the full article to discover our seven natural wonders of Illinois.
Warm up and revitalize at Chicago’s most unique spas
After battling through the bleak of winter, one of the best things to do in Chicago in April is to head to a spa. You’ve got to consider your well-being after these hostile months, especially if you’re spending time outdoors exploring nature or doing extreme sports.
Luckily, Chicago is full of answers, and there’s no better place to relax and unwind than at Chicago’s many serene spas and bathhouses.
From places like River North’s lavish AIRE Ancient Baths inspired by the traditional Roman, Greek, and Ottoman ancient experience of bathing to the unique PIVA Beer Spa offering huge larch wooden tubs filled with near 100-degree beer, herbs, and hops there are so many options in Chicago.
Head to our Secret Chicago list of Chicago’s best spas for an informative guide.