Household enjoyable shines vivid in Oak Brook

The better part in regards to the holidays is watching your youngsters mild up with pleasure. In Oak Brook, that’s not exhausting to do. Just half-hour from town, this suburban gem delivers all the glint and cheer of the season — with out the crowds or chaos. Whether you come for the lights, the laughs or the cocoa, Oak Brook makes it simple to fill a day (or a weekend) with household enjoyable.

Here’s our parent-approved checklist of must-do enjoyable to your personal holiday-themed getaway to Oak Brook:

Lights, laughter and vacation nights

When the solar units, Oak Brook shines — actually. Winter Lights at Central Park is a can’t-miss household favourite, with a half-mile of glowing shows that twinkle throughout the snow. Best of all, it’s free to attend and parking is free too, a refreshing change from the dear ticketed mild exhibits elsewhere within the suburbs. 

The stroll itself is stroller- and pet-friendly, and now features a sensory-friendly time slot for households who respect a quieter expertise. This wallet-friendly expertise makes extra room in your funds for what actually issues: making recollections collectively. 

For much more vacation magic, mark your calendar for The Drake Oak Brook’s Annual Tree Lighting, a beloved kickoff stuffed with carols, cocoa and a particular go to from Santa. Over at Hyatt Lodge, Prancer’s Pop-Up Pub transforms right into a whimsical winter wonderland the place households can sip cocoa. 

Parent tip: Arrive earlier than nightfall, seize an early dinner, and watch Oak Brook glow to life — it’s a type of evenings that feels made for memory-making.

Sweet treats and Santa sightings

If your loved ones’s holidays revolve round nice meals and candy traditions, Oak Brook has you lined.

• Labriola Ristorante hosts its well-known Gingerbread House Workshops, the place youngsters can construct candy-covered creations whereas dad and mom take pleasure in breakfast and low.
  
• The Drake Oak Brook goes all out with Teas & Tiaras, Holiday Afternoon Tea, and Brunch with Santa & the Grinch — experiences that make the vacations really feel straight out of a storybook.

• Pinstripes retains spirits vivid with Brunch with Santa on choose weekends, full with picture ops and a comfortable indoor setting excellent for teenagers of all ages.
  
• Lucca Osteria & Bar provides a touch of Italian heat with its festive Brunch with Santa, that includes kid-favorite pancakes, a Build-Your-Own Hot Chocolate Bar, and dwell vacation music. Families also can assist unfold cheer by bringing a toy for Toys for Tots.
  

Parent tip: Don’t overlook your digital camera — between frosting-smudged smiles and Santa images, you’ll need to keep in mind this one.

Daytime delights: enjoyable for teenagers (and children at coronary heart)

Even within the daylight, Oak Brook brims with actions for curious youngsters and households trying to discover.

• Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art — Discover glowing gems, crystals, and the breathtaking Castle Lizzadro, a success with budding scientists.
  
  

  

• Fullersburg Woods Nature Center — Take a peaceable path stroll and go to the 13,000-year-old woolly mammoth skeleton, a assured kid-pleaser.
• Mayslake Peabody Estate — Step again in time with a Historic Mansion Tour or stroll the scenic grounds collectively.
• Pinstripes — Challenge the youngsters to bowling or bocce earlier than grabbing lunch.
  
  

  

• Puttshack — Try high-tech indoor mini golf with glowing programs and pleasant competitors.
• AMC Oakbrook Center 12 — Catch a vacation film and recharge with popcorn earlier than your subsequent journey.

• Wonderverse — Let huge youngsters and youths dive into themed sights, arcade video games, and immersive enjoyable.
  

Parent tip: Everything is shut by, so you’ll be able to combine nature, play and exploration with out spending half the day within the automotive.

Stay the night time — and make a weekend of it

After a day full of vacation enjoyable, Oak Brook’s motels are able to wrap your loved ones in consolation and cheer. Book The Drake Oak Brook’s “Dreaming of Drake Christmas” for a two-room suite bursting with décor, cookie kits, and a particular supply from Santa himself. 

Or keep at Hyatt Lodge, the place the Santa Suite and Deck the Hall on the Lodge occasions make spirits vivid.

Every resort — from Le Méridien to Residence Inn — is near the motion, with cozy swimming pools, festive touches, and house for everybody to chill out.

Plan your Oak Brook vacation getaway

From cocoa to carols and lights to laughter, Oak Brook makes the vacations simple — and unforgettable. Plan your loved ones’s getaway and see why this vacation spot shines brightest at Christmas. Dig in additional:

• Discover the very best in buying, eating and leisure in Oak Brook
• Plan a particular vacation expertise at your resort of alternative — discover out extra about Oak Brook’s resort lineup

This content material is sponsored by the Only in Oak Brook. Learn extra at onlyinoakbrook.com.