Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier

Navy Pier turns itself into a "Winter Wonderfest" each Christmas season, featuring a number of different attractions, rides, and ice skating.

Winter Wonderfest Photo GalleryNavy Pier, 600 East Grand Avenue, ChicagoDecember 4, 2009 through January 3, 2010Sunday - Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday, Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Christmas Eve: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
New Year's Eve: 10:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.General admission to Winter Wonderfest is free, but a wristband is required to go on rides. A "Regular Activity" wristband is $15, and includes unlimited single-day access to all attractions except ice skate rental. A "Premium Activity" wristband is $18, and includes ice skate rental. (prices subject to change)CTA bus lines #29 (State Street), #65 (Grand Avenue), and the #66 (Chicago Avenue) all serve Navy Pier.

Regular Navy Pier rates apply. Navy Pier has an on-site parking garage, accommodating 1600 cars. Parking is a daily flat rate:

• Monday - Thursday: $20 per day
• Friday - Sunday: $24 per day
• Holidays: $24 per day

(subject to change)

Winter Wonderfest is quite an event -- Navy Pier goes all out, further demonstrating why they are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chicago. Winter Wonderfest is great fun for the whole family, featuring hundreds of trees, thousands of lights, and attractions such as the Arctic Ice Rink, an indoor ferris wheel, the Reindeer Express Train Ride, the Pepsi Create-a-Cookie Cottage, and lots more.

General admission is free -- wristbands are sold for unlimited access to rides and attractions. If you're a parent who has paid countless admission fees to various children's museums, amusement parks, etc., just for the privilege of standing around bored watching your kids, you can certainly appreciate the wristband setup.

Highlights include:

• Arctic Ice Rink
• Ferris Wheel
• Matterhorn
• Winter Wind Glider
• Reindeer Express Train Ride
• Patch's Lighthouse
• Kringle Carousel
• Extreme Ice Trail Ropes Course
• Create-A-Cookie Cottage
• Inflatable Games
• Winter WonderStage