Christmas Around the World & Holidays of Light

About This Event

The Museum of Science and Industry's holiday tree show has been running since 1942, when it started as a single tree meant to represent unity during World War II. Eight decades later it's fifty-plus trees and displays filling the museum's Great Hall, each one decorated by a different Chicago cultural or immigrant community group telling their own version of the season.

Opening day, Nov 7, 2026, is worth building a trip around specifically: a Tree Lighting and Cultural Festival with live performances and the lighting of the 40-foot Grand Tree, plus family photos in front of it before the crowds build for the rest of the run. The displays go beyond Christmas too — Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, and other seasonal celebrations of light all get real representation, not a token mention.

Worth knowing: it's included with general admission, so there's no separate ticket to buy, and the run goes from Nov 7 through early January — plenty of time to catch it without fighting opening-week crowds.