15 Fun Chicago Birthday Ideas For Celebrating In The Windy City
- Date: October 7, 2024
- Topic: Events
- Contributors: Written by Brooke HeltonEdited by Alexis Shiraki
Source: Peerspace
Answered
Birthday party venues on Peerspace typically cost between $50 — $220 per hour.
Looking for unique and totally fun birthday party ideas in Chicago to help you celebrate in style? Then we’ve got you covered. The windy city is home to tons of amazing things to do. Restaurants, bars, and parks – you name it. But for your birthday, you want to do something extra special and memorable to mark the occasion.
Luckily, that’s what we at Peerspace specialize in. As the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals, we make it easy to find and rent unique spaces near you, including the best birthday party venues for rent in Chicago. Along with connecting you to amazing venues that provide all of the space, style, and amenities you need, we also strive to help inspire your party planning.
So to spark your creativity, here are some fun Chicago birthday ideas to take your special day to the next level.
1. Book a private Peerspace event venue rental to enjoy a bespoke experience
If you want to give your birthday party an upgrade, try booking an event venue in Chicago through Peerspace to elevate the occasion. You can find tons of aesthetic and unique party venues across the city, then rent them by the hour for as long as you want.
As an example, party venues you can book in Chicago include:
- This rustic loft that’s dripping with string lights (pictured above) that boasts an open industrial layout, provides furnishings, has a BYOB policy, and has space for 150 guests.
- This modern urban Lincoln Park event space spread across two floors, with a chef’s kitchen, a full bar, a live wall, a SONOS sound system, and space for 85 guests.
- This incredible West Town loft loft with an open layout, skyline views, two photo booths, a kitchen, A/V equipment, and space for 150 guests.
- This Logan Square video game museum with a BYOB and BYOF policy, speakers, a kitchen, an array of classic video games to play, and space for 25 guests.
And that’s just a taste. All spaces are operated by locals who strive to ensure your time in their venue is perfect. In fact, you can reach out to them before and during your booking with any questions or requests and they’ll help in any way they can.
Head to Peerspace now, and explore the possibilities.
2. Enjoy the views and fresh air with Cruise Lake Michigan
Chicago sits on the shores of Lake Michigan. But have you ever ventured out into the lake for a cruise?
Try embarking on a dinner cruise of Lake Michigan to celebrate the day. You can gain a whole new perspective on the city while you enjoy gourmet dinner on the water — and maybe sip a cocktail or two while you’re at it.
3. Schedule a wine tasting to test your palette
Chicago is a foodie’s paradise. So, if you enjoy sampling the finer things in life, why not schedule a wine tasting for your birthday?
You could head to:
- The City Winery: With two locations at the Riverwalk and Randolph Street, the City Winery is one of Chicago’s premier wine-tasting experiences. You can sample the winery’s best wares with private tastings led by a knowledgeable tour guide.
- The Fromagerie and Tasting Room: Want to sample cheese with your wine? At the Fromagerie and Tasting Room, you can sample a rotating selection of wines from across the globe and artisanal meats and cheeses.
- The Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery: Want to try something new instead of wine? Alongside their wine selections, Wild Blossom offers daily tastings of mead — a sweet alcohol made from fermented honey. The recipe dates back nearly 8,000 years. It’s an awesome Chicago birthday idea for wine lovers and history buffs.
You can also book this downtown urban rustic taproom and brewery through Peerspace. It is a gorgeous lounge with beautiful decor and lighting and an amazing array of hybrid wine and vineyard ales! With space for 90 guests and friendly service, this is the place to go throw a delicious birthday party wine tasting all your own!
Peerspace can also connect you with this no-alcohol wine shop in West Town for non-imbibing birthday people. Gather with loved ones and enjoy a night of sipping tasty wines made without alcohol.
4. Embark on a donut tour and enjoy Chicago’s most delicious treats
If you’ve never been a cake fan, this Chicago birthday idea is perfect for you. The Underground Donut Tour will lead you throughout the city to sample offerings from Chicago’s best donut purveyors. Tastings are included with the price of the tour, so you can get in your birthday sweets fix without breaking the bank.
Love the idea of starting a new year with gorgeous portraits? Then you need to see these studio photoshoot ideas in Chicago, too!
5. Belt out your favorite songs at a karaoke bar
Want to indulge your musical side for your birthday? At the Murasaki Sake Lounge, you can enjoy a traditional Japanese karaoke experience. Kick back in a private karaoke room just for you and your friends — and sing your pick of over 130,000 English, Japanese, and Korean songs. K-pop and J-pop fans, rejoice!
Looking for a more private experience? Then consider booking time at this stylish immersive art studio storefront that has a totally psychedelic aesthetic and all of the A/V equipment you need to belt out your favorite karaoke jams.
6. Feel cultured and explore a museum
Chicago is home to some of the most extensive and fascinating museums in the U.S. Why not visit one for your birthday?
Options to explore include:
- The Field Museum: Admire massive dino skeletons and other amazing ancient artifacts.
- The Art Institute of Chicago: Head into one of the city’s most well-known cultural buildings to enjoy paintings, sculptures, and photos from top artists
- The Oriental Institute Museum: Admire artifacts over 6,000 years old from Israel, Egypt, Persia, and even Mesopotamia.
Peerspace can also connect you with a Chicago museum rental space to make all other Chicago birthday ideas pale in comparison. For instance, check out this scientific museum housed within a historic lakeside mansion! It’s room after room of vibes and wonder. And you can book the International Museum of Surgical Science here on Peerspace.
7. Face your fears and hunt ghosts on a guided tour
Are you a fan of Ghosthunters or Buzzfeed Unsolved? You’re going to love this Chicago birthday idea.
The Winds and Souls ghost tour will lead you through a walking tour of Chicago’s more terrifying haunted sites. As Chicago’s sole adults-only ghost tour, the spook factor is turned up to 11, making it perfect for fall or October birthdays.
8. Enjoy a birthday filled with wonder and attend a magic show
Want to make your birthday a little more magical? Try attending an event at the Chicago Magic Lounge. There are shows nearly every night of the week, so you’re sure to discover something exciting around your birthday. You can even enjoy savory plates and drinks from the bar while you watch the magic!
9. Embrace warmer days and make it a beach birthday
If your birthday falls in one of the warmer months, why not make it a beach day? Chicago’s lakefront is home to 26 miles of open beaches where you can soak up the sun. It’s like taking a mini vacation to Florida without even hopping on a plane!
After a day on the water, head to this two-story private penthouse home blocks from the beach in Lake View. It provides you with a private rooftop, a chef’s kitchen, a sound system, and shuffleboard, for the perfect private venue for dining and relaxing after a day on the shore.
Looking for more amazing private home rentals? Here’s how and where to rent a house for a day in Chicago!
10. Explore the pier with your favorite people
Is it too cold to take a dip in the water? Not to worry. There’s always something happening at the lakefront Navy Pier, making it a wonderful destination for a birthday on the town.
Grab a drink at a tavern, a slice of pizza, an ice cream cone, or even a warm falafel. Just make sure to grab your food after riding on the drop tower, or one of the pier’s other thrill-seeking rides.
11. Visit the Lincoln Park Zoo and unleash your wild side
When was the last time you took a trip to the zoo? Relive one of your favorite childhood field trips by heading to the Lincoln Park Zoo for your birthday. You can spend the day hanging out with giraffes, lions, otters, monkeys, and so much more.
You can even host a private event in both indoor and outdoor areas. Imagine sipping cocktails with your friends in front of the gorgeous African Savannah. Sounds like a memorable birthday to us!
12. Head to a farm and host a barn party
Why not escape the urban grind and head out to the country for a birthday bash on a farm? Not farm from the center of the city, you can easily find a slew of farms with barn venues ideal for hosting private celebrations with fresh, inspired surroundings.
For example, check out this unique 1.5-acre farm atmosphere with a barn in Bartlett, IL that you can book with ease through Peerspace. Party with your loved ones in the barn and enjoy the rustic ambiance and serene surroundings. We especially love it if your birthday falls in the autumn months, when you can probably even host an epic Halloween birthday party!
13. See stars at the planetarium
Have you always been something of a space nerd? Lucky for you, Chicago is home to the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere! At the Adler Planetarium, you can gaze through the largest public telescope in Chicago, watch a dazzling show of the night sky, and enjoy special events year-round. Head to their website to see if anything special is happening around your birthday!
14. Host a throwback party at your very own speakeasy
The best Chicago birthday ideas are those that follow a theme. So why not theme your birthday party with an idea that is distinctly Chicago? Book your birthday party at this modern-day upscale speakeasy in Villa Park and make it a Roaring ’20s party! It has space for 30 guests and provides you with a billiards table, a wet bar, flat-screen TVs, surround sound, and a truly luxurious ambiance you and your fellow partygoers will love.
In fact, as Peerspace reviewer shares: “What an amazing place for a party. 1920s, 30s atmosphere at its finest. Like taking a step back in time. Excellent accommodations, very clean, and Alex is a wonderful host. Great communication and a great experience. Friends were already talking about renting it lol.”
15. Host a rooftop party in the warm summer months
Take your next Chicago birthday party to new heights when you book a venue like this contemporary upscale rooftop space with city views in Lincoln Park! It’s a sprawling 4,200-square-foot two-floor event space that includes an indoor lounge, an outdoor covered cooking space with a barbecue grill and countertops, and an open outdoor lounge area ideal for kicking back in the warm summer months with your guests. This rooftop event venue is the perfect spot for a birthday barbecue bash, with the exisiting features and sensational views covering you in terms of decor! It’s also just one of the many rooftop venues you can book through Peerspace for your next private party.
Chicago birthday ideas: conclusion
As you can see, there are so many amazing ways to celebrate your birthday in The Windy City! Choose any of these to ensure your Chicago birthday ideas are second to none.
Make it a more personalized experience by booking a private venue in Chicago through Peerspace and working with the host to design the perfect birthday event for you.
Find unique birthday party venues in Chicago on Peerspace
Get together somewhere better
Book thousands of unique spaces directly from local hosts.
Explore SpacesShare your space and start earning
Join thousands of hosts renting their space for meetings, events, and photo shoots.
List Your Space
