Season guide · Chicago · United States
Chicago in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Changeable weather that can swing from snow to warm sunshine; baseball returns in April and cruises and outdoor terraces open fully by May. Expect highs up to 21°C (70°F) and lows around -1°C (30°F), with about 35 rainy days across March–May. May is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- -1°C (30°F) to 21°C (70°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 35
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 8°C (46°F) | -1°C (30°F) | 11 | 11.8 h | 2/5 |
| April | 15°C (59°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 12 | 13.3 h | 3/5 |
| May | 21°C (70°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 12 | 14.5 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 15°C (59°F) against a yearly 15°C (59°F), and 35 of the year's roughly 125 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- March: Chicago River dyed green and downtown St Patrick's Day parade (usually the Saturday before 17 March)
- April: Cubs and White Sox home openers (usually early April)
- May: Chicago beaches open for the season (usually Memorial Day weekend, late May)
Good choices for spring
Museum · The Loop
Art Institute of Chicago
Guarded by two bronze lions on Michigan Avenue, the Art Institute is one of the great encyclopaedic museums of the US.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Museum Campus
Field Museum
Arrive at opening and do the Field in the morning; the Shedd is a five-minute walk away for the afternoon.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Iconic
Aquarium · Museum Campus
Shedd Aquarium
Opened in 1930 in a Beaux-Arts building on the lake, the Shedd's highlights are the Caribbean Reef, a circular tank in the central rotunda, the Wild Reef shark exhibit, Amazon Rising and the Abbott Oceanarium, where beluga whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins swim in front of windows that look out onto Lake Michigan.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Museum Campus
Adler Planetarium
Even if you skip the museum, walk out to the Adler around sunset for the view back across the harbour to downtown.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Views
- Rainy day
- Photo spot
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Museum · Hyde Park
Museum of Science and Industry
Housed in the Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, this is one of the largest science museums in the Americas.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Day trips in spring
- Oak Park (About 25 minutes by L or Metra) — Frank Lloyd Wright lived and worked in Oak Park for 20 years, and the suburb holds his Home and Studio, Unity Temple and the largest concentration of his buildings anywhere, best seen on a guided or self-guided walking tour.
- Indiana Dunes National Park (About 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes by train) — Sand dunes, beaches and wetlands along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, with views back to the Chicago skyline on clear days.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Chicago?
Yes: May is among the best months. Changeable weather that can swing from snow to warm sunshine; baseball returns in April and cruises and outdoor terraces open fully by May.
+What is the weather like in Chicago in spring?
Highs of up to 21°C (70°F) and lows around -1°C (30°F), with about 35 rainy days over the season.