When do the leaves change in Chicago?
Chicago's lakefront parks and boulevard oaks turn gold and russet through the second half of October, with bigger maple color in the ravines of the North Shore and the woods of southern Wisconsin and Michigan close behind.
Peak: October 23–October 27
Color builds from October 10 · mostly bare by November 16
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures (Open-Meteo) drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Chicago’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Chicago itself at 241 m elevation. Estimates, not promises — street trees vary block to block. Check locally before you plan around a weekend.
Fall activities in Chicago
Where locals go
Things to do in fall in Chicago
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season — the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Chicago.
Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm
24 miPumpkin patch
Color nearby peaks October 25
Chicagoland's favorite fall festival and pumpkin patch since 1981, this Homer Glen farm packs 14 themed mechanical rides and 25-plus attractions into its 2026 Fall Fest, from a haunted barn and pig races to hayrides, a petting zoo and a giant corn box. The season runs Sept. 4 through Nov. 8, closed Sept. 8-10.
Don’t miss: 14 themed mechanical rides · Haunted barn, pig races and a giant corn box · A Chicagoland tradition since 1981
in Illinois
Long Grove Apple Fest
28 miFall festival
Color nearby peaks October 24
Long Grove's antique shopping village turns over to apple everything for a weekend: pies, doughnuts, candied and caramel apples, apple wine and sangria, alongside live music and rows of local artisans. The historic downtown is small enough to cover on foot in an afternoon, northwest of Chicago.
Don’t miss: Apple pies, doughnuts and candied apples · Live music and craft vendors · Historic downtown shopping village
in Illinois
Goebbert's Farm - South Barrington
30 miPumpkin patch
Color nearby peaks October 23
A 40-acre fall destination northwest of Chicago where the fields fill with pig races, corn mazes, wagon rides, an Animal Land petting barn and giraffe feeding. Its mascot is a fiberglass pumpkin-eating dinosaur, and an 18-foot 'Happy Jack' pumpkin silo marks the entrance.
Don’t miss: Pumpkin-eating dinosaur · Pig races and wagon rides · Animal Land and giraffe barn
in Illinois
HellsGate Haunted House
32 miHaunted attraction
Color nearby peaks October 24
A multi-level haunted mansion in Lockport laced with secret passages, giant slides and zombie-infested woods, reached by a shuttle from off-site parking. This season the cast of the shuttered Statesville Prison joins HellsGate's crew at a single location.
Don’t miss: Multi-level mansion with giant slides · Zombie-infested woods and cemetery · Statesville cast joins this season
in Illinois
Downtown Geneva Historic District
35 miHistoric town
Color nearby peaks October 23
A Fox River town of boutiques, wineries and restaurants along Third Street, with the Herrington Inn overlooking the water and a Metra stop that makes it an easy train ride from downtown Chicago. Fall brings cooler river walks and the last of the Sunday French Market before it closes for the season in November.
Don’t miss: Boutiques and dining along the Fox River · Herrington Inn riverfront views · Metra stop for a car-free day trip
in Illinois
Kuipers Family Farm
48 miOrchard
Color nearby peaks October 23
A 230-acre working farm in Maple Park, far west of Chicago, growing apples, pumpkins, tulips and sunflowers. Weekends bring pick-your-own apples while the Orchard Shop and Bakery turns out cider doughnuts, pies and hand-spun caramel apples; a Pumpkin FunFarm adds a corn maze and pig races.
Don’t miss: Pick-your-own apples · Cider doughnuts and caramel apples · Corn maze and pig races
in Illinois
Guides
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Chicago in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 23–October 27 (best estimate October 25). Color starts around October 10 and trees are mostly bare by November 16. These dates are computed for Chicago itself — at 241 m elevation — from the same weather model as the tracker.
- When is fall foliage season in Chicago?
- Chicago colors during autumn (September–November). Chicago's lakefront parks and boulevard oaks turn gold and russet through the second half of October, with bigger maple color in the ravines of the North Shore and the woods of southern Wisconsin and Michigan close behind.
- What's the best foliage near Chicago?
- Morton Arboretum (23 mi). For a longer trip: Indiana (152 mi, peak ~October 25); Illinois (153 mi, peak ~October 30); Wisconsin (224 mi, peak ~October 14).
- What are the best things to do in fall in Chicago?
- Beyond the leaves: Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm (24 mi); Long Grove Apple Fest (28 mi); Goebbert's Farm - South Barrington (30 mi); HellsGate Haunted House (32 mi); Downtown Geneva Historic District (35 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.
- What are the best things to do in autumn near Chicago?
- Come autumn — autumn (September–November) — locals head for Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm (24 mi); Long Grove Apple Fest (28 mi); Goebbert's Farm - South Barrington (30 mi); HellsGate Haunted House (32 mi); Downtown Geneva Historic District (35 mi). Each is on the map with the distance from Chicago.