29 amazing holiday gifts made in Chicago

More than a decade ago, the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) spent more than $200,000 replacing stolen CTA system maps that were primarily taken by college students to decorate their dorm rooms. Admittedly, adorning your wall with a CTA map is a pretty cool way to showcase your Chicago pride, but don’t resort to thievery—CTA system maps can be purchased online for $29.95, and can be hung with pride instead. The CTA also sells holiday-themed gifts, including a wooden version of its beloved holiday train. 

Where to find: Online

Getting to go to a game at Wrigley Field is always a fun opportunity, but you’re just limited to your seat and the concession areas underneath the stadium’s seating. Get your baseball fan a once-in-a-lifetime experience by booking a tour of Wrigley Field. The rain-or-shine tours can be booked online, and take between 75 to 90 minutes. Tours take attendees to places they may have already been, like the bleachers and seating bowl, as well as spots in the stadium where they’ve most likely never stepped foot: The press box, dugout and on the field itself.

Where to find: Online

There’s always that one person on our shopping lists who would rather be gifted some sort of experience instead of an item. So give them a filling experience they won’t forget anytime soon by taking them on Yes, Chef! Chicago: A Bear-Inspired Food Tour. Taking inspiration from the hit FX series The Bear, which is set in a Chicago restaurant, the tour takes attendees through several of the spots featured on the show. The tour, priced at $129 per person, is 3.5 hours long, culminating with a dessert stop at historic ice cream parlor Margie’s Candies. Make a reservation for the tour online.

Chicago’s favorite condiment is taken to new highs with this unique product born from a collaboration between iconic J.P. Graziano and Illinois dispensary nuEra. Enjoy the spicy, familiar flavors of giardiniera with a twist—each jar is infused with 25mg of THC. Add the crunchy, pickled veggies to your Italian beef, pizza or sandwich for a zesty kick to both your palate and body.

Where to find: 1308 W. North Ave., all nuEra dispensaries or online

When it comes to the taste of Malört, you either love it or hate it—but there’s a good chance you probably hate it. The Swedish spirit, which was created by Carl Jeppson in the 1930s, is made with wormwood and tastes extraordinarily bitter. Despite that, the much-maligned alcohol is a Chicago favorite. For passionate Malört fans, celebrate your love of the infamous booze by picking up a Malört onesie ($75) or a Malört-inspired Christmas tree ornament ($7), a.k.a. a Malörnament. You can also find a bottle of the booze to torture your friends and family with over the holidays at most liquor stores throughout the city, the CH Distillery where it’s made or online.

Where to find: 564 W. Randolph St.

Show off your city pride with a Chicago-themed hat from Alice & Wonder, a local shop offering everything from apparel and accessories to home decor and gifts. At the brand's new River North store, shoppers will find snazzy hats along with a patch bar that lets them customize their headwear. Patch options include a kitschy "No Ketchup" design, Chicago foods and classic iconography like the 312 area code and city flag.

Where to find: 611 N. State Street

For coffee fiends, the morning doesn’t truly start until they’ve had their first cup of java. But your friends don’t have to hit the Dunkin’ or Starbucks drive-thrus to get their caffeine fix. Instead, they can make coffee at home with beans from Dark Matter Coffee. The Chicago-based company offers 12-ounce bags that range from $19 to $28, depending on the blend. If you’re shopping for a serious coffee lover, three-, six- and 12-month long subscriptions are available for the company’s limited monthly blend. Purchase a bag on Dark Matter Coffee’s website, or at any of the coffee company’s eight locations throughout the city.

Where to find: Eight locations throughout the city, including the mothership at 738 N. Western Ave.

During the holidays, one of the most simple, but effective, ways to let your friends and family members know that you care about them is sending a card. While a card might not be as elaborate as some other gifts, being on the receiving end of a hand-written one is always meaningful. 

Make it even more meaningful for your friends and family by picking up one of Steel Petal Press’ Chicago-themed cards, which feature images of “The Bean," the Humboldt Park alligator, the majestic skyline and other iconic shots that will make your recipients reminisce about their favorite city. The cards can be purchased on Steel Petal Press’ website, or you can stop by the brick-and-mortar store in Logan Square.

Where to find: 2321 N. Milwaukee Ave.

If you can’t afford to get your art-loving friend a fancy painting for the holidays, maybe get them access to hundreds of thousands of them instead? The Art Institute of Chicago, one of the city’s most beloved museums, contains more than 300,000 sculptures, paintings, ceramics and other works of art. It takes many visits to take it all in, and after a while, the admission costs start to add up. For regular museum-goers, it’s worth having a membership (starts at $115 per year), which allows unlimited visits and access to members-only special programs. Memberships can be purchased online.

Where to find: 111 S. Michigan Ave.

You've seen the hand-painted creations of Southwest Signs in the windows of grocery stores and hot dog stands throughout Chicago, bearing bright blue and red letterings. Local art shop Buddy (inside the Chicago Cultural Center) has commissioned a variety of posters from the company, celebrating delicacies like Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef as well as produce like apples and tomatoes. If you're trying to bring a bit of local flavor into your recipient's home, skip the tired "neighborhood map" posters and get one of these instead.

Where to find: 78 E. Washington St. or online

There are plenty of drinking games that have endless rules and make less and less sense as the game goes on. Why not play something that Chicagoans know all about? Their favorite city. The Chicago Handshake Drinking Card Game is a trivia game that puts players’ knowledge of the city to the test. The game can be purchased online.

Where to find: Transit Tees' website.

Bring home a taste of one of Chicago's best cocktail bars with Violet Hour's subscription boxes, packed with bottled drinks that are assembled by the bar's expert mixologists. Each month, members of the club ($100 per month) will receive two of the bar’s classic cocktails, served in 12-ounce bottles, with additional syrup add-ons available. It's the perfect gift for someone who wants to have some fancy drinks on the couch on New Year's Eve.

Where to find: 1520 N. Damen Ave. or online

While all the seasons are beautiful in Chicago, winter can sometimes be a little rough. Between the cold temperatures and few hours of sunlight, many Chicagoans try to find entertainment indoors. Help your loved one stay warm, and entertained indoors with a Chicago puzzle. Rep Chi, a Chicago-themed gift shop, has plenty of options to choose from, including puzzles of the city’s skyline, as well as Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field, to keep your loved ones dreaming of baseball season and the warmer days ahead.

Where to find: 4425 N. Milwaukee Ave. or online

If you have a friend or family member that’s a fan of, well, anything, then head out to Bric-A-Brac Records, a record and collectible shop in Avondale. The shop has everything, from used vinyl records to old movie posters, and toys from the ’80s and ’90s. Can’t make up your mind what to buy? Get your friend or family member a gift certificate to the shop and let them explore on their own. 

Where to find: 2845 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Local artist Evan Miller (a.k.a. EvanArt) has a distinctive vision of Chicago's distant future, imagining a time when some of the city's music venues, movie theaters and other famous landmarks are mostly intact and overgrown with otherworldly vegetation. You can hang one of his surreal images on your (or a loved one's) wall by snagging a framed or unframed print from Lincoln Square shop Midwest Nice.

Where to find: 4619 N. Lincoln Ave. or online

Sure, you can give your loved one a gift on Christmas, or you can help them count down to it by gifting them an advent calendar. It’s safe to say, the march toward the holiday is a lot better with an advent calendar, which gives a treat every day for the first 24 days of December. But it’s even better when the advent calendar is from Vosges Haut-Chocolat, a Chicago-based luxury chocolate maker. The highly decorative calendar is pricey, but for serious chocolate aficionados, it's the best way to celebrate the holidays. Not only can you buy Vosges’ advent calendar in person at the company’s Chicago Temple Boutique, but travelers who need a last-minute gift can also pick one up from Vosges Haut-Chocolat’s stores at O'Hare, located in Terminals 1 and 3, before heading out of town.

Where to find: 2950 N. Oakley Ave or O’Hare Terminals 1 and 3

Bartender Julia Momosé—whose elegant, Japanese-inspired cocktails have helped make Kumiko one of the best bars in the world—delves into the seasonality and craftsmanship of Japanese cocktails in this tip-laden book, complete with recipes based around 24 micro-seasons that punctuate life in Japan. Learn how to make everything from whisky highballs and Manhattans to more unusual mixes like Autumn’s Jacket, a woodsy cocktail that channels the smoke from Japan’s rice field burns in the fall. The aspiring mixologist on your list will get lost in this tome. Pick up a copy at Kumiko to get it personally inscribed by Momosé.

Where to find: 630 W. Lake St. or online

Candles tend to make the perfect stocking stuffers, so pick one up from a Chicago-based company and share your favorite scents with friends and family. Hyde & Park Co. was first founded in 2019, and is named after the neighborhood where the company was formed—Hyde Park. The candles, which are hand poured in Chicago, are produced in small batches and come in an array of scents, including seasonal varieties, like apple harvest and pumpkin spice.

Where to find: Hyde & Park Co.'s website

Help your friends develop a new skill, like, say, playing a musical instrument. The Old Town School of Folk Music has beginner classes in instruments including the violin, guitar and piano, as well as songwriting and dance classes for students to unleash their creativity even further. The music school also offers gift certificates, in case you’re unsure what instrument your future rock star wants to try out.

How to find: 4544 N. Lincoln Ave.

Forget the sliced white stuff languishing in grocery store produce aisles: Delight your home chef and amateur mycologist friends with an order of fungi from Four Star Mushrooms, a Logan Square-based supplier that grows blue oyster, king trumpet and other hard-to-find varieties for restaurants around Chicago. You’ll find Four Star’s direct-to-consumer options for sale at several grocery stores and select retailers throughout the city and nearby suburbs—we’re especially fond of lion’s mane, a hearty shroom that’s often used as a substitute for fish.

Where to find: Use Four Star Mushrooms’ website to find your nearest location

If the coffee aficionado in your life has already worked their way through all of Chicago’s specialty roasters, order them a bag of single-origin robusta beans from local Vietnamese coffee company Fat Miilk. This caffeine-charged blend ($25) offers a nutty, chocolatey flavor profile thanks to robusta beans—a variety that’s long been ignored by coffee snobs in favor of the more commonly consumed arabica—so there’s a good chance your coffee-loving recipient won’t have tried anything quite like it before. Throw in a phin ($30), the perforated metal filter used in traditional Vietnamese coffee brewing, for good measure. 

Where to find: 5018 N. Broadway

On the surface, giving your loved one a box of Frango may seem like you’re just simply buying them a box of chocolate, but what you’re really giving them is a piece of Chicago history. The beloved mint truffles were first sold by Frederick & Nelson, a department store chain based in Seattle, which was bought by Chicago-based Marshall Field and Company. Frango was produced in large melting pots on the 13th floor of Marshall Field’s State Street store for more than 70 years, until the company closed. Now, Frango can be found at Macy’s and also at select Garrett Popcorn locations, as the Chicago-based popcorn company acquired the rights to sell Frango in 2017. Each box of the delicious treat contains 15 mint-flavored truffles.

Where to find: 111 N. State St. or online

Chicagoans rightly celebrate their city’s famous foods, like Italian beef, Chicago-style hot dogs and deep dish pizza. But what about salt? Morton Salt, the leading producer of salt in North America, has been based in Chicago since its founding in 1889. The Chicago institution is celebrated in Foursided’s Morton Salt Christmas tree ornament, which replicates miniature Morton salt shakers. Foursided, a shop that specializes in unique and locally-crafted gifts, has three locations on the North Side and sells a variety of Chicago-themed gifts, from prints created by local artists to apparel adorned with the iconic city flag.

Where to find: 2958 N. Clark St., 2939 N. Broadway or 5061 N. Clark St.

Is there any gift better than a good meal? But what if your friends and family are indecisive, and you don’t know what sort of food they like? Don’t make the choice—instead, give them an abundance of options with a gift card from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. The restaurant group maintains dozens of restaurants throughout the city, including Ramen-san, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba and RPM Steak to name a few. With so many concepts, it’s impossible to disappoint. Purchase gift cards for all of your friends because shoppers who buy more than $100 in gift cards receive a $25 one for free.

Where to find: Any LEYE restaurant or its website

If you're looking for a simple (and useful) stocking stuffer, a candle fits the bill. The holiday-themed soy wax candles from Bright Endeavours come in scents like pear cider, vanilla sugar and berries and whitebark pine—and they support new mothers in under-served communities throughout Chicago. Young moms help make candles through a 16-week paid job-training program, setting them up for career success and creating quality candles that support a great cause.

Where to find: Bright Endeavors' website

A preacher on Chicago's South Side, Pastor T. L. Barrett began recording gospel albums with his Youth for Christ Choir in the ’70s. Thanks to sampling by artists like Kanye West and DJ Khaled, Barrett's musical output has reached new ears over the past decade, spurring local reissue label the Numero Group to collect four of Barrett's soulful albums (and a disc of his sermons) in a special box set. Treat the record nerd in your life to the vinyl edition.

Where to find: Numero Group’s website

Self-taught jewelry designer Stephany Colunga created a series of anti-patriarchy pieces called “Mans Ego,” each featuring a mask-like visage, so you can adorn yourself with images of crying men. You’ll find simple post earrings and rings among the collection but perhaps most beautiful are these gold-plated drop earrings, which come affixed with sky blue, teardrop-shaped quartz stones for a delicate feminist statement.

Where to find: Online

Gift a taste of the honey harvested from the hives atop the Chicago Cultural Center, where bees gather nectar from flowers in nearby Millennium Park (and throughout the city). The extremely local delicacy is tended and prepared by the folks at the Chicago Honey Co-op—you can snag a 12-ounce jar from the Buddy art shop inside the Chicago Cultural Center or from Honey Co-op’s website.

Where to find: 78 E. Washington St. or online

What do you get for the person who has it all? Or the person who really doesn’t want anything else? Or someone who loves good deeds? Donate to a charity that means something to them, like the Alliance for the Great Lakes. There’s no denying that one of the best features of the city is its lakeside location, and the Alliance for the Great Lakes helps to preserve the waters of all five Great Lakes. Donations can be made online.

Where to find: Alliance for the Great Lakes' website