If you live in the Chicago Metropolitan Area and are looking for Chicago staycation ideas, there’s a great place that’s centrally located and easy to get to: Rosemont! There are a wide variety of activities, restaurants, shops and places to stay—so whether you’re traveling with your kids, your spouse, friends, or even just yourself, you’ll find something to enjoy…all just minutes away from O’Hare and probably less than an hour from your home.

The price of everything is going up and travel restrictions back in place, making staycations more appealing than ever. And with school back in session, week-long vacations are out, and weekend getaways are in! Of course, a weekend getaway away from your kids is also great, as is a weekend to yourself. That’s why anyone who’s looking to staycation in Chicago should definitely check out what’s going on at Rosemont. Forget about downtown (for now) or flying out of O’Hare to somewhere else…because right outside the airport there is an excellent staycation opportunity.

The heart of this Chicago staycation is the Parkway Bank Entertainment District. Stores and restaurants surround a tree lined park used for summer concerts and winter ice skating, creating a small town vibe. It’s easy to see why a number of corporations—like candymaker Haribo and software giant Cisco—have set up shop here.

Activities abound, all within walking distance of several hotels. There’s indoor music at Joel’s Live, comedy at Zanies, and indoor skydiving at iFly Chicago. There’s no shortage of places to eat and drink, either. Get something sweet at the Sugar Factory, or come back later for candy themed cocktails. Enjoy the old world feel of an Irish pub at Five Roses. Let your mouth water over the BBQ menu at Bub City. There’s also Adobe Gilas if you’re craving Mexican, Park Tavern for continental, and Fogo de Chao if you like carved meats.

You can catch a baseball game at Impact Field, where the Chicago Dogs are the local home team. If you’ve never been to a professional baseball game outside of the MLB you’re in for a real treat: the tickets are cheaper and the stadiums are smaller, which means you are much closer to the field (and maybe some autographs). Friends and family four packs start at just $48 and come with four seats, four hats, and a $20 voucher for Murray Brothers Caddyshack, a laid back bar down the street inspired by the golf themed comedy.

Just across Balmoral Avenue from the Rosemont restaurants of Parkway Bank Park is the Fashion Outlets of Chicago. There are over 130 stores in the Rosemont mall, some of them selling merchandise at 75% off. For just $5 you can get a coupon book for even steeper discounts adding up to $800. There’s everything here from A to Z, or Abercrombie to Zumiez. The biggest stores are Saks, Nordstrom, Nike, Bloomingdale’s, and Forever21, but there is plenty of other stuff going on between them on two different levels. Some really fun contemporary art is also on display, some of it permanent, and some of it part of rotating exhibits.

There are a number of hotels by Rosemont and in Rosemont, one of them right near the outlets: Loews Chicago O’Hare. Each of its 556 rooms offer a spacious 360 square feet of space tastefully decorated with soothing natural materials and earthy tones. If you’re feeling a bit more luxurious, there are 60 suites, some of which have 720 square feet of space and incredible views of O’Hare’s runways (without the noise). You can kick back on the couch with a drink in the evening or coffee in the morning, watching planes land and take off. If you’re traveling with a larger family or a group, some of the suites can connect.

There’s a few other hotels in the Rosemont area as well, including the Hilton, Hyatt, and Embassy Suites, so if you get loyalty points at any of these hotels, they’re there for you.

Right next to Loews is the Capital Grille, which is famous around the United States for its surf and turf and its ambience at every location; Rosemont is no exception. There is some outdoor seating along the driveway to Loews, but the inside of the restaurant is really part of the experience, with dark wood décor, plush carpets, and Art Deco touches like chandeliers. Staycation advice: bring something other than sweats and tees along with you because restaurants like this do have a light dress code.

After dinner you could catch a movie at the AMC theatres, or maybe some live music or comedy at the venues mentioned around the Parkway Bank Entertainment District. The Rosemont Theater has some seasonal performances like the Nutcracker around Christmastime and headliners almost year round, so check their calendar.

One of the best places to go for an evening activity is Kings Dining & Entertainment. There are 20 bowling lanes, a small arcade with 15 retro games, and pool tables. If drinks are part of the plan there are two bars—one with a fun but classy 50s retro décor, and the other a tap room dedicated to craft beers. There is also a full service restaurant if you want to combine dinner with post-dinner plans, or if the evening gets late enough for a midnight snack (on Fridays and Saturdays Kings is open until 1:00 AM).

If you’re looking for a bigger selection of video games and you like games where you can win tickets for prizes, Dave & Buster’s Rosemont is around the corner. If your Rosemont staycation lands in the middle of the week, you’re in luck because on Wednesday all games are 50% off from open to close (11 PM, though it’s open later on weekends).

If you’d like to add something zany to your Chicago staycation, farther afield there’s the Donald E. Stephens Museum of Hummels. Hummels are little porcelain dolls, usually from Germany and Switzerland, and it just so happens that a former mayor of Rosemont loved collecting them. So if you also like porcelain dolls, it’s worth checking out because there are over 1,000 of them there. It is definitely not within walking distance to Parkway Bank, so that might be something to see on your way in or your way out.

Also, just a few minutes north of Parkway Bank, up the 294, is Rivers Casino Des Plaines. It’s technically outside of Rosemont, but if trying out your luck works its way into your Rosemont staycation at 2:00 AM, they are probably open. In addition to slots they have 65 tables, a sportsbook, and a poker room.

Wow, so much to do! In fact, with the typical staycation running a day or two, you’ll run out of time before you run out of things to do. Staying at one of the hotels in the area can really make your Chicago staycation even better, since you’ll get to enjoy an evening in Rosemont without worrying about the drive home. And with so much going on, Rosemont is one of the best Chicago staycation ideas in every season—you can catch outdoor concerts in the summer or turn winter holiday shopping into an overnight trip complemented by ice skating.

Have you done a staycation in Chicago? Have you visited the Rosemont area?
What was your favorite place or activity? Comment below!