Best Shopping Malls in Chicago Area

"Whether you have the money for a Chicago-style shopping spree or just want to walk around window shopping while pretending that you do, the Water Tower Place is a great place to check out while you're in town. Here you'll see the big retailers and plenty of high-end stores. This seven-story complex also has a food court and the Lego and American Girl stores if you're there with the kids."

"Water Tower Place is a Chicago landmark renowned for its broad selection of over 100 stores. This 8-story mall features a number of restaurants, entertainment options, as well as a live theater. Their stores and restaurants include famous brands like Adidas, Hollister co., The LEGO Store, Pandora, Sephora, and many more."

"Water Tower Place is named after its neighbor, the historic Water Tower. Opened in 1975, this eight-level mall is located at the base of a 74-story skyscraper that includes condominiums, office space, and the Ritz-Carlton hotel. The mall is anchored by Macy’s and American Girl."

"The 900 North Michigan Shops are located in the iconic Chicago skyscraper, which was built in 1989. This monumental building is home to many offices, condominiums, and a vast shopping mall. Similarly to the Water Tower Place, the place has a vast multi-story atrium, of which the rear is occupied by Bloomingdale’s."

"Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user TonyTheTiger used under CC BY-SA 3.0. Enjoy a quiet and elegant shopping experience in the busy heart of the city. The north end of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile is where plenty (well, not 900 as the name suggests) of shops, restaurants, spas and fitness centres are found."

"This shopping center features more than 450,000 square feet of space and includes many well known, upscale stores like a massive Bloomingdale's, MaxMara, Gucci, Micheal Kors, Kate Spade New York, L'Occitane and J."

"With a bridge spanning the city streets of downtown Chicago, The Shops at North Bridge has unique architecture for a shopping mall. A grand escalator takes shoppers to any of three floors, but the stores aren’t limited to the enclosed mall. The retail complex covers a total of seven blocks and includes Italian superstore Eataly."

"This mall on Michigan Avenue is all about fun, fashion, food and family. The Shops at North Bridge is a four-level shopping centre. It is home to over 50 world-class retailers: fashion stores, cosmetics, toy stores, electronics for tech-savvy visitors, and more."

"Source: Photo by Flickr user Patrick Hoesly used under CC BY 2.0. Photo is only for illustrative purposes. Addison is a smaller, cosy mall (fewer than 30 stores), located in the Avondale neighbourhood."

"Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Daniel X. O'Neil used under CC BY 2.0. Another outdoor shopping centre on our list is located in Bronzeville, known for being the centre of African-American life and culture. If you are planning to visit this area in August, check out the annual Bud Billiken Parade."

"It was very popular during the ‘80s and locals are still loyal to it. It is easy on the eye, with lawns and trees, and brick walls. Nowadays, it still attracts people and offers plenty of parking space, with security, and convenient shopping."

"Le Macaron found on West Armitage Avenue invites guests to experience the best of French cuisine. The coffee shop’s website describes its macarons as the perfect delicacy, original and elegant, and we think they’re 100% correct. Le Macaron does offer some really fun flavors alongside the more traditional choices, though: including bubblegum, violet cassis, gingerbread, and strawberry key lime."

"Stan’s Donuts originated in Los Angeles, and has only showed up on the Chicago donut scene a few years ago. Regardless, they continue to open new locations and rarely run out of donuts unlike other shops in the city. The great perk about Stan’s isn’t just that you can actually sit down at any time of day and enjoy a donut and coffee, it’s also that they have endless donut options available that make choosing one nearly impossible."

"Stan’s embraces the vintage vibe of a classic donut shop, with a modern spin. They’ve perfected the classics (glazed old fashioneds, cinnamon sugar cake donuts, massive apple fritters) and added in some of their own creations (peanut butter pockets, croissant-donut hybrids, and gluten-free options). Find the one closest to you here"

"Stan's Donuts has quickly become a Chicago icon with decadent flavored donuts, cookies and delicious beverages. They are currently open every day for takeout and delivery."

"If you don’t want to bake, or fry in this case too, then decorate with DIY cookie and doughnut kits ($14) starring colorful icing and sprinkles. You may find inspiration in the bakery’s smiley face cookies and Easter lamb cakes, wearing icing medical masks. Owner Can Lao, who revived the historic bakery in the Bridgeport neighborhood back in February, recently added Chinese egg tarts, plus a few staple items like paper towels, gloves, milk and Yakult, the yogurt-like drink."

"Restaurants Bakeries Bridgeport. This iconic Polish bakery closed in October 2019 after decades of serving pączki, doughnuts, cookies and other candy-colored sweets to its fans. Thankfully, new ownership swept in and restored the spot to its former glory."

"If you’re wondering what happened to Bridgeport Bakery 1.0, it closed. But thankfully version 2.0 has the same delicious treats as the original. And while they have a lot of baked goods besides donuts, we like coming here for their long johns and bismarks."

"The macarons on offer at Vanille Patisserie give out an explosion of flavor when bitten into. Strawberry lemongrass in a popular summer flavor at these venues found across Chicago, including S Harper Ct. and N. Clinton St. at the Chicago French Market, however, there’s a whole variety of flavors available."

"Vanille offers many french pastries and cakes, but the best are their cupcakes topped with a macaron. The frosting is encased with a chocolate shell and hidden inside the cupcake is a filling. This will definitely cure your Parisian food fomo."

"With all the pretty pastel colors and exotic flavors—strawberry lemongrass, anyone?. —choosing a macaron from Vanille isn’t easy. Save yourself the stress and go for a box of 6, 12, or 24."

"Stan’s Donuts originated in Los Angeles, and has only showed up on the Chicago donut scene a few years ago. Regardless, they continue to open new locations and rarely run out of donuts unlike other shops in the city. The great perk about Stan’s isn’t just that you can actually sit down at any time of day and enjoy a donut and coffee, it’s also that they have endless donut options available that make choosing one nearly impossible."

"Stan’s embraces the vintage vibe of a classic donut shop, with a modern spin. They’ve perfected the classics (glazed old fashioneds, cinnamon sugar cake donuts, massive apple fritters) and added in some of their own creations (peanut butter pockets, croissant-donut hybrids, and gluten-free options). Find the one closest to you here"

"Stan's Donuts has quickly become a Chicago icon with decadent flavored donuts, cookies and delicious beverages. They are currently open every day for takeout and delivery."

"Before the pandemic, the confectionary company was open 24 hours a day for late-nighters to grab a sugary nightcap before heading home. However, due to the circumstances Dat Donut has had to reduce their hours to keep things safe — which just means you’ll have to stay up until 5:30 in the morning to end your night on the best decision you’ll make all day."

"Dat Donut is next on our list of the best desserts in Chicago. Dat Donut is one of the most famous donut places in Chicago, and it’s a city institution!. They have a huge range of flavors, and the donuts are absolutely delicious."