Celebrate the Día de los Muertos: Your Guide to 10+ Parties, Free Tours, and Unique Celebrations in Chicago

Besides Halloween, this week marks another vital celebration: Día de los Muertos. In English, “Day of the Dead” (Día de los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday dedicated to honoring deceased loved ones with ofrendas (altars), cemetery visits, and spirited festivities. This celebration involves offering the deceased’s favorite food and drinks, inviting the spirits of the departed to return to the realm of the living. Here is how you can celebrate Día de los Muertos in Chicago. Celebrate Día de los Muertos in Chicago --------------------------------------- ### Día de los Muertos Ritmo del Mar The Shedd Aquarium will be hosting Celebrate Día de los Muertos with live music, local cuisine, and opportunities for community and connection. Event tickets include admission to all aquarium exhibits. 📍 Location: Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr 🗓️ Dates: October 30, 6 PM ### Free public tour of “Día de Muertos: A Celebration of Remembrance” Visit the National Museum of Mexican Art on a tour of “Día de Muertos: A Celebration of Remembrance,” and discover one of Mexico’s most cherished traditions. This year’s exhibition honors the Texans and New Mexicans who tragically lost their lives in 2025’s flash floods. After exploring the exhibition, head to the museum’s courtyard, where an installation created and curated by the youth artists of Yollocalli Arts Reach will be on display. 📍 Location: National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W 19th Street 🗓️ Dates: November 1, 9:15 AM (English tour); 9:45 AM (Spanish tour) ### La Carrera de los Muertos La Carrera de los Muertos, or “Race of the Dead,” is a fundraising event that started in 2007. The course winds through Pilsen, bringing together runners and walkers to celebrate Día de los Muertos, featuring costumes, entertainment, and food. Proceeds from the race benefit UNO, a nonprofit that supports girls’ access to mentorship, mental health support, leadership development, and physical well-being. 📍 Location: Benito Juarez Community Academy, 1450 W Cermak Rd 🗓️ Dates: November 1, 8 AM ### *Coco* screening and Día de los Muertos celebration Experience stunning rooftop views while celebrating family, memory, and Mexican culture at Rooftop Cinema Club’s special screening of Pixar’s *Coco*. Arrive early for Día de los Muertos-style face painting, arts and crafts, a meet-and-greet with *Coco* protagonist Miguel, and more. 📍 Location: Rooftop Cinema Club, 311 N Morgan St 🗓️ Dates: November 1, 4 PM ### Día de los Muertos Mural Tour Join a Día de los Muertos Mural Tour! Over the course of three hours, learn more about Mexican culture through the lens of public art with the experts at Crowned Art Studios. The tour will take you from Pilsen to Lawndale, showcasing seven memorial murals located throughout the city. Each mural tells the story of someone who is no longer with us, yet remains with us. Attendees will receive a take-home memorial gift from the event. 📍 Location: 63rd Street and Parkside Ave 🗓️ Dates: November 2, 10 AM ### Day of the Dead at the New Lincoln Antique Mall New Lincoln Antique Mall will host a free, family-friendly celebration of life, memory, and tradition for Días de los Muertos. There will be beautiful ofrendas, marigolds, and sugar skulls scattered throughout the mall. 📍 Location: The New Lincoln Antique Mall, 3115 W Irving Park Rd 🗓️ Dates: November 2, 11 AM ### Brookfield Zoo’s Beloved Pets Ofrenda In celebration of Día de los Muertos, Brookfield Zoo in Chicago has created a community ofrenda commemorating beloved deceased pets submitted by community members. Access to the ofrenda is included with admission and can be viewed at the Hamill Family Nature Plaza. Additionally, the zoo is collecting toy donations for its resident animals. 📍 Location: Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, 3300 Golf Rd 🗓️ Dates: November 1-2, 10 AM ### Día de los Muertos Celebration Celebrate Día de los Muertos this year at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum! The event, which will kick off with bilingual story time at the museum’s community ofrenda. Following this, guests will take a prairie walk to learn about monarch butterfly migration patterns and their significance in Mexican culture. 📍 Location: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N Cannon Dr 🗓️ Dates: November 2, 11 AM & 2 PM ### Celebrate Día de los Muertos at Valedor As part of their “Mindy’s After Dark” menu, Valedor is offering a special collaboration with Mindy’s Bakery: Day of the Dead. This includes boozy hot chocolate and a Mindy’s Black Mini Concha, available from October 21 to November 2 , just in time for Halloween weekend. On Saturday, November 1, from 8-11 PM , Valedor is hosting a Dia de Los Muertos celebration featuring an ofrenda, live DJ, face painting, and drink offerings. 📍 Location: 1620 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 🗓️ Dates: November 1, 8-11 PM ### Las Fuentes’ beautiful community ofrenda Celebrate Día de los Muertos at this neighborhood favorite. The restaurant will have a special fall menu featuring dishes such as roasted squash queso fundido, mole nachos, and pumpkin arroz con leche, alongside its regular offerings. Guests are invited to honor their loved ones at the restaurant’s beautiful community ofrenda and to enjoy a sweet collaboration with Au Levain Bakery: two limited-edition mini pan de muertos —one with roasted corn husk and coconut rompope filling, and another with cinnamon sugar and rich chocolate mole filling. 📍 Location: 2558 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614 🗓️ Dates: October 31–November 2 ### Manchamanteles’s special Día de los Muertos menu During the Día de los Muertos weekend, Manchamanteles is offering a special menu inspired by tradition and seasonality, featuring festive dishes such as esquites de ofrenda and chile en nogada. 📍 Location: 2009 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 🗓️ Dates: October 31–November 2 Source: https://secretchicago.com/dia-de-los-muertos-in-chicago-2025/