Overview
The village of Skokie is a suburb in the Chicagoland area about 15 miles (24 km) north of Chicago's downtown Loop. The name Skokie comes from a Potawatomi word for 'marsh'. It is home to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. .
1 sights · 7 things to do · 2 places to eat · 4 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Skokie
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
As of June 2025, this museum is closed for renovations and scheduled to reopen in 2026. A temporary site is operating in Chicago's Near North neighborhood.
Village Green Park
Small park in between Skokie Public Library and Village Hall features several monuments, including a Holocaust memorial and an eccentric recycling sculpture. Home to Skokie's "Wednesdays on the Green" summer concert seri…
Skokie Sports Park
Facilities include mini golf, golf driving range, and batting cages.
Skokie Public Library
A public library offering cultural events, free internet access, and more. In 2018, Skokie's Public Library was one of ten libraries in its expenditure range across the country to be named a five-star library by the Libr…
Skokie Theatre
Theatre in downtown Skokie offers jazz, film, and music events.
Emily Oaks Nature Center
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 85°F; winter lows dip to about 20°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: May and Jun. (climate data from nearby Chicago)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- ORD Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago — 9 mi away (major hub). Directions
- MDW Chicago Midway International Airport, Chicago — 17 mi away (major hub). Directions
Skokie is accessible by the CTA Yellow Line (also called the Skokie Swift), with stops at Dempster and Oakton. The Yellow Line has only these two stops, and is used to transport passengers from Skokie to the Red/Purple Line terminal at Howard. If you take the "Swift" to Skokie, check out the historic old Northshore Line train station adjacent to the Dempster terminal.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Village Green Park, Skokie Public Library, Skokie Theatre
- Lunch Pressed Latino Sandwich Shop & Cafe
- Afternoon Emily Oaks Nature Center, Skokie Sports Park
- Dinner Kaufman's Bagel & Delicatessen
Day 2
- Morning Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, Weber Leisure Center & Weber Park Golf Course
- Afternoon North Shore Center for the Performing Arts
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
As Skokie is historically Jewish, it is one of the best places in the Chicago metropolitan area to find kosher food.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By train
Skokie is accessible by the CTA Yellow Line (also called the Skokie Swift), with stops at Dempster and Oakton. The Yellow Line has only these two stops, and is used to transport passengers from Skokie to the Red/Purple Line terminal at Howard. If you take the "Swift" to Skokie, check out the historic old Northshore Line train station adjacent to the Dempster terminal.
By car
I-94 (the Edens Expressway) has exits at Touhy Avenue and Dempster Street in Skokie.
US-41 is called Skokie Boulevard through most of Skokie and in the North Shore suburbs to the north, though it turns to follow Lincoln Avenue near Skokie's border with Lincolnwood.
Get around
Pace and CTA buses run through Skokie, forming connections at Old Orchard, Skokie CTA Station and Downtown Skokie and the Village Crossing Shopping Center.
As of Sep 2025, CTA buses and Pace buses cost $2.50 per ride with free transfer within 2 hours if paying by cash, $2.25 if paid with a Ventea card or contactless bank card. 1-day, 3-day and 7-day CTA/Pace bus passes are available for $5, $15 and $20.
See
See Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
As of June 2025, this museum is closed for renovations and scheduled to reopen in 2026. A temporary site is operating in Chicago's Near North neighborhood.
Do
Do North Shore Center for the Performing Arts
Theater near Old Orchard Mall offers shows for younger and older audiences.
Do Emily Oaks Nature Center
Buy
Shop Westfield Old Orchard (formerly Old Orchard Shopping Center)
This North Shore mall offers upscale stores like L.L. Bean, Nordstrom, and Apple and a smattering of restaurants in an outdoor, open-air setting. Old Orchard is rumored to be the basis for the mall in the movie Mean Girls, which is based on a nearby high school.
Shop Village Crossing Shopping Center
This smaller shopping mall, at the border of the Village of Skokie and the Village of Niles (get it?), offers a more typical suburban shopping mall experience.
Eat
As Skokie is historically Jewish, it is one of the best places in the Chicago metropolitan area to find kosher food.
Eat Kaufman's Bagel & Delicatessen
Highly regarded Jewish deli near the Dempster-Skokie CTA station.
Eat Pressed Latino Sandwich Shop & Cafe
Latin American cafe in downtown Skokie offers coffee, tea, sandwiches, and desserts.
Sleep
Stay DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago North Shore
Stay Hampton Inn & Suites Chicago North Shore/Skokie
Stay Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore (Skokie)
Stay Extended Stay America - Chicago - Skokie
Nearby
Morton Grove
City / town · 1 listings · 2 mi away
Evanston
City / town · 22 listings · 3 mi away
Wilmette
City / town · 23 listings · 3 mi away
Niles
City / town · 7 listings · 3 mi away
Northfield
City / town · 10 listings · 5 mi away
Glenview
City / town · 14 listings · 5 mi away
Winnetka
City / town · 7 listings · 5 mi away
Park Ridge
City / town · 12 listings · 5 mi away
My experience
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