True to its name, Crystal Lake, Illinois offers a beautiful lake to enjoy just 45 minutes outside of Chicago. Don’t be fooled into thinking that’s all there is to offer, though. The town is well-known for its nature and recreation as well as entertainment available near the lake, here are the best things to do in Crystal Lake!
1. Grab a brew at Crystal Lake Brewing
Especially if you’re flying into town, the first thing you may want to do is relax with a delicious local beer. You can do just that at Crystal Lake Brewing, where they have a brew for everyone, made right in Crystal Lake. Their core beers include a blonde, two IPAs, oatmeal stout, and an American red ale. The tap room also holds special events throughout the week, such as live music and yoga, so you’ll want to check the calendar before you head over. Their hours are 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to midnight on Friday, noon to midnight on Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Crystal Lake Brewing
Address: 150 N Main St, 60014 Crystal Lake, IL
Website: Crystal Lake Brewing
2. See a show at the Raue Center for the Arts
The Raue Center for the Arts is a nonprofit dedicated to enriching the Crystal Lake community with both local and traveling performance arts. The shows range from comedy shows and poetry to musicals and concerts. The building itself is a fun sight to see because it was originally a 1920s film and vaudeville theatre. Although it has since been refurbished, it still contains much of its historical charm. Ticket prices range depending on the shows.
Raue Center for the Arts
Address: 26 N Williams Street, 60014 Crystal Lake, IL
Website: Raue Center for the Arts
3. Enjoy the fresh air at Veteran Acres Park
Veteran Acres Park is a beautiful spot to stay active or simply relax in the shade. The park was actually voted the best in the area, and it offers 140 acres (57 hectares) of athletic fields, recreation areas, picnic areas, playgrounds, tennis courts, a basketball court, softball and baseball fields, and walking paths. Because it’s on Crystal Lake, there’s also a boardwalk and fishing pier. Depending on the weather, it’s a great spot where you can easily spend the entire day without getting bored.
Veteran Acres Park
Address: 431 N. Walkup Avenue, Crystal Lake, IL
Website: Veteran Acres Park
4. Try to reach the top at North Wall Rock Climbing
If you’re especially interested in staying active during your visit, you should head to the North Wall Rock Climbing Gym. There, the walls are covered head to toe in rock and offer varying angles for different challenges. The gym’s hours are 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The gym’s prices can vary depending on if you need to rent equipment, but day passes are 14 USD for adult day passes, 10 USD for a junior day pass and 7 USD for a children’s day pass.
North Wall Rock Climbing
Address: 824 S. Main St. Suite #106, 60014 Crystal Lake, Illinois
Website: North Wall Rock Climbing
5. Spend a day on the lake after visiting the Alpine Accessories Board House
It wouldn’t be a complete trip to Crystal Lake if you didn’t actually spend some time on the lake. Through the Alpine Accessories Board House, paddle boards can be rented out for a fee ranging from 20 to 65 USD depending on how long you’d like to use one. There’s a discount for group rentals, and as a group, you can even take a 15 to 30-minute paddle board lesson if you’re unfamiliar with it.
Alpine Accessories Board House
Address: 5517 Northwest Hwy, 60014 Crystal Lake, IL
Website: Alpine Accessories Board House
6. Get your workout in at the MegaTrampoline Fun Zone
It may seem like the MegaTrampoline fun zone is for kids, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it too! The trampoline park in Crystal Lake offers 35,000 square feet (3,252 meters) of wall-to-wall trampolines, arcade games, and inflatables. The facility is perfect for birthday parties and special events, but you can spend all day there to let your kids run free and get a little workout of your own.
The building is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, it’s open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., respectively. Admission varies depending on the day but is 11 USD for the first hour and 6 USD for each additional hour on weekdays.
MegaTrampoline Fun Zone
Address: MegaTrampoline 5593 Northwest Hwy, 60014 Crystal Lake, IL
Website: MegaTrampoline FunZone
7. Experience a magical moment with Joe Diamond
Joe Diamond is a mind reader in the Crystal Lake area that performs extremely entertaining demonstrations of mystifying mind reading. He conducts his shows both to small studios during his “studio series” as well as larger stage shows during the summertime. Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, the shows will definitely have you entertained. Tickets for the shows can range, but general admission is 25 USD.
Joe Diamond Live
Address: 401 Country Club Rd, Studio 215, 60014 Crystal Lake, IL
Website: Joe Diamond Live
8. Relax at Three Oaks Recreation Area
If paddle boarding wasn’t enough fun on the lake, the Three Oaks Recreation Area will offer many more options for you and your family. Through the recreation area, you can access the lake by swimming, boating, fishing and scuba diving. The area also has a sled hill for the winter time, nature trails and pavilion rentals where you can relax. The lake area may be the closest you can get to a beach within the area!
Three Oaks Recreation Area
Address: 100 W. Woodstock Street, 60014 Crystal Lake, IL
Website: Three Oaks Recreation Area
Have an adventurous holiday in Crystal Lake, Illinois
Illinois has so much more to offer than Chicago, and visiting Crystal Lake will give you a taste of that. As a lake town, there’s naturally so much to do right on the shoreline and even on the lake, but the nearby town also has many activities. You probably would have never thought of seeing a mind reader or bouncing on trampolines, but if you follow our guide, there will never be a dull moment in Crystal Lake.