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Where To Take The Best Holiday Photo In Chicago

Prudential Plaza Tree
(credit: Alycia Nicole )

It's the holiday season and Chicago is littered with decorations. How do you pick the perfect place for your holiday photos? Being a holiday fanatic, I have easily chosen my favorites so you don't have to look far.

The Walnut Room

111 North State Street
Chicago, IL 60602
312-781-3125
www.macys.com

This 45-foot Christmas tree may be a tad difficult to fit in one 4 x 6 photo, but that doesn't matter. There is always a section of the tree you can snag for the background. When I was young, my family sat at the tree's corner to give the photo viewer an idea of just how humungous the tree actually was. (This was back in the days of Marshall Field's where Pinocchio and Cinderella were the best themes ever.) After viewing the tree, head out to take a look at Macy's themed windows to catch the story behind the decorations on the tree.

Daley Center
(credit: chicago.cbslocal.com)

Daley Center

50 West Washington Street
Chicago, IL 60602
312-443-5500
www.thedaleycenter.com

For the past couple of years, a family has made the headlines for donating a Christmas tree to the Daley Center in response to being fiscally conservative and allowing families to be a part of Chicago's holiday festivities. This tree is decorated from top to bottom with Christmas lights and is available for the city to see at any time, compliments of the city. The Daley Plaza is also very spacious and allows for the whole tree to fit in the background of your photo. Just be sure to bundle up because this tree is subject to Chicago's famous winter temperatures.

Michigan Avenue

(Median of Wrigley Building and 401 N Michigan)

This is a wedding photo hot spot, but many forget to think of the view with the lights over the holiday season. Here you have four different angles to choose from for your background: 1) The Wrigley Building is one of Chicago's national landmarks and the architecture is spotlighted green and red. 2) Everyone who has been to Chicago has crossed the Michigan Avenue Bridge and if you get a peak of the river behind you, that's even better. 3) The 401 North Michigan Building has a floor of holiday colored lights to stand over and light up your picture. 4) Michigan Avenue has a whole mile-long street full of Christmas lights. This Avenue is what makes the Festival of Lights so wonderful.

Prudential Plaza
(credit: Alycia Nicole )

Prudential Plaza

130 East Randolph
Chicago, IL 60601
312-565-6700
www.bentleyforbes.com

Walk in to Prudential Plaza's Randolph lobby and you will be overwhelmed with strands of white lights hanging from the entire ceiling glittering above you. In the middle of these glittering lights, there is a 30-foot Christmas tree decorated in gold balls and red ribbon. Take a picture from any angle, and you have yourself a very unique holiday photo. The kid in you will love the oversized toy soldier with his toy drum as well, which is used for toys donated to the Chicago Youth Programs. Then, move your way along the building to the Lake Street courtyard to snag a photo in front of the over-sized Christmas ornaments. Just be sure to cooperate with security and you can have the best Christmas photos in town.

ZooLights
(credit: lpzoo.org)

Zoolights

2200 North Cannon Drive
Chicago, IL 60614
312-742-2000
lpzoo.org

While Zoolights can sound tacky, people of all ages flock to the Lincoln Park Zoo to see these unique decorations. The zoo is complimentary. Just hope that the animals are in the holiday mood and come out to see you. The whole park is wrapped in lights and the photos turn out great due to the amount of lighting. Find your favorite colored tree and say, "Cheese!"

Alycia Nicole
Alycia Nicole


Alycia Nicole
is a concierge in the heart of Downtown Chicago. She is a Chicago holiday photo freak.

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