Illinois Humanities 2025 Holiday Gift Guide
Features
By Illinois Humanities
December 8, 2025
Infuse some Illinois Humanities joy into your gifting this year! Whether you're shopping for friends, family, or yourself, our staff has curated a list of unique gifts from across the state that are sure to delight this holiday season.
Recommended by: Rebecca Amato, Director of Teaching and Learning
Cahokia Mounds
Did you know that in the 11th century Cahokia was a city of an estimated 30,000 residents (larger by far than London, England at the time)?
We have amazing history in our state and it’s worthy of celebration, preservation, and study. For example, I just learned that Cahokia was built to align with the celestial movements of the sun and moon. It’s a little complicated, but you can learn more in this short video. It is humbling to imagine all of the people who lived on this land before us and gazed at the same stars we see and interpret today.
Please support lifelong learning and historic preservation at the site by visiting the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society gift shop. I’m a particular fan of this item!
Recommended by: Gabrielle Lyon, Executive Director
The Weaving Mill & Water Sweets Soap Company
Things made at The Weaving Mill last FOR EVER...and they all have a story...
Like the name of the colors for their woven napkins comes from the time on the clock when the colors of the stripe most resemble the sky in the winter months. I can never decide if these are really art I am putting to use, or functional things that are beautifully artistic.
When it gets cold I crave a nice smelling candle or bath bomb. I love the Water Sweets Soap Company located in Edwardsville and how they've styled their store and products. I love the colors. I love the scents. I love the story. (Also, they ship!)
Recommended by: Jessica Brown, Development Manager
Gift an Experience!
I love gifting experiences! There is nothing better than quality time with loved ones, especially during the holiday season when calendars and schedules get busy! An example of an “experience” gift I've done in the past is:
Tickets for a performance and a gift card for a local restaurant: Chicago Plays, hosted by The League of Chicago Theatre’s is a great resource to find a performance! Chicago is home to over 250 theatre companies, so there is something for everyone. Pick a show, and then find a local restaurant near the theatre for dinner before or after!
I also recommend planning a short weekend away to a town like Galena or Utica, or you can book a cooking class or an art class to do together! There are always cute towns to explore and skills to learn with your loved ones!
Recommended by: Fairouz AbuGhazaleh, Director of Statewide Programs
Holiday Boxes and Reading Journals
This holiday boxes include locally made products that showcase the best of Illinois. The Illinois Product Favorites Box is $60, and the Illinois Product Holiday Box is $40. To order, visit illinoisproductholidaybox.com.
The Holiday Box includes one of my all-time favorites, Voss Pecans, which come plain and with cinnamon sugar and can be bought directly through Voss’s website.
For nearly 30 years, Voss Pecans has delivered farm-fresh, premium-quality pecans from the heart of Illinois. Family-owned and operated by four generations of the Voss family and grown on 130 acres of native and improved trees—some over 125 years old—these irresistible pecans are perfect for snacking, salads, holiday parties, or gifting.
Are you an avid reader? Do you wish you could remember the name of that great book you read two years ago? Champaign-based Fairy Tree Studios has come up with a beautiful solution: a reading journal.
Track your reading and write your reviews analog-style in these new journals, designed and bound by Fairy Tree Studios. Choose from a half-page format to jot down your thoughts with room to log 120 books, or a full-page format for more in depth reviews for 60 books.
Recommended by: Zerline Thompson, Finance and Operations Coordinator
ZooLights Brings the Holiday Spirit to Lincoln Park Zoo
Celebrate the festive holiday season with friends and family at Lincoln Park Zoo’s annual ZooLights Presented by Invesco QQQ and ComEd. Guests will experience hundreds of nostalgic LED light displays, ethereal and interactive elements, and memory-making holiday experiences throughout the zoo.
Visitors can take in stunning views of ZooLights from above on the towering Ferris Wheel and walk through the expansive light tunnel on Main Mall. They will encounter festive photo ops as they wander through the zoo, plus professional ice carvers and roaming Victorian carolers on select nights. Pepper Family Wildlife Center will transform into the North Pole, hosting visits with Santa alongside the zoo’s holiday tree and festive décor.
New this year is Zooltide, a reimagined light show on South Lawn, narrated in both English and Spanish.
Recommended by: Hannah Sugarman, Foundation and Corporate Relations Coordinator
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
Even though we’ve entered an intense winter already, I believe ice cream is a year-round food. Pretty Cool Ice Cream is a small handmade ice cream company in Chicago out of the Logan Square neighborhood. They have delicious ice cream bars, vegan pops, ice pops, and ice cream sandwiches, with special rotating flavors and collaborations with artists, nonprofits, and local businesses.
I always order their Hanukkah collection to celebrate each winter, and recommend trying their unique Chicago Mix popcorn flavor!
Recommended by: Diego Ivan Villegas, Manager of Marketing and Communications
Christmas Music
One of my favorite aspects of winter is Christmas music. It’s the one time of the year where the music feels extra warm, cozy, and nostalgic. Every year, I add a Christmas album to my collection with the goal of slowly collecting all of my favorite pieces.
Christmas music doesn’t really make sense for the rest of the year, but the few weeks we get a year are some of my favorite! If you’re like me and love the ritual of finding that perfect record, consider stopping by a local shop like Laurie’s Planet of Sound in Logan Square to pick up something special for your holiday playlist!
Recommended by: Robert White, Senior Director of Programs
DESTIHL - Normal, Illinois
Destihl’s call to “support flavor,” and “boycott bland” has always appealed to me ...and so has their selection of brews. The Normal, Illinois brewery is also the official U.S. partner of Wrexham Lager from Northeast Wales. Over the holidays, treat someone to a visit that includes delicious food and libations at their gorgeous and expansive brewery and beer hall, a gift card, and more.
Gift Cards
are always a good ide and and they come in digital and physical form.
Visit
their beer hall + barrel room in-person. It’s family-friendly and often features live music.
Eat
at their restaurant (318 S Towanda Ave). After an early dinner, why not check out what’s playing at the Normal Theater in Uptown Normal. It’s a great destination for retro-nostalgia and art house films.
Got Coffee?
Another great gift from Destihl would be their coffee! Their bourbon barrel-aged coffee beans yield a rich and complex coffee flavor.
Recommended by: Nicole Prahin Rodriguez, Senior Manager of Community Conversations
Illinois Trails & Traces
Written by Gary Marx with vivid photography by 2026-2027 Road Scholar Daniel Overturf, Illinois Trails & Traces highlights how our state has been shaped by ancient migration paths, Native American trails, and iconic roads like Route 66.
Curl up by the fireplace with this book to enjoy the stunning photographs of Illinois’s people and places and the stories of those who still live along these paths. It makes a great gift and is a meaningful addition to your home library, coffee table, or workplace.
Recommended by: Madeline Cruz, External Relations & Communications Coordinator
Shop, Lounge, and Caffeinate
Sprout is a part of the Project Homegrown initiative in Berwyn, Illinois helping small business owners.
Visit this shared retail space in Cermak Plaza with unique and handmade goods from over 30 vendors.
There’s jewelry, clothes, candles, skincare, pet supplies and more so it’s a one stop shop for all your gift needs!
Located in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood, this colorful cozy cafe offers coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, tamales, and other snacks.
All proceeds support Centro San Bonifacio, a community-run organization promoting health by connecting to families in the Avondale, Hermosa, and Belmont Cragin neighborhoods.
Café Fénix also hosts open mics and other events for the community.
Recommended by: Margy LaFreniere, Program Manager, Teaching and Learning
Original Artwork and Other Creative Gifts
Artspace Southern Illinois a.k.a. Artspace 304 provides a platform for artists in Southern Illinois. Their online shop has a wonderful assortment of original artwork.
I especially love the linocuts - they feature Illinois flora and fauna as well as funky interpretations of everyday objects.
You’ll also find unique jewelry, stationery, and other gifts.
Still looking for the perfect present? How about a gift that is one-size-fits-all-humanists?
Consider making a tax-deductible donation to Illinois Humanities this holiday season to support our free statewide programs, and we’ll give you a printable gift card to share!
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