Where to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree for a Magical Holiday Tradition

There’s nothing more festive than loading everyone up all decked out in winter gear to cut your own Christmas tree for the holiday season. I love the smell of pine in the open air, sipping hot chocolate and I may even find myself singing a carol or two as we stroll through the farm for “the one.” For my husband and his family, this is a cherished Christmas tradition. By now, they are definitely considered Christmas tree connoisseurs!

We always take home the one with a little quirkiness. It’s so tall that it leans a bit to one side and has a few wild branches that stand out from the rest. Our trees have been so large in the past we’ve have struggled to get them through the door! This is a special seasonal activity we always look forward to, and we hope to continue to make memories at the farm for years to come. We have all the details if you’re planning to add a trip to the tree farm to your holiday experience this year.

A few tips from personal experience:

• Confirm with family members that they do not have any known allergies or “Christmas Tree Syndrome” before an extended stay.
• Take lots of warm clothes and wear extra layers.
• Make it a game! Plan to go with other members of your family, neighbors, or friends. Make a race of who finds their tree first, saws theirs down the fastest, or gets it tied and loaded the quickest. Extend the fun once you’re home for a spirited tree decorating competition!

Map of Christmas Tree Farms

Cut Your Own Christmas Tree at These Tree Farms Near Chicago

For the adventure lovers, we have a plethora of farms where you can cut down your own trees. For those who would rather leave the saw work to the professionals, we have you covered, too. Plenty of tree farms and nurseries have fresh Christmas trees ready to go! Whichever way you chose to find your tree this year, we wish you and yours a happy holiday season.

Abbey Farms

2855 Hart Road
Aurora IL, 60502
(630) 966-7775

• Cutting season begins November 23, 2024 from 10:00am – 7:00pm. Reservations are required the first four weeks of the season.
• Bring your flashlight after dark; the fields are not lit.
• Rent a saw for a fully refundable $10 deposit.
• Tree shaking, netting, and assistance are complimentary.

Lee’s Trees

45W002 Lees Road
Lily Lake, IL 60151
(630) 365-2116

• Celebrating 30 years of business!
• Open Sunday, November 24, 2024 from 9:00am – 4:30pm and continues weekends and the Friday November 29th from 9:00am – 4:30 pm through December 21, 2024 or until sold out.
• Prices: Each tree tagged individually; average price is $85. Pick from 4-foot to 9-foot Scotch pine, White pine, Canaan fir, Fraser fir, Balsam fir, lightly sheared old-fashioned Balsam fir from northern Wisconsin and Serbian and Norway spruce.
• Choose and Cut sales will end December 8, 2024.
• Will help shake, bale, and load at no extra cost.
• Precut trees are harvested weekly.
• Offer free hot chocolate, coffee, fresh popcorn and homemade cookies.

Larson’s Family Farm

4404 Somonauk Road
Sandwich, IL 60548
(815) 786-2249

• Open the Friday after Thanksgiving Day with special hours from 9:00am – 4:00pm. Regular hours begin the next day through the following Sunday. Closed on Mondays, open 2:00pm – 4:00pm Tuesdays–Fridays, and 9:00am – 4:00pm each Saturday and Sunday.
• More than 18 acres of cut-your-own Christmas trees in the following varieties: Caanan Fir (Like Frazier Fir), Concolor Fir, Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, Scotch Pine, and White Pine. As of 2023, all Christmas trees are $62. Cash or checks only.
• Pets must stay in vehicle.
• They offer saws, shaking, and baling at no additional cost.

Tammen Treeberry Farm

37131 Essex Road
Wilmington, IL 60481
(815) 458-6264

• Open daily for the season starting the day after Thanksgiving from 8:00am – 4:30pm.
• They accept cash, credit/debit cards and checks.

Ben’s Christmas Tree Farm

7719 Ryan Road
Harvard, IL 60033
(630) 279-0216

• Opens the day after Thanksgiving. Check site for hours of operation.
• Santa appearances!
• Prices: $7–$13 per foot with tool provided (cash or check).
• 55 acres of trees to choose from.
• Free shake and bale of trees by staff.
• Complimentary hot chocolate or coffee in the warming barn.
• Pet-friendly.

Puckerville Farms

13332 Bell Road
Lemont, IL 60439
(708) 508-0906

• Starts the day after Thanksgiving.
• Open 7 days a week. Monday through Thursday from 3:00pm – 7:00pm, and 10:00am – 7:00pm Friday through Sunday.
• Frasier trees ranging from 4–12 feet tall.

Sonny Acres Farm

Sonny Acres Farm
29W310 North Avenue
West Chicago, IL 60185
(630) 231-3859

• Freshly cut Christmas trees and handmade wreaths to choose from, along with garland roping, decorative greens, tree stands, poinsettias, and other holiday decorations.
• Assistance picking, cutting, bundling, and loading tree.
• Trees ranging from 3-15 feet tall, including Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, White Pine, Black Hills Spruce, and more.

Pioneer Tree Farm

4614 Pioneer Road
McHenry, IL 60051
(815) 385-8512

• Family run farm since 1970. Opens the day after Thanksgiving. Sold out quickly last year!
• Farm does not use pesticides.
• 2023 prices were $100 for any tree (cash or check).
• Wagon rides to and from the pines, tree shaking and baling, and handsaws are included at no extra charge. Candle dipping and opportunity to make a candle holder for the kids.

Cupola House Tree Farm

4030 N 3000W Rd.
Bourbonnais, IL 60914
(815) 932-6635

• Opens on Thanksgiving Day, 2024. Check website for updated hours.
• Cash or check only.
• Free tree shaking and baling.

Sinnissippi Farm & Forest

3122 S Lowden Road
Oregon, IL 61061
(708) 710-8354

• Open the Friday after Thanksgiving.
• Hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays from 2:00pm – 4:00pm, Saturdays, Sundays, and the Friday after Thanksgiving from 8:00am – 9:00am for seniors and individuals with health concerns and 9:00am – 4:00pm for all others
• Santa and wagon rides from 11:00am – 2:00pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and the Friday after Thanksgiving
• Tree prices vary and start at $55 for a Scotch Pine
• Saws, tree shaking, and baling provided

Richardson’s Christmas Tree Farm

9407 Richardson Road
Spring Grove, IL 60081
(815) 675-9729

• Through December 20 – wreaths, garland, donuts, fudge and gifts will also be available
• Over 50,000 trees of many varieties and sizes spread over 75 acres.
• Free wagon rides out to trees.
• Free hot chocolate, coffee, and donuts.
• Saws included.

A few helpful tips when cutting down your Christmas tree:

• Many places provide saws, but consider bringing your own. That way, you know you have a sharp blade (and a dull blade turns a fun event into a hassle).
• Most places have twine as well, but stash some ratchet straps in the trunk. They can be easier to work with.
• Bring a moving blanket to put between the roof of the car and the tree so the car doesn’t get scratched up.
• When you get the tree home, trim the trunk and remove lower branches to make room for presents underneath. Like any other plant that you bring inside, you need to keep it in water and fill up the container when needed.
• Be sure to check for any white flocking on the branches, egg sacs, or small holes in the trunk of the tree. These indicate signs of bugs.

The Illinois Christmas Tree Association has more tree farms listed on their website if you are willing to travel further, as well as a helpful guide for tree varieties so you can figure out if you want a long needle pine or shorter needle spruce or fir.

Local Christmas Tree Lots

Maybe hauling the family down to one of the many U-Cut farms is not an option or of interest to you, but you still love that fresh-cut Christmas tree smell. You still have choices! Many Christmas tree lots are full-service, which includes cut, bale, and tie. This allows your family to still have the flexibility of choosing that perfect tree for you home. Even easier, most of the listed lots have pre-cut, baled, and tied trees also available.

Check below for some of the local lots our team and our readers have spotted throughout Chicagoland. Call ahead to ensure hours and availability.

• The Wise Men Lot: Gordon Park, La Grange ($80 per tree, benefits various local charities)
• Home Depot: various locations
• Menards: various locations
• Ace Hardware: 900 E 31st Street in La Grange Park
• Fuller’s Carwash: 5550 S Brainard Avenue in Countryside
• Fuller’s Service Center: 102 W Chicago Avenue in Hinsdale
• Luurs Garden Shoppe: 5200 Butterfield Road in Hillside
• Cosley Zoo: 1356 N Gary Avenue in Wheaton
• Wannemaker’s: 1940 Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove
• Jim Melka Landscaping: 11606 179th Street in Mokena
• Alsip Nursery: 20601 S. LaGrange Road in Frankfort
• Platt Hill Nursery: 222 W Lake Street in Bloomingdale
• Wheaton Nurseries: 626 East Roosevelt Road in Wheaton
• Ace Hardware: 6216 Main Street in Downers Grove
• River Bend Golf Club: 5900 South IL-53 in Lisle
• St. Mary of Gostyn: 445 Prairie Avenue in Downers Grove
• Burr Ridge United Church of Christ: 15W100 Plainfield Road in Burr Ridge
• Holy Trinity Catholic Parish: 111 South Cass Avenue in Westmont
• Trader Joe’s: Select locations
• Glen Ellyn YMCA: 49 Deicke Dr, Glen Ellyn
• Barn Owl: 1n583 S Gary Avenue in Carol Stream
• Lurvey Garden Center: 2550 East Dempster Street, Des Plaines
• Wheaton Nurseries: 626 E Roosevelt Road, Wheaton
• Hacker’s Glenbard Gardens: 640 N. Columbine (Route 53), Lombard
• VFW Post 2164 0N731 Papworth Street, Wheaton
• Platt Hill Nursery: 222 W. Lake St., Bloomingdale

Have a location to add? Please email us at annie@mykidlist.com or comment below! Then, find more holiday fun for your family.