Tinley Park Christmas House | A Great Time for the Family

I think we can all use a little more joy this year because let’s face it 2020 has let us down. Something that will not disappoint is the experience of going to see the Tinley Park Christmas House located at 17321 Avon Lane Tinley Park, IL 60487. So grab the family and a mask and spend an hour walking, pointing, gasping and dancing amongst the Winter Wonderland that is the Kowalczyk house (or houses).

Nick Kowalczyk, owner of Construction Concepts of Illinois, is the backbone of this operation that takes weeks and almost 80 people to put up and is on his mind all year long. He started as a child to make his mom happy, or so he says. She loves penguins so you will find many waddling around the property.

Nick is one of my husband’s best friends so my husband is one of the 80 people who come every year. He is very proud to say that he used to be part of the special projects group (making penguins spin) and he is now a part of the roof squad. My kids might have also helped out one or two years on the roof (sorry Grandma and Grandpa).

The Tinley Park Christmas House History

The house started like others as a place that you would experience by slowly driving past. Nick won his first award when he was just 12 years old. Since then, he has participated in the inaugural season of the Great Christmas Light Fight and has now truly become an amazing place to bring your kids. Important to note: because of the popularity of the house you can no longer drive by it. There is a park where you can take a walk from, or you can legally park on the street and walk on over.

Trust me, you want to get out and walk through it anyway. It truly is a Winter Wonderland. Driving by does not do it justice. There are so many little scenes to see, the wood cut nativity, the choir singing outside the church, the Santas’ workshop, the gingerbread house, my daughters’ favorite the frozen scene, and the 25 foot parrot. (We will get to him in a minute). You need to be immersed in it. To feel the joy. To watch the kids light up, literally.

Back to that 25 foot parrot. May I introduce the new parrot (Santa hat being delivered soon). I say new parrot because the Christmas in Parrotdise scene, complete with Santa and Ms. Claus doing the Hula, is the second Parrot for the Kowalczyks. For all you parrotheads out there, their first parrot used to tour with Jimmy Buffet. No joke.

New Additions

Some new things that I enjoyed this year. The Santa Ferris Wheel with its adorable characters that seem to be enjoying the ride and the adorably hand painted figures in the “Christmas Tree Lot”. To be honest with you I can not tell you for sure if they are new this year. There is so much to see it might have been there last year and I missed it somehow.

The really great thing about the visit is the lack of pretension. It is made for kids and for parents to feel like a kid again. Whether its kids sticking their chilly little noses against the front window to see the nutcracker factory or their dads getting super pumped to see Santa Drive a real Hummer, there is something for everyone.

Did I mention that their driveway even has a light up dance floor with DJ Santa dropping some beats? Or a face cut out which I know my kids will never pass by. One of my favorite things is that they have a book for you to sign. My kids sign it every year. Every year I see them make their mark and think about how different it was than the year before and how much more my son is concentrating to make it perfect.

Other Reasons to Check it Out!

I went through a bunch of the visual reasons to go visit but here are some others. This year they have added a QR code to go on a scavenger hunt. You can find a tiny mouse “not Minnie or Mickey” and their Great Christmas Light Fight Ornament. I will also give a free edit to any of my clients who find the Santa face I painted and send me a picture. My kids love a good scavenger hunt.

The other super important reason to go and give whatever donation you can, is that all the proceeds go to Together We Cope. Together We Cope is a wonderful organization that provides temporary resources to families in crisis, enabling them to stay in their homes. You can check out their amazing work by visiting their website. The Kowalczyks are hoping to raise $25,000 this year. If you go they have multiple drop boxes or you can go here to donate.

Do you have any Chicagoland Christmas Houses that measure up to the Tinley Park Christmas House? If so, please leave them down below in the comments because me and my kids love to drive around and look at lights! If you have one that we can drive up to and listen and watch for a half an hour even better. It’s going to be a long winter.

Let Get in Touch

Please email me at alisontheresephoto@gmail.com or use the let’s chat link on top at if you are thinking about having any pictures taken this year or want to buy a session for a loved one this Christmas. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. It is best to book your session with me about 4-6 weeks in advance (sooner if newborn session). Especially if you are thinking about having your session in Spring, Summer or Fall.

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