Despite the recent snowfall, Christmas is still weeks away. But after wandering through Marshall Field’s re-creation of Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” visions of dancing sugar plums will surely surface.

At one time or another, most of us have wished we could hop into the pages of a book and find ourselves at the ball when Cinderella meets her prince or discover that we have turned into the Incredible Hulk. Here’s the perfect chance to wander through storybook images.

Visitors are taken on a live-animation journey through the tale of a poor boy who finds the last of

five Golden Tickets offered by an eccentric old man who owns a chocolate factory. The Golden Ticket winners receive a tour of the factory as their prize. Charlie and his grandpa join Veruca Salt, a spoiled, whining brat; Augustus Gloop, a monster of greed; gum-chewing, gum-popping Violet; and couch potato Mike Teevee. Because of their selfishness, the four obnoxious children fall victim to various mishaps, leaving Charlie to discover the secrets within the factory.

The experience is akin to the scene in “Mary Poppins” when Mary, Bert and the two kids jump into one of Bert’s sidewalk chalk pictures. Visitors are right in the midst of the action when the Oompa-Loompas roll a huge Violet in one scene, Grandpa jumps up and down when Charlie discovers his Golden Ticket, and the tutued Veruca Salt falls down the garbage chute, to the dismay of her parents.

Everyone needs some feel-good Christmas spirit, so relish the treat of seeing a childhood storybook come alive. It’s free, too, so once you’ve gone through this Christmas spectacular, you still have money left to shop.