Stretching nearly a mile into the waters of Lake Michigan from the northern edge of Chicago’s downtown lakefront, Navy Pier is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the United States and a true Chicago institution. Since its opening in 1916, the pier has served many purposes: it was a summer park, a training facility during World War II, a branch campus of the University of Illinois, and finally the entertainment and events destination it is today. With its iconic Ferris wheel visible from much of downtown, its collection of restaurants and shops, its theater and museum, and its spectacular views of the city skyline, Navy Pier delivers a quintessentially Chicago experience that visitors return to again and again.
The Pier Itself
Navy Pier occupies 50 acres of lakeshore real estate and extends 3,300 feet into Lake Michigan, providing some of the finest views of the Chicago skyline available anywhere along the lakefront. The long promenade along the pier’s south side is a popular walking destination, with benches and vantage points that look back toward the city as the skyline rises dramatically against the lake backdrop. In summer, flowers fill planters along the full length of the pier, and the festive atmosphere of the thousands of visitors milling about creates an energy that is central to the Chicago summer experience.
The main festival hall building at the pier’s base houses the majority of indoor attractions, while outdoor areas include the Polk Bros. Park at the pier entrance, a landscaped green space with a fountain, performance space, and play areas, and the Beer Garden and other seasonal outdoor venues along the pier’s length.
The Centennial Wheel
The Centennial Wheel, a 196-foot-tall Ferris wheel that replaced the pier’s previous wheel in 2016, is the pier’s most visible landmark and one of its most popular attractions. The gondolas are fully enclosed and climate-controlled, providing comfortable views in any weather. Riders get an ever-changing panorama of the lake, the skyline, and the pier below as the wheel completes its revolutions. A rotation takes about 7 minutes, and riders typically make two full rotations per ticket. The sunset ride, when the city lights are beginning to come on and the western sky glows orange over the skyline, is particularly spectacular.
Chicago Children’s Museum
The Chicago Children’s Museum, housed in the main building near the pier’s base, is one of the finest children’s museums in the country and a major draw for families visiting Navy Pier. The museum’s exhibits are designed for children up to age 10 and emphasize hands-on exploration, creative play, and learning through doing. The WaterWays exhibit, where children can direct water flows through a complex of channels and gates, is perennially popular. Building exhibits, art studios, and a range of rotating special exhibits fill the museum’s 57,000 square feet. Parents will find the museum genuinely engaging as well as thoroughly tiring-out-the-kids effective.
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
One of the most admired theater companies in the country, Chicago Shakespeare Theater operates a stunning venue at Navy Pier that includes a 900-seat main stage and a flexible 200-seat studio theater. The company’s productions are consistently excellent and have earned CST a national reputation for innovative Shakespeare interpretations alongside a diverse programming calendar that includes musicals, world theater, and family productions. Catching a show at CST during a Chicago visit adds a genuinely high-quality cultural experience to what might otherwise be a purely recreational pier visit.
Dining and Entertainment
Navy Pier has a wide variety of dining options ranging from quick-service food stalls to full-service waterfront restaurants. The outdoor seating options at several restaurants and bars along the pier provide unforgettable dining experiences on warm evenings, with Lake Michigan on one side and the skyline on the other. Riva, one of the pier’s flagship restaurants, has excellent seafood and the kind of views that make it worth the price for a special occasion dinner.
Year-round programming at the pier includes free concerts, festivals, fireworks displays, and special events. The Wednesday and Saturday evening fireworks in summer are a beloved tradition, visible from the pier and from much of the surrounding lakefront. The Chicago Flower and Garden Show, the Air and Water Show observation areas, and numerous seasonal festivals throughout the year give the pier a consistently packed events calendar.
Boat Tours and Water Activities
Navy Pier is also the departure point for a variety of lake and river boat tours that provide perspectives on Chicago and Lake Michigan that are unavailable from the shore. Architecture boat tours departing from the pier are among the finest way to appreciate Chicago’s famous skyline and the remarkable collection of buildings along the Chicago River. Sailing charters, dinner cruises, speedboat tours, and lake sightseeing cruises all depart from the pier’s docks, providing options for virtually every interest and budget.
Getting There
Navy Pier is located at 600 East Grand Avenue, on the lakeshore about five blocks east of Michigan Avenue. It’s walkable from the Magnificent Mile and accessible by numerous CTA bus routes. The pier has an attached parking garage, but rates are high and availability is limited on busy days. Biking to the pier along the lakefront trail is an excellent option from much of downtown and the North Side. A free trolley runs seasonally between Navy Pier and State Street. Admission to the pier grounds is free; individual attractions charge their own fees.
Navy Pier is one of those Chicago experiences that is easy to underestimate and consistently enjoyable. The views alone, the skyline reflected in the lake, the city spreading west from the water’s edge, justify the visit. Add the Ferris wheel, the children’s museum, a boat tour, and a lakeside dinner, and you have the makings of one of the finest days Chicago can offer.