Navy Pier

State: Illinois. Type: lakefront pier and mixed-use entertainment district in the Streeterville neighborhood of downtown Chicago, on Lake Michigan, Cook County. Opened July 15, 1916 as Municipal Pier; renamed Navy Pier in 1927. About 3,300 feet long, covering over 50 acres. Free to enter. Home to the 196-foot Centennial Wheel (opened May 2016), the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the Chicago Children's Museum. Address: 600 E. Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. Draws over nine million visitors a year.

Navy Pier is a 3,300-foot pier extending into Lake Michigan from Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood, and one of the city's most visited attractions. Opened in 1916 as Municipal Pier, it was built following Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago and designed by architect Charles Sumner Frost, resting atop tens of thousands of wooden pilings. Renamed Navy Pier in 1927 to honor World War I veterans, it has served many roles over the decades: a shipping and recreation pier, a Navy training center during World War II, and a University of Illinois campus in the postwar years before the school moved and became today's University of Illinois Chicago. After decades of decline it was extensively redeveloped and reopened in 1995 as a mixed-use public space combining rides, gardens, dining, boat tours, cultural venues and event halls. Its most recognizable feature is the Centennial Wheel, a nearly 200-foot Ferris wheel that opened in 2016. Free to enter and open year-round, the pier blends amusement-park energy with lakefront strolling, fireworks in season, and cultural institutions such as the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the Chicago Children's Museum, all with sweeping views of the lake and skyline.

Navy Pier is located at 600 E. Grand Avenue in the Streeterville neighborhood on the near north side of downtown Chicago, in Cook County, jutting eastward into Lake Michigan. It sits just north of the Chicago River's mouth and a short distance from the Magnificent Mile and River North, making it easy to combine with other downtown attractions. The pier extends over 50 acres of land and structures out over the water.

Navy Pier is largely an outdoor, lakefront destination, so it follows Chicago's hot-summer humid continental climate, with warm, humid summers, its busiest season, and cold, snowy winters. Its exposed position out over Lake Michigan means wind and cooler temperatures off the water are common, so it can feel noticeably breezier and cooler than sheltered streets, even in summer. Some venues and attractions on the pier are indoors and open year-round regardless of weather.

Late spring through early fall is the most popular time, when the pier's rides, gardens, boat cruises and seasonal fireworks are in full swing and the weather is warmest. Summer is peak season and the liveliest but most crowded time, especially on weekends and around fireworks nights. Spring and fall are milder and less crowded, while winter is cold and quieter, though indoor venues such as the theater and children's museum remain open. Evenings offer skyline views and, in season, fireworks.

Navy Pier opened to the public on July 15, 1916 as Municipal Pier, one of several piers envisioned in Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago and designed by architect Charles Sumner Frost. It was built atop roughly 20,000 wooden pilings driven into the lakebed and served as a mixed shipping and public-recreation pier. In 1927 it was renamed Navy Pier in honor of World War I naval veterans. During World War II, beginning in 1941, the pier became a U.S. Navy training center where about 10,000 people worked, trained and lived. From 1946 the University of Illinois held classes there, an arrangement that helped lead to the later founding of the University of Illinois Chicago. After the university moved out, the pier declined for years until a major redevelopment transformed it into a mixed-use venue; it reopened to the public on July 12, 1995. The original Ferris wheel was later replaced by the taller, 196-foot Centennial Wheel, which opened in May 2016 to mark the pier's 100th anniversary.

Visitors ride the Centennial Wheel for skyline and lake views, enjoy other rides and midway attractions in season, and take lake cruises, including sightseeing, dining and speedboat tours, that depart from the pier. The pier hosts live performances at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, hands-on family fun at the Chicago Children's Museum, and seasonal fireworks displays over the water. Strolling the length of the pier, relaxing in its gardens and public spaces, browsing shops, and dining with lake views are all popular, and the pier regularly holds festivals and special events throughout the year.

Key features include the 196-foot Centennial Wheel, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the Chicago Children's Museum, the pier's landscaped gardens and public promenades, and its shops and restaurants. The pier is also a departure point for a variety of Lake Michigan boat tours and offers panoramic views of the downtown skyline from out over the water.

Navy Pier is on the near north lakefront and can be reached on foot from nearby downtown and Streeterville hotels. CTA buses serve the pier directly, and it is a short ride from CTA "L" stations in the Loop and River North. Seasonal water taxis connect the pier with other points along the Chicago River and lakefront. Drivers can use the pier's parking garages (reservable online), and taxis and rideshare drop off directly. From O'Hare or Midway airports, CTA rail to downtown plus a bus, taxi or rideshare reaches the pier.

Navy Pier is open year-round but closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. As of research, its summer 2026 operating hours (May 23-September 7) were Sunday-Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight; hours vary seasonally and by attraction. The Centennial Wheel and individual venues keep their own hours. Confirm current hours on navypier.org before visiting.

There is no admission fee to enter Navy Pier itself. Individual attractions charge separately: as of research, Centennial Wheel tickets were listed at around $21 for adults and $18 for children (roughly ages 3-11), with infants under 2 free (prices reported via ticketing partners and subject to change). The Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago Children's Museum, boat cruises and other attractions each set their own pricing, and parking is charged separately. Check navypier.org and each venue for current prices.

Most visitors spend roughly two to four hours at the pier to walk its length, ride the Centennial Wheel and enjoy the views and dining; a longer visit is common if you add a boat cruise, a theater performance or the children's museum.

Navy Pier sits in Streeterville, close to a dense cluster of downtown hotels along and near the Magnificent Mile and in River North, ranging from mid-range chains to upscale and luxury properties, most within a short walk or ride of the pier. Staying in Streeterville or the near north downtown area generally keeps the pier, lakefront and Michigan Avenue shopping all within easy reach.

The pier itself has a range of on-site dining, from casual counters and quick bites to sit-down restaurants with lake and skyline views. Just off the pier, the surrounding Streeterville and Magnificent Mile areas offer many more restaurants and cafes spanning casual to fine dining, so visitors have abundant options both on the pier and within a short walk.

The Magnificent Mile shopping district and River North are a short distance west of the pier, and the Chicago Riverwalk, Millennium Park, the Art Institute and Grant Park are all within a short ride or walk to the south and west. The lakefront trail and beaches extend along the shoreline for those wanting more time by the water.

CTA buses serve Navy Pier directly, connecting it to the Loop and nearby neighborhoods, and the nearest CTA "L" stations are a short bus or rideshare ride away in downtown. Seasonal water taxis link the pier to other river and lakefront stops. Taxis, rideshare and bike share are readily available, and the pier has on-site parking garages.

Navy Pier is a busy, family-oriented public space, but standard precautions apply: keep track of children in the crowds and near the water's edge, and watch personal belongings in busy areas. Dress for wind and cooler temperatures out over the lake, even on warm days, and be prepared for slippery surfaces in wet or icy conditions. Follow posted rules on rides and heed staff guidance during large events and fireworks nights. For any emergency, dial 911.

A light jacket or windbreaker is worth having year-round because of lake breezes, with warmer layers in cooler seasons. Bring sun protection and water for warm-weather visits, a camera or phone for skyline and Ferris-wheel views, and a card or cash for ride tickets, dining and parking. Families with young children may want a stroller and the usual essentials for a day out.

Because entry is free, the pier is an easy add-on to a downtown day; buy tickets for the Centennial Wheel or boat cruises online in advance during busy summer periods to save time. Visit on a weekday or earlier in the day to avoid the heaviest summer crowds, and time an evening visit around seasonal fireworks if the schedule allows. Using CTA buses, water taxis or rideshare avoids the cost and hassle of pier parking. Combine the visit with the nearby Magnificent Mile or Chicago Riverwalk for a fuller itinerary.

For any emergency, dial 911, the nationwide emergency number in the United States. Navy Pier's general information line, as listed on its official site, is 1-800-595-PIER (7437). For non-emergency city services in Chicago, dial 311.

Navy Pier - https://navypier.org

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.