Chicago's 'Year-Round Playground' Is A Waterfront, Free-Admission Gem Full Of Rides, Food, And Shops
Famed architect and master urban planner Daniel Burnham's 1909 "Plan of Chicago" envisioned a beautified waterfront where community and culture come together with civic pride, transforming Chicago from a chaos of overwhelmed infrastructures and polluted squalor. Built on his City Beautiful philosophy, this blend of aesthetically pleasing urban environments in harmony with commerce also inspired modern city planning in destinations such as Cleveland and the iconic East Coast city of Washington, D.C.
In 1916, this came to life as Municipal Pier, stretching 3,300 feet into Lake Michigan and spanning 50 acres of attractive public space for expos, pageants, live entertainment, and passenger and freight boat docking. Now known as Navy Pier, one of the Midwest's most popular free attractions, its 2016 centennial year drew a record 9.3 million visitors. Today, Chicago's year-round playground stays true to its original spirit, a family-friendly gem sparkling with a plethora of rides, a delectable selection of quintessential street food, captivating shops and markets showcasing local artisans, and world-class cultural institutions. Free admission to selected events and performances, as well as recreation areas and gardens, is why the always inclusive and accessible Navy Pier, welcoming everyone from the young to the young at heart any time of year, is one of the best budget-friendly activities in Chicago.
Attractions, shops, and food at Navy Pier
The Centennial Wheel, an iconic fixture in the Chicago skyline, is centered right at the heart of Navy Pier and debuted as the world's first Ferris wheel at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. At its 196-foot peak, the panoramic vistas are unbeatable, rivaling those of the nearby Willis Tower Skydeck, the highest observation deck in America. Other park attractions include the S&S DoubleShot drop tower, Wave Swinger, Carousel, Tea Cups, Amazing Chicago's Funhouse Maze, and Butterfly House.
To truly soak up Navy Pier's playground atmosphere, dig into classic Chicago chow. Savor Italian beef, deep dish pizza, and Chicago-style hot dogs. Then, if you still have room for more, don't forget the "Saturday Night Live"-famous Billy Goat Tavern Cheezborger, Garrett's caramel and cheese popcorn mix, and The Original Rainbow Cone of five colorful ice cream flavors heaped onto a crispy cake cone. Navy Pier Beer Garden, with its specialty craft beer selection, is perfect for hanging out from spring to summer, while Offshore, the United States' largest rooftop deck, is open all year for dining and drinking, made cozy with fire pits and a gaming area.
Navy Pier hosts a kaleidoscope of shops and kiosks, and the Chicago-centric stores are where you'll take home the most meaningful mementoes. Chicago Sports & Novelty stocks jerseys, caps, and all shows of the city's fervent fanship for its professional teams, while the Neighborhood Urban Gift Shop celebrates its vividly diverse communities with made-in-Chicago gifts, home goods, and apparel. At the Women's Live Artist Studio, browse thoughtfully curated works from local female creatives; each day features a different artist painting on site. The renowned and highly acclaimed Chicago Shakespeare Theater, staging as many as 20 plays annually, and the Chicago Children's Museum with three levels of interactive and interpretive play are perfect activities for cold or rainy days.
Experience Chicago's most popular playground
Free public entry to Navy Pier's action-packed docket of events and entertainment means there's always something to do just minutes from downtown Chicago, and you can get there by car, bus, bike, foot or even water taxi — right off the city's one-of-a-kind waterfront Lake Shore Drive. Its fireworks shows on Wednesday and Saturday evenings are one of Chicago's biggest summer highlights, with a dazzling finale every New Year's Eve. Free live music and dancing headline the pier during the summer from Thursdays to Sundays, with marquee celebrations like Navy Pier Pride, Bastille Day, LatiNxT, and Noche Caribeña honoring the city's embrace of diversity. Throughout the year, a rotation of public art and exhibitions captivates anywhere you stroll, and the 1.5-mile fitness trail is open for workouts even in winter, a perfect showcase of the "City of Big Shoulders'" hardiness. Near the end of the pier, a bronze sculpture of comedian and Chicago native Bob Newhart is seated on a couch with plenty of room for you, against a backdrop of glittering skyscrapers, making for a spectacular photo spot.
If you can't get enough of Navy Pier, stay the night at the Sable, the only hotel on the pier, where, as Tripadvisor reviewer Maryann D says, "Views from rooms are incredible during day and night. Sunrise over [the] lake with a cup of coffee is the best."