Navy Pier - Chicago - TravBuddy

Navy Pier in Chicago is a tourism hot spot. There is so much to do. Entertainment includes the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, IMAX Theater (60'x80' screen), a few stages for concerts and other live shows. The Cirque Shanghai was an excellent show. Fireworks can be seen every Wednesday and Saturday between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Rides and attractions include 150' ferris wheel, carousel, mini golf, a children's museum, bicycle and skate rentals, a Segway tour of the city, a stained glass museum. There are several boat cruises: tall ship; dinner/dance; architectural; ultimate speedboat. Bicycle and skate rentals are available. There are lots of restaurants, cafes, ice cream parlors, snack joints and shops of all kinds. Buses or taxis will take you right there. Parking is a little expensive, though. This is a great way to spend an afternoon or evening for the entire family.

Navy Pier is the top tourist attraction in Illinois.
is a 3,000 foot long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan.



Navy Pier was originally built in 1916 to serve Lake Michigan freighters and provide transportation to other cities on the Great Lakes, as well as for recreational purposes. In 1941, Navy Pier was converted to military use and used throughout World War II. From 1946 to 1964, it was a college campus. After a lull in the 1970’s and 1980’s, Navy Pier was revitalized and, today, it is a multi-million dollar convention, cultural and recreation center and Chicago’s most visited attraction.

Navy Pier features a number of attractions for visitors and locals alike. Reminiscent of Chicago’s 1893 World Colombian Exposition, the most visible feature of Navy Pier is its 150-foot Ferris wheel. Close by is the musical carousel, painted with historical depictions of the pier. Pier Park features an 18-hole Chicago-themed miniature golf course and a cliff climbing structure. Some of the indoor attractions include a 15-minute walk through Fun house Maze and the Chicago Children’s Museum. Navy Pier is home to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, with its 500-seat courtyard theater and 200-seat flexible black box theater. There is also an IMAX theater on Navy Pier, with a 6-story flat movie screen featuring 2D and 3D films. The Smith Museum of Stained Glass windows is a permanent display of 150 stained glass windows housed in an 800-ft.-long series of galleries along the lower level terraces of Festival Hall.

The Skyline Stage is a 1,500-seat theater featuring a variety of musical and theatrical performances

Boat tours range from extravagant dinner cruises along the lake front to choppy speed-boat rides. You may even see a wedding aboard one of the ships! There are a number of shops at Navy Pier, with a variety of unique specialty items and Chicago souvenirs. Dining choices range from concession stands to a food court to fine restaurants.

Navy Pier also serves as a convention center, accommodating medium-sized trade shows with 170,000 square feet of exhibition space in Festival Hall and 36 meeting rooms. Crystal Gardens is a one-acre tropical paradise with over 70 full-size palm trees and a variety of seasonal plants and flowers. Private parties and corporate events are held here.

The lakefront is a wonderful place to bike ride or skate - you can rent bikes or skates at Bike Chicago, located at the pier. And when you need a break from all the activity, Navy Pier is a great place to just sit and people-watch.

Many experiences to have after coming to this famous attraction in Chicago. This is open to all ages, no discriminating here. You can walk away from here trying the many different restaurants, rides, boat cruises, shops, and IMAX theatre too...and more. I think the best deal was riding the boat cruise that toured the bay and enjoying the tourguides detailed brief of the history of Chicago (also cheap). Few radio stations were out playing games live (on radio), and speaking to the crowds, pretty cool it was. Parking Garage is near by as well, though I recommend paying the ticket in advance. Accessible throughout the pier and faster when crowds are leaving at the end of the day. If you plan on coming out, again the admission is FREE but throughout the day you'll need that cash, HAVE FUN!

The Navy Pier is a must see if you are going to be in the Chicago Area. While on our Chicago trip, we went to the Navy Pier twice. There is so much to do and see. The Navy Pier is situated on Lake Michigan, so the view is unbelieveable. You can see a lighthouse out in the lake, and you get great views of the city.
From rides to restaurants, exhibitions to entertainment, shopping to dining cruises and tour boats Navy Pier has it all, in a location unlike any other!
Take a ride on the Ferris wheel and get even more spectacular views of the city. You can catch a movie at the IMAX Theatre. There is a the Children's Museum inside the Family Pavilion. You can xperience any one of the cruise boat rides departing from Navy Pier's South Dock. You can catch some great entertainment - dancers, acrobats, theater, blues, jazz, or rock 'n roll at the Pepsi Skyline Stage.
Navy Pier also offers a lot of dining opportunities. There is a huge food court, we ate at the gyro place, it was really good. They also have a Bubba Gump Restaurant, which is a must for me, we ate there for my husband's birthday.
There are tons of shops on the Navy Pier. They have a couple of great souvenir shops, and they have a smashed penny machine.
Don't forget about the free entertainment on Dock Street during the summer and open-air ice skating during the winter.
Everyone told me to check out the aquarium while I was in Chicago. I am almost positive it is on the Pier, but we didn't really have time while we were there for that, so we never looked to see if it was there.
The Navy Pier really is a great time, you have to go there if you are going to be in Chicago.
Also, you can get on the Chicago Double Decker Tour from the Pier. This is where we bought our tickets for it.