Navy Pier

What is Navy Pier?

The pier stretches well out from the shoreline and packs a lot into its length. Along it are stores, places to eat, live theater, attractions for families, gardens and exhibition halls, plus open green space such as Polk Bros Park. The Chicago Children's Museum is one of its main tenants.

With more than nine million visitors a year, it is one of the busiest attractions in the Midwest, second only to one other sight in Chicago itself.

History of Navy Pier

The pier is a Chicago Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognition of its long role on the city's waterfront.

Visiting Navy Pier: tips

Navy Pier has parking, restrooms and wheelchair access, and it is well suited to families with children. Give it at least two hours; a walk to the far end and back covers well over a mile on its own.

The Chicago Children's Museum and the Chicago Harbor Light are each about 0.5 mile away, and the Museum of Contemporary Art is about 1.2 miles away. Food is available right on the pier, and a hotel stands about 0.2 mile away.

Route 66 began downtown, a little under 2 miles from the pier, so it is an easy extra on the first or last day of the trip. If you are traveling with children, the Chicago Children's Museum on the pier can fill a rainy morning, and the gardens and Polk Bros Park give everyone room to stretch after hours in the car.