DK Travel : Chicago : Navy Pier

Navy Pier

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As recently as 1995 Chicago’s Navy Pier was a drab slab of concrete projecting into Lake Michigan, formerly used as a military and freight base. But a huge effort to funnel tourism onto the Pier has seen the installation of a mix of high-and lowbrow attractions on the waterfront – for kids as well as adults – that draw over eight million visitors annually to make this Chicago’s top tourist spot. And an added bonus of spending time at the Pier: the breathtaking city views.

Top 10 Exhibits

1. Wave Swinger

Each of the 48 chain-suspended chairs on this colorful, old-fashioned thrill ride lifts riders 14 ft (5 m) in the air, and spins them until the skyline blurs.
2. Chicago Children’s Museum

Kids love this hands-on museum that educates through play. Under-twos get dedicated spaces, including a water room, with clothing protection provided.
3. Skyline Stage

During the summer months, this large, whitetented venue, with stateof-the-art acoustics, hosts ticketed pop, rock, folk, and jazz concerts against a stunning backdrop. Dance performances and children’s theater are also staged here.
4. Smith Museum of Stained-Glass Windows

The first museum of its kind in the USA, the Smith displays 150 artworks made of colored glass along 800 ft (240 m) of the Pier’s interior corridors. Highlights include 13 pieces from Louis Comfort Tiffany’s workshop.
5. Musical Carousel

A quaint merry-go-round of 36 hand-painted horses and chariots located next to the Ferris Wheel replicates a similar ride installed on the Pier in the 1920s.
6. Ferris Wheel

It’s hard to miss the Pier’s 15-story Ferris Wheel. The slowly and continually revolving ride seats six passengers in each of its 40 enclosed cars. Daytime rides offer fine lake views, while evening rides show off the magical city lights.
7. Chicago Shakespeare Theater

This highly renowned theater aims to make the Bard accessible to the pleasure-seeking masses visiting Navy Pier. As well as Shakespearean standards, productions also include the “Short Shakespeare” series for younger audiences.
8. IMAX® Theater

The six-story, 80-ft(24-m) wide flatscreen movie theater offers celluloid fare ranging from scientific documentaries to Disney features. Sound and vision headsets aid 3D movie enjoyment.
9. Amazing Chicago’s Funhouse Maze

This mirror-filled, Chicago-themed walking maze leads you on a disorienting, 15-minute trip. Expect spinning lights, startling sound effects, and new perspectives on city sights.
10. Miniature Golf Course

Putt your way around the 18-holes of this mini-golf course at the base of the Ferris Wheel. Each hole features a miniature Chicago landmark obstacle giving this attraction a real sense of fun and character.

Practical Information

Skip the chain eateries in favor of ribs and live jazz at Joe’s Be-Bop Café. In summer the beer garden at the far end of the Pier offers stellar city views as well as free bands. Join a 90-minute lake tour (see Lake & River Boat Tours) on a four-masted schooner, or take a ride on a Seadog speedboat. Save money and time spent in line with a combination ticket for the Musical Carousel, Ferris Wheel, and Wave Swinger. 600 E. Grand Avenue 1-800-595-7437 www.navypier.com CTA Bus: 29; 65; 56; 66; 120; 121 Open summer: 10am–10pm daily (to midnight Fri & Sat); Sep & Oct: 10am– 9pm Mon–Sat (to 11pm Fri & Sat), 10am–7pm Sun; winter: 10am–8pm Mon–Sat (to 10pm Fri & Sat), 10am–7pm Sun Free entrance but many attractions charge DA