Navy Pier - Chicago's top tourist attraction & the popular place in Midwestern US

When I started planning my walk around Chicago City, I learned that Navy Peir is one of the most visited attractions in the entire Midwest and is Chicago's number one tourist attraction. That was little unbelievable for me until I visited it myself and experienced the place. Navy Pier looks very different in winters and especially it doesn't look like a touristy place at all. This Blogpost takes you through the journey of Navy Pier and some tips to make your visit even better. 

Navy Pier is around Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan and is reasonably big. I visited Navy Pier in winters and the lake was frozen at that moment. In fact, the temperature was so low that there was hardly anybody outside. The good part is that Pier has huge indoor area to enjoy different cuisines and drinks with your loved ones.

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Above photograph shows indoor area where you have plenty of food & drink options. This is a common seating area, so you can grab stuff from counter of your choice and find a table where you want to sit & enjoy your meal. I made good use of this space & it's warmth in chilling winters outside. Apart from eating options, there are few souvenirs shops and a theatre.  

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Chicago Children's Museum is also located at Navy Pier. Usually entry fees to the Museum is $15 and there is discounted ticket price for senior citizens with age more than 60 years. Entry to Chicago Children's Museum is free on first Sundays of the month. More about Chicago Children's Museum can be checked here. 

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Let's talk about what all you can do at Chicago Navy Pier, especially on a day when weather is good and worth going out in Chicago City :

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1. Enjoy the amazing views of Chicago city across the Michigan Lake. The views from other end of the Pier or from Jane Adams Memorial Park on the north side of the Pier are sepcial.

2. Some time can be spent around Ohio Street Beach adjacent to Navy Pier. This is very close to Chicago Children's Museum and probably a 5 minutes walk from Navy Pier.

3. On special occasions fireworks are planned around Navy Pier, so do check calendar of events whenever you plan to visit Navy Pier in Chicago. 

4. Miller Lite Beer Garden is known for seasonal free concerts, so keep a watch. 

5. There are several decent boat tours that depart from Navy Pier.  Most of these options are closed during winters for right reasons. To get better deals on all these things, it's recommended to check online. We are not prescribing anything because we haven't done enough research to recommend anything concrete. 

6. On Navy Pier you would see a beautiful carousel, swings, and Ferris wheel. Tickets can be purchased at the kiosk for all of these rides. Enjoy Chicago Skyline. Important buildings like John Hancock Center, Water Tower Place, Lake Point, and Trump Tower can be noticed easily.  

There is certainly lot more to be explored and all depends upon time you have in hand. 

The Navy Pier currently encompasses more than fifty acres of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants, family attractions and exhibition facilities and is one of the top destinations in the Midwestern United States, drawing nearly two million visitors annually.  

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Navy Pier is located in the Streeterville neighbourhood of the Near North Side community area and very well located across Lakefront trail. Lakefront trail is well paved path for runners, bikers and folks like walking around. I took this trail to reach Navy Lake from Shedd Aquarium.  

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Above photograph shows the view of Chicago skyscrapers across Michigan Lake and the lake is frozen. For better view of lake, do check out the zoomed in version below.  

If you liked this post and found it helpful, I would request you to follow these things when traveling - 

1. Manage your waste well and don’t litter Use dustbins.

2. Tell us if you went to a place and found it hard to locate a dustbin. 

3. Avoid bottle waters in hills. Usually you get clean water in hills and water bottles create lot of mess in our ecosystem. 

4. Say big no to plastic and avoid those unhealthy snacks packed in plastic bags. Rather buy fruits. 

5. Don't play loud blaring music in forests of jungle camps. You are a guest in that ecosystem and disturbing the locals (humans and animals) is not polite