Navy Pier, Chicago: history, what to see, how to get there, hours and tickets

Navy Pier is a long public pier on Lake Michigan at 600 E. Grand Avenue in Chicago. It is open all year and there is no admission fee to walk onto it. People come for the Centennial Wheel, which rises to nearly 200 feet, for the views of the skyline from the water, for free summer fireworks and for the sightseeing boats that leave from its docks.

Navy Pier history: from Municipal Pier to the Centennial Wheel

Navy Pier credits the idea to Daniel Burnham, whose 1909 words it still quotes: "The Lakefront by right belongs to the people." After Burnham died in 1912, the city's Harbor and Subway Commission hired architect Charles Sumner Frost in 1914 to design the first of five planned piers.

Municipal Pier No. 2 opened to the public on July 15, 1916, at a cost of $5 million. It runs 3,040 feet east into the lake and is 292 feet wide; the pier's own timeline calls it the longest public pier in the world. It was built for both shipping and recreation.

During World War I, from 1917, the pier housed soldiers, Red Cross workers and home defense units, with barracks for recruits and a jail for draft dodgers. In 1927 it was renamed Navy Pier to honor Navy personnel who served in that war.

From 1941 to 1946 the U.S. Navy took it over and ran the largest training facility of its kind there; more than 60,000 sailors and marines had trained on the pier by 1946. After the war the University of Illinois opened its first Chicago campus on the pier, nicknamed "Harvard on the Rocks", and stayed until 1965.

For the 1976 bicentennial the east buildings reopened as exhibition halls and the Grand Ballroom was renovated; Navy Pier's timeline also dates its Chicago landmark status to 1976, but the city's Chicago Landmarks register lists the Navy Pier Headhouse and Auditorium as designated on November 14, 1977. After a major renovation it reopened in 1995 for year-round entertainment, shops, restaurants and exhibitions, along with a 150-foot red and white Ferris wheel that carried nearly 17 million riders before it came down in 2015.

The nonprofit Navy Pier, Inc. was set up in 2011. James Corner Field Operations won the 2012 design contest with its "Pierscape" plan, and building started in 2013. For the centennial, the Centennial Wheel opened on May 27, 2016: 50 feet taller than the old wheel, with 42 climate-controlled gondolas. The pier covers 50 acres today and, by its own count, has welcomed more than 240 million guests since 1995.

What to see at Navy Pier

• Centennial Wheel. In the Pier Park ride area, with views of the skyline and the lake from enclosed gondolas, heated in winter. A VIP gondola with plush seats and a glass bottom can be booked for up to four guests.
• Pier Park. Rides, games and amusements for all ages. They close for the winter season, while the wheel runs daily. Attraction hours may vary with the weather.
• Flyover. A ride-style flight over Chicago and its people, architecture and culture.
• Museum and theater. The Chicago Children's Museum and Chicago Shakespeare Theater are both on the pier. Hebru Brantley's 16-foot "Flyboy" statue stands on the South Dock at the museum entrance.
• Tiffany windows. Ten Tiffany windows from Richard H. Driehaus's collection, on the lower level of Festival Hall.
• Outdoor art. Alison Saar's Lorraine Hansberry with five life-size bronze chairs you can sit in; J. Seward Johnson Jr.'s eight running children, "Crack the Whip", installed in 1996; the 8-ton anchor of the cruiser U.S.S. Chicago, from 1995; and a bronze Bob Newhart, moved here in 2004.
• Fireworks. Free shows over the lake. In summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, they run every Wednesday and Saturday evening; extra shows are added through the year on the fireworks page.
• Boats. City Cruises, Shoreline Sightseeing and the Tall Ship Windy sail from the pier.

How to get to Navy Pier

Navy Pier lists these CTA buses:

Coming in on Metra, transfer to the 124 or 29 at the station. First and last trips for the 124 are on its route page at transitchicago.com; from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day it runs 90 minutes later in both directions.

Driving: the East and West garages are connected to the pier, hold about 1,500 vehicles, stay open 24 hours and charge by length of stay, with rates on the Parking & Valet page at navypier.org. Height limits are 7'9" in the East Garage and 6'3" in the West Garage. You can reserve a space from the getting here and parking page. Motorcycles park at Entrance 1 next to valet, not in the garages. You can also bike in, Divvy included, or take the Shoreline water taxi when it runs.

Navy Pier hours and tickets

Navy Pier's hours and admission vary with the seasons, and it says all hours are subject to change. The table shows the season from September 8 to December 31, 2026; check the hours and admission page before you go.

Hours and prices checked on November 5, 2026 at navypier.org.

Shops and the food court keep pier hours; restaurants, boats and theaters set their own. Ride prices are on the tickets page; the next season's hours appear on the hours and admission page.

Tips before you go

After 5 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, guests under 18 must be with a parent or legal guardian at all times, and staff may ask for ID.

Leashed dogs are typically allowed in outdoor common areas only; indoors, service animals only. There are no stroller rentals. Wheelchairs are lent first come, first served at the Guest Services Desk at the main entrance against a driver's license, state ID or military ID. Free Wi-Fi covers the food court seating area. For a summer fireworks night, plan on a Wednesday or Saturday. More of the city is on our Chicago page and in what to see in Chicago.

Questions people ask

Is Navy Pier free to visit?

Yes. Navy Pier charges no admission fee and is open all year except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. You pay only for individual attractions such as the Centennial Wheel, Pier Park rides, Flyover, the theater, the museum and boat tours, at their box offices or on navypier.org.

When are the fireworks at Navy Pier?

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Navy Pier runs free fireworks over Lake Michigan every Wednesday and Saturday evening. It adds other shows during the year, including winter fireworks, and posts the dates and times on the fireworks page of its website.

Which bus goes to Navy Pier?

CTA buses 124 Navy Pier, 29 State, 65 Grand and 66 Chicago serve the pier, and the 2 Hyde Park Express runs at weekday rush hours. From Metra, Navy Pier suggests the 124 from Union and Ogilvie stations or the 29 from LaSalle Street Station.

Can teenagers go to Navy Pier alone?

During the day, yes. After 5 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Navy Pier's youth escort policy applies: guests under 18 must stay with a parent or legal guardian at all times, and management may ask for identification.