Postcard from Chicago–Navy Pier

Welcome to Navy Pier, one of Chicago’s most popular landmarks and tourist attractions.  Extending nearly 2/3 of a mile into Lake Michigan, the pier houses dozens, if not more, tourist attractions, such as the carnival rides pictured here.

It took two years to build and opened to the public in 1916. It was designed as both a pier to handle shipping and as a public gathering place for Chicagoans. And that is what it did until the era of motor transportation began hitting the shipping companies hard.   By the late 1930s, the pier was used as more of a summer playground, with recreational facilities that included picnicking areas, dining pavilions, a dance hall, auditorium, and children's playground.

During World War II the pier returned to serious marine purposes, as the city leased the pier to the U.S. Navy as a training center. The Navy's air group training arm docked a pair of converted flattops at the pier to use as freshwater training carriers. During this period, some 60,000 sailors and 15,000 pilots, including President George H. W. Bush, trained at the pier.

Moving forward several years, the pier was rebuilt in the 1990s, and now includes fast-food kiosks, shops, a ballroom, a concert stage, and convention exhibition halls. Other attractions include a 150-foot Ferris wheel (pictured here), an IMAX theater, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Amazing Chicago's Funhouse Maze, the Chicago Children's Museum,  and the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows.

There are also several different kinds of excursion boats docked on the pier that will take you for specialized trips around Lake Michigan. For example, I took an old schooner sailing ship for an hour’s cruise on the lake. Quite fun, actually.

If you are ever in Chicago, no doubt you will visit Navy Pier as it is listed as the #1 tourist attraction in this great city. Definitely worth of visit. Be sure and stop in at the Billy Goat Café so you can hear the cooks yelling out, “Cheesebourger, Cheesbourger, Cheesbourger.” That alone is worth the trip.