Lakefront

The Windy City’s "front yard", Chicago’s Lakefront stretches from the Illinois-Indiana border on the south all the way to the Evanston city limits to the north. With countless public parks, beaches and other amusements, the Lakefront is part cityscape and part natural formation, the two distinct entities blending harmoniously at many points along the shores of gorgeous Lake Michigan. Navy Pier is one of many points of interest dotting the Lakefront; in the heart of Chicago just north of the Loop, Navy Pier’s iconic ferris wheel, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Chicago Children's Museum and many other attractions make it a must-see for every visitor.

Situated on the lakefront just south of the loop is the popular Museum Campus, with its trio of world-renowned museums that are among Chicago’s most visited attractions: the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum and the Adler Planetarium. Neighboring the Museum Campus is the no-less famous Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears football team.

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Chicago’s many public beaches are king, and the place for vacationers and locals to go any day of the week. Popular beaches in and around the Loop include North Avenue Beach and Oak Street Beach. On the South Side, beachgoers frequent the 12th Street Beach and 57th Street Beach.

For a visitor looking to work out instead of working on their tan, the Lakefront offers 18 miles of jogging and biking trails. Starting at Hollywood Avenue on the north and running all way to 71st Street on the South Side, the trail offers the fitness buff a free and very scenic workout venue.