3rd Coast Cruising

Chicago’s largest sailing school and club. USCG licensed captains and certified instructors are knowledgeable, experienced and patient. They teach on 30-foot-plus cruisers from 8 different yacht manufacturers, giving you sailing skills that are easily transferable to other boats..

57th Street Beach

This is one of Chicago’s oldest and most significant parks. The renowned designers of New York’s Central Park, Olmsted & Vaux, laid out Jackson Park along with the adjacent Midway Plaisance and Washington Park in 1871. Their earliest park improvements included a beach composed of granite bricks at the location of what is now the 57th Street Beach. Since the turn of the century, the 57th Street Beach has been used by generations of Chicagoans. In 1993, the park district constructed a new comfort station for the beach, and beach-goers can enjoy the beautiful view of the skyline.

Amazing Chicago Funhouse Maze

An exhilarating sensory experience for the whole family. Amazing Chicago’s Funhouse Maze is located on Chicago’s Navy Pier.

Bike and Roll Rentals

Bike and Roll is celebrating 7 years as America’s leading bicycle rental and tours company. They are committed to delivering an exceptional experience to every guest!
This is achieved with great rides and fun tours, quality rental equipment, safe routes, and friendly service. Whether you are a local or a tourist, Bike and Roll is a great way to explore the city, see the sites, and get around town in a fun, healthy, and green way.

Independence Eve Fireworks

Specialty: Fireworks Spectacular
Location: Along the lakefront
Date: July 3rd
Concert begins: 7:30 pm, Grant Park at the Petrillo Music Shell
Fireworks: 9:30 pm


Kathy Osterman Beach

Osterman Beach is named for Kathy Osterman (1943-1992), a dedicated public servant who was beloved by her community. She served as Alderman for Edgewater, President of the Edgewater Community Council, and Director of the Mayor's Office of Special Events. In 1993, Ardmore Beach was renamed in her honor as Kathy Osterman Beach.

McCormick Place Bird Sanctuary

Built in 2003, the McCormick Place Bird Sanctuary in Burnham Park became the Park District's fourth bird sanctuary on Chicago's lakefront. The 6-acre sanctuary contains two prairies, shrub and woodland habitat, and a freshwater stone birdbath. Together, these habitats provide food, resting places and shelter for some of the millions of birds that migrate along Chicago's lakefront every spring and fall.

Monee Reservior

The park is located on a 46-acre fishing lake. The terrain around Monee Reservoir is mostly flat, but contains a variety of ecosystems. There are also many small marshes within the park, that attract many wetland species.

Navy Pier

Over 90 years old, this longtime landmark is a favorite spot any time of the year and is considered the greatest outdoor walkway with indoor excitement anywhere on the Great Lakes. This world famous pier is right out of a storybook, complete with a Ferris wheel, breathtaking views of the lake, boat cruises, international crowds and a gigantic venue of things to see and do.


Ohio Street Beach

Oak Street is home to the largest area of deep water swimming in the city (1/2 mile (800 m) over 10 ft (3 m), and is training grounds for hundreds of triathletes and distance swimmers. Until 2006 Oak Street Beach was also the only place in the city where SCUBA divers could dive close to the shore. The north ledge is a second home to thousands of sunbathers, runners, skaters and bikers.
Oak Street is one of the city's most popular beaches, with its proximity to downtown, and boasts thousands of visitors each day during the beach season.
The popular Oak Street Bistro is open throughout the beach season

South Shore Cultural Center Nature Sanctuary

Community advocates had long dreamed of building a nature center on the peninsula behind the South Shore Cultural Center. The park district agreed and in 2001 began construction on the new sanctuary. A trail system loops around the sanctuary and includes a boardwalk that leads visitors along an emerging sand dune, over a small wetland, and through three and a half acres of prairie landscape.

Theater on the Lake

Enjoy outdoor theater as only Chicago can do it. Located in Lincoln Park, yards from Lake Michigan, this summer theater dates back to 1942, when it featured amateur productions. It now boasts encore performances by some of the city's many renowned production companies, including Second City, the Steppenwolf Theatre, the Eclipse Theater and the Porchlight Theater