Chicago (Navy Pier, Illinois)

Chicago Illinois is the 3rd-largest city in the USA, as well as one of the country's leading commercial, industrial, transport and financial centers. It extends approx 29 mi / 47 km along Lake Michigan's southwestern shore, on a plain crossed by Chicago River and Calumet River. Both rivers are linked by canals with the rivers Illinois and Mississippi, making Chicago a connecting point and the largest port between Mississippi Valley, St Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes. The city's rapid growth was due in part to its location, with easy access to raw materials and large markets.

Port Chicago has locode USCHI. As of 2022, AQV-American Queen Voyages (fka AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company) is the only cruise brand which boats dock overnight at downtown's Navy Pier. In 2022, AQV's sisterships Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager were scheduled to visit the city. Both vessels operate Great Lakes voyages (11- to 16-day itineraries roundtrip from Toronto) featuring scenic navigation along the St Lawrence Seaway and stops at Mackinac Island, passing the Soo Locks (Sault Ste Marie, Ontario Canada), Manitoulin Island, Niagara Falls (from Colborne, Ontario Canada), Detroit MI (Henry Ford Museum), Cleveland OH (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame).

Chicago has one of the most beautiful lakefronts in the world, backed by a skyline of soaring skyscrapers. Travelers landing at Navy Pier will find a combination of Crystal Palace, stained glass museum, lovely Coney Island and festival marketplace stretching out into the lake. With the only exception of a few miles of industry on the southern extremity, the entire lakefront is devoted to recreational uses, with museums, beaches, parks and harbors, which include Lincoln Park to the north, Jackson Park to the south and Grant Park opposite the city center. The central part of Chicago has several of the tallest buildings in the world, including the Sears Tower, which at 110 stories is the tallest in the U.S.

Chicago contains several outstanding museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago (1879-founded, one of USA's largest art museums), Du Sable Museum of African-American History (1961), Field Museum of Natural History (1893). In Hyde Park are the Museum of Science and Industry (1893) and the Oriental Institute (1919). In Lincoln Park are the Chicago Historical Society (1856) and the Chicago Academy of Sciences (1857). Also notable is the Museum of Contemporary Art (1967). The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1891, Orchestra Hall on South Michigan Ave) is considered one of the world's finest and one of the USA's Big Five orchestras - together with New York Philharmonic (1842), Boston Symphony Orchestra (1881), Philadelphia Orchestra (1900) and Cleveland Orchestra (1918).

Chicago Navy Pier

The Navy Pier of Chicago has an impressive length of1010 m (3300 ft). The pier is located on Lake Michigan's shoreline (in the city's neighborhood Streeterville). The Navy Pier area also encompasses over 0,2 km2 (0,08 mi2) of parks, gardens, shopping malls, bars and restaurants, family fun attractions, exhibit facilities. The pier is one of the city's best leisure destinations and its most visited tourist attraction, with 9+ million visitors annually.

Sightseeing tours are operated by local tour companies (Seadog Ventures), as well as water taxi services, coastal cruises and dinner cruises (by the ships Spirit of Chicago, Odyssey II, Mystic Blue).

Next are listed Chicago Navy Pier's top-rated tourist attractions.

The Navy Pier has fireworks shows scheduled on every Wednesday and Saturday night (during summer) and on every Saturday night (during autumn). It also hosts the themed events Winter Wonderfest (in December and January, sponsored by PNC Bank). The pier also has an indoor ice skating rink and the Festival Hall (dining and shopping center).

Outdoor attractions include the Light Tower Ride, Wave Swinger, Remote Control Boats, Ferris wheel, Carousel.

The Ferris Wheel was redesigned and opened in May 2016. The new DW60 model was purchased from Dutch Wheels (Holland-based company) to replace the old wheel. The new model is first (and only one) in the USA. There is a similar in design Ferris wheel in Hong Kong (China). Among its features are the 2-sided cars (allowing faster and easier loading / unloading), fortified structure (withstanding strong winds up to 115 mph / 185 kph), safety glass (withstanding heavy storms).

The Funhouse Maze is over 3762 m2 (4000 ft2) of tunnels and mazes).

Crystal Gardens is a botanical garden with a 6-story high glassed atrium (themed events facility)

Children's Museum has differently-themed exhibitions and fun activities for kids and adults.

An IMAX theater is another fun facility on the pier, as well as Shakespeare Theater (for Shakespeare's only theatrical productions).

Pepsi Skyline is a stage facility (1500 seats) hosting various live events (music, comedy acts, acrobatic shows, theatrical) in the summer and early fall.

At the Navy Pier (its far end) is permanently docked the USS Chicago ship (Baltimore-class heavy cruiser).

Navy Pier Chicago city bus lines are number 2 (Hyde Park Express), 29 (State), 65 (Grand), 66 (Chicago) and 124 (Navy Pier bus shuttle).

Illinois River

Illinois River is one of the Mississippi's principal tributaries and has length ~ 273 mi (439 km). Illinois River originates in Chicago (Lake Michigan), flowing to the southwest across Illinois and emptying into the Mississippi River near Grafton. In the 18th-19th-centuries, the Illinois River has always been an important trade waterway connecting the Mississippi with Lake Michigan (the Great Lakes). The river's importance for commercial shipping increased since the opening (in 1848) of the "Illinois and Michigan Canal" (length 96 mi / 154 km) connecting with the Chicago River and running between Chicago IL (Bridgeport neighborhood) and LaSalle IL. The Canal's transportation operations ceased in 1900 when was opened the "Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal"/aka Chicago Drainage Canal (length 28 mi / 45 km) connecting the rivers Chicago and Des Plaines. With the Chicago Drainage Canal (1907-extended), the Chicago River's flow was reversed (now out of Lake Michigan).

In 1933 was completed and opened of the Illinois Waterway (length 336 mi / 541 km) connecting Calumet River (Chicago) and the Illinois River (Grafton). The waterway has 8x locks, the upper/first one (T.J. O'Brien lock and dam in Chicago IL) is approx 7 mi / 11 km from Lake Michigan, while the lower/last one (LaGrange lock and dam in Beardstown IL) is 90 mi / 140 km from the Mississippi. The other 6 locks and dams are in the IL's towns Lockport (Lockport), Joliet (Brandon Road), Morris (Dresden Island), Marseilles (Marseilles), North Utica (Starved Rock) and Peoria (Peoria).

Chicago cruise terminal