Chicago lakefront and Navy Pier viewed from Ohio Street Beach.

Lakefront · Things to See

Navy Pier

Big lake views, bright nights and an easy walk into Chicago’s waterfront personality.

Navy Pier is at its best when you treat the lake as part of the experience. Walk the edge, look back toward the skyline and stay long enough to see how the scene changes as daylight gives way to city lights.

What makes it shine

Lake Michigan views

Skyline perspectives

Nighttime atmosphere

Explore the scene

Start with the wide view, then look for the details that give the place its character. Shining Cities is built around visual discovery: how a destination changes with your angle, the hour and the movement around it.

This page is part of a growing city guide. As new approved material is published through the Shining Cities ecosystem, galleries, video and related stories can be added here without changing the route structure.

Keep exploring Chicago

Marina City beside the Chicago Riverwalk.

Waterfront · Architecture

Chicago Riverwalk

Where Chicago’s architecture, bridges and river traffic become one moving city view.

ChicagoExplore
A colorful Pilsen mural featuring a stylized Chicago scene.

Neighborhoods · Art

Pilsen

Murals, color and street-level detail in one of Chicago’s most visually expressive neighborhoods.

ChicagoExplore