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Traveling to Navy Pier? Don’t fret – it’s really an accessible Chicago landmark. We have some recommendations for you in regards to Navy Pier Parking, directions and transportation. Read our guide and be at peace knowing the ins and outs of the Navy Pier!

Directions to Navy Pier & Parking at Navy Pier:

Navy Pier Address: 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Getting to Navy Pier can be intimidating, but it’s actually very easy. Whether you’re driving and parking, traveling on the CTA, renting a Divvy, taking advantage of Navy Pier’s free trolley service, or taking the Shoreline Water Taxi, the Pier is easily accessible from all areas of the city.

Driving Directions to Navy Pier

When you’ve got things to do at Navy Pier, sometimes you want to drive so you can have a bit more freedom or check out other major Chicago attractions. We’re happy to say that driving to Navy Pier really isn’t that tough! (Just try to work around rush hour traffic and you’ll be good – generally 3-6pm on weekdays).

  • From the north, take Lake Shore Drive (US 41) to the Grand Avenue exit and follow to Navy Pier.
  • From the northwest, take the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) to the Ohio Street Exit, head east on Ohio to Wells, head south on Wells to Illinois Street, then proceed east to Navy Pier. OR you could take the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) to the Ohio Street exit, head east on Ohio to Columbus/Fairbanks, then go south on Columbus/Fairbanks to Illinois, and proceed east on Illinois to Navy Pier.
  • From the west, take the Eisenhower Express (I-290) to Columbus Drive, north to Illinois Street and proceed east to Navy Pier.
  • From the southwest, take the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) to Lake Shore Drive (US 41) north to Illinois Street exit and turn right (east) at Grand Avenue to Navy Pier Parking.
  • From the south, take the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) east to the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) to Lake Shore Drive (US 41) north to Illinois Street exit and turn right (east) at Grand Avenue to Navy Pier Parking.
  • From the southeast, take Lake Shore Drive (US 41) north to Illinois Street exit.

Onsite Parking:

Options for onsite parking at Navy Pier are bountiful and easy to find (unless it’s a major holiday or event then it gets a bit dicey). There are two onsite parking garages, West Garage and East Garage, connected directly to the Pier. The standard 24 hour parking rate for the summer season is normally $30.
Looking for more affordable parking and don’t mind walking a few blocks? See the offsite Navy Pier parking options below.
Offsite Parking:
Navy Pier partners with three off-site parking garages that are awesome enough to offer discounted parking for $15 when validated at Navy Pier’s Guest Services desk*. Grand Plaza Park (540 N. State), Ogden Plaza Self Park (300 E. North Water Street) and Millennium Park Garage (5 S. Columbus Dr.) are within walking distance to Navy Pier and are also serviced by the Navy Pier Trolley (see below) seasonally. During high summer season it may be quicker and less crowded if you walk.
*Important Offsite Parking Information: Do not pay in advance for parking near Navy Pier. Present your parking ticket at the Navy Pier Guest Services desk for validation to receive the $15 discounted Navy Pier parking rate. This is only valid for 12 hours of parking vs the 24 hours if you park onsite at Navy Pier.*

The Navy Pier Trolley

Navy Pier’s Free Trolley is a great service provided by the landmark however, it is only seasonal. Be sure to check the schedule before you become reliant on the service.

April 1 – May 28:
  • Saturday: 10am – 10pm
  • Sunday: 10am – 8pm
June 1 – Sept 2:
  • Sunday – Thursday 10am – 10pm
  • Friday and Saturday: 10am – Midnight
If you are considering purchasing a hop-on-hop-off bus ticket to transport you around Chicago, keep in mind that the Big Bus Company has a stop at the Navy Pier and a 2-day ticket to ride their double-decker buses is included with the Go Chicago Card.

Water Taxi

We recommend taking the Water Taxi to get to Navy Pier, as it gives you a unique view of the Chicago  river, skyline and the pier itself. There are two route options that Shoreline Water Taxi offers:

The River Route

  • Serves Navy Pier Polk Bros Park, Michigan Avenue and Willis (Sears) Tower/Union Station.

The Lake Route

  • This route connecting Navy Pier Dock Street with the Museum Campus (Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Adler Planetarium) offers impressive views of the skyline and is walking distance to Soldier Field and Northerly Island.
Learn more about Shoreline Water Taxi on their Shoreline Sightseeing website. https://shorelinesightseeing.com/tours-taxis/taxis/

Take the CTA To Navy Pier

Don’t be scared of the CTA! Chicago’s CTA routes offer amazing coverage of the city and is a great way to get to Navy Pier. And if you’re coming from the Chicago Suburbs, Metra commuter rail is a convenient travel alternative and allows you to easily transfer to several CTA vehicles.
Take Metra and then transfer to CTA buses to come directly to Navy Pier. Use CTA bus #124 from Union/Ogilvie Stations and Millennium Station and CTA bus #29 from LaSalle Street Station and Millennium Station. Visit www.rtachicago.com to plan your trip.
The CTA provides five bus lines serving Navy Pier daily. These are #29 State, #65 Grand, #66 Chicago, #124 Navy Pier (serving Metra lines from Millennium Station, Ogilvie and Union Stations) and #2 Hyde Park Express (during weekday morning and evening rush hours only). All buses are equipped with bike racks and are ADA accessible. For more information, call the CTA at 1-888-968-7282or visit www.transitchicago.com to get more information about Navy Pier directions.
Rent a Divvy
Divvy is Chicago’s famous bike share program, its a fun and active way to navigate the city and an easy way to navigate to Navy Pier. Chicago has a large community of bike commuters and is a popular city for this form of transportation. As Divvy’s website says, “it’s faster than walking, cheaper than a ride share and more fun than the train.” We have to agree. Rental for a whole day is just $15, if you’re making a bunch of shorter trips, this is perfect. Learn more about how Divvy works today.

Navy Pier Hours:

Navy Pier is open every day of the week at 10am. The Pier’s closing hours do fluctuate.
Friday-Sunday: 10am – 10pm
Monday-Thursday: 10am – 8pm*Navy Pier is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Navy Pier Admission Prices:

Unlike many other Chicago Attractions (SkyDeck, Wrigley Field, Sears Tower) there is no admission fee to enter Navy Pier. However, please be aware that events, concerts, shows and attractions within Navy Pier may have admission or ticket prices. There are a wide range of things to do at Navy Pier and attractions available. If you’re looking for ideas on tours to take or things to do at Navy Pier, read our full list of Navy Pier Activities.
*navigate to navy pier, parking navy pier, directions to navy pier
If you are considering purchasing a hop-on-hop-off bus ticket to transport you around Chicago, keep in mind that the Big Bus Company has a stop at the Navy Pier and a 2-day ticket to ride their double-decker buses is included with the Go Chicago Card. If you must drive, you can find and reserve parking in advance by using Parking Panda, SpotHero or ParkWhiz. https://www.parkwhiz.com/p/chicago-parking/map/
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