Best Free Routes In Chicago Near Me

4worldlovers: Navy Pier is where you go in Chicago for events, free public programs, attractions, culture, dining, shopping and more. It’s where fun lives large, whether you’re a visitor or local, with family or friends.

As a nonprofit organization, the People’s Pier offers a diverse and eclectic range of activities and experiences that ignite the imagination, stimulate the senses and allow your spirit to soar. It’s no surprise it’s a place that continues to inspire discovery and wonder after more than a century. Find out what it has to inspire you…

4worldlovers:
Proudly referred to as "Chicago's Front Yard," Grant Park totals 312.98 acres and is a public park located in Chicago’s central business district in the Loop Community area. Grant Park’s most notable features include Maggie Daley Park, Buckingham Fountain, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum Campus.


A city centerpiece much like New York’s Central Park, Grant Park is home to some of Chicago's most iconic landmarks and attractions. The park includes Museum Campus, the site of world-class museums the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. Grant Park's centerpiece is the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain, built in 1927 to provide a monumental focal point while protecting the park's breathtaking lakefront views.


Grant Park is also home to baseball diamonds, tennis courts and breathtaking gardens. The park plays host to some the city's largest food and music festivals, including The Taste of Chicago — a large food and music festival held around the Independence Day holiday — and The Grant Park Music Festival. Grant Park is also the site of the start and finish lines for the Chicago Marathon and Lollapalooza, a popular outdoor music festival.


Grant Park has been the site of many large, historic civic events. In 1911, it hosted the major Chicago International Aviation Meet. In 1968, it was the scene of clashes between Chicago Police and demonstrators during the Democratic National Convention. In 1979, Pope John Paul II delivered an outdoor mass to a large crowd in the par,k, and in the 1990s, championship celebrations for the Chicago Bulls were staged here. The park was also the location for President Barack Obama's Election Day victory speech on the night of November 4, 2008.


Named for U.S. President and Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant, Grant Park was developed as one of Chicago's first parks and expanded through land reclamation. The park was the focus of several disputes in the late 1800s and early 1900s over open space use. It is bordered on the north by Randolph Street, on the south by Roosevelt Road, on the west by Michigan Avenue and on the east by Lake Michigan.


Grant Park offers many different attractions in its large open space. The park is generally flat. It is crossed by large boulevards and pedestrian bridges are used to connect Millennium Park and Maggie Daley so that patrons may cross S. Columbus Drive with ease. There are also several parking garages underneath the park, near Michigan Avenue.


The former Daley Bicentennial Plaza site was transformed into a magnificent Lakefront recreation center now called Maggie Daley Park. The park features an ice skating ribbon, a fieldhouse, a massive playground apparatus and a climbing wall. The Skating Ribbon at Maggie Daley provides a skating experience unlike any other. With the City’s skyline as a backdrop, park patrons can skate along a ribbon of ice integrated into the landscape for a multisensory, “alpine in the city” experience. The ribbon's winding path provides twice the length of a lap around a traditional skating rink. Complementing the ribbon are places to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, rent skates and scale the climbing wall. In the summertime, the ribbon is used for roller-skating and scooters, gallery exhibitions and special events.

The Field House in Maggie Daley Park is the central hub for indoor and outdoor programming throughout the seasons. Traditional Chicago Park District programming such as Day Camps is offered, as well as specialized activities that utilize the new park features, including the climbing park and skating ribbon. Some rental spaces are available in the field house for special events.

The center piece of Grant Park is Buckingham Fountain, one of the world's largest fountains. The fountain, built in a rococo wedding cake style, was dedicated in 1927 as a gift to the city from Kate Sturges Buckingham in memory of her brother Clarence. The fountain operates seasonally, generally from May to October, with water displays every 20 minutes and a light and water display from 9:00-10:00 p.m.

Congress Plaza is located in the center of Grant Park on its west side. The two semicircular plazas, created by East Congress Plaza Drive and bisected by East Congress Parkway, contain gardens, fountains and artwork, including the large bronze warrior statues, "The Bowman" and "The Spearman" that are positioned like gatekeepers to the park.

4worldlovers:
Millennium Park offers a variety of free events and exhibits that are sure to please the entire family.


Four Chicago nonprofit organizations will present free public programming as part of Millennium Park’s robust summer season.


Learn more about the Park's stunning architecture, sculpture and landscape design.


Discover Millennium Park's transformation from an industrial corridor to a world-renowned urban park.


Help DCASE at MiIllennium Park, Chicago Cultural Center, Clarke-Ford House and more.


Learn about Millennium Park’s unique spaces available for corporate, social and other special events.


Our events provide turn-key marketing platforms that can meet any marketing goal.


Request media credentials, download photos and videos – and view current news releases.


Welcome Center, open 9am-5pm (open until the end of the performance on event nights)


Nearby parking garages are located at Grant Park North Garage (25 N Michigan Ave), Grant Park South Garage (325 S. Michigan Ave.) and Millennium Park Garage & Millennium Lakeside Garage (5 S. Columbus Dr.).


Pay in person at each garage location or pre-pay online. Visit millenniumgarages.com or call 312.616.0600 for 24/7 customer service.


From the elevated lines: exit at Washington/Wabash and walk east.


From the subway: exit at Lake (Red Line) or Washington (Blue Line) and walk east.