Navy Pier

The Chicago Children’s Museum calls Navy Pier home as does an IMAX theater, dozens of shops and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.

During fair-weather months, the marine traffic is mesmerizing; the pier offers everything from multi-mast tallship rides to hair-mussing speedboat frolics and slow-moving dinner cruises. There are rides on land, too, including the giant Ferris wheel that has become a familiar and beloved addition to the city’s skyline.