Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!

Navy Pier stretches along Chicago’s Lake Michigan shoreline and extends 3,300 feet into the water. The pier covers 50 acres and features attractions, restaurants, and entertainment. As the Midwest’s top leisure destination, it earned a spot on our Chicago weekend itinerary.

The pier opened in 1916 as Municipal Pier and served many roles over the years. It functioned as a freight dock and hosted large public expositions. During World War I, it even housed draft dodgers as a temporary prison. In 1927, the city renamed it Navy Pier to honor U.S. Navy veterans.

During World War II, the Navy converted the pier into a training center. It included living quarters, shops, a theater, dining facilities, and a hospital. After the war, the University of Illinois used the space as a campus until it outgrew the pier.

By 1989, the pier had fallen into disuse and showed serious signs of decay. The city formed a redevelopment committee to save the structure. Navy Pier reopened in 1995 as a modern retail and entertainment destination. When we visited, the pier was undergoing another transformation in preparation for its 2016 centennial.

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Location: 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, Illinois
Designation: National Register of Historic Places
Date designated/established: September 13, 1979
Date of my visit: May 23, 2015