Located on Lake Michigan just east of Chicago’s downtown, Navy Pier is the state’s most popular attraction. A landmark since 1916, Navy Pier has been serving small and mid-sized conventions and trade shows since its re-opening in 1995 as a world-class recreation and exposition center.
Festival Hall offers more than 170,000 square feet of exhibit space, with 60-foot vaulted ceilings enhancing the exhibit areas. Located on a mezzanine level overlooking the exhibition floor, nearly 44,000 square feet of meeting rooms, divisible into as many as 36 separate meeting areas, surround Festival Hall. The ratio of meeting space to exhibition space provides tremendous flexibility for any show or event.
In addition, a magnificent 18,150 square foot Grand Ballroom located at the east end of the Pier, continues to serve banquet, performance and special exhibit needs---its purpose since 1916. Offering panoramic views of Lake Michigan, the Grand Ballroom also boasts an exquisite 80-foot domed ceiling.
Navy Pier also features a 1,500-seat, open-air theater called Skyline Stage, which hosts concerts, plays, and other events throughout the summer season. The theater’s steel frame and white Teflon-coated fiberglass roof structure is a unique addition to the city’s skyline.
Navy Pier is also home to the Chicago Children’s Museum, a Family Pavilion with specialty shops, a 3-D IMAX Theater, the magnificent Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, several themed restaurants, the Crystal Gardens (a giant indoor botanical park), a 15-story Ferris wheel, a musical carousel, the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, and many cruise and sightseeing ships. In addition, Navy Pier boasts several restaurants to suit every taste including Riva, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. & Market, Billy Goat Tavern, Dock Street Café, and Joe’s Be-Bop Café & Jazz Emporium.
Navy Pier’s newest attractions include the Cliff Climb, Navy Pier Big Bounce trampoline, and Build-A-Bear Workshop. Other attractions include the Wave Swinger ride, the Links at Navy Pier (an 18-hole miniature golf course), Amazing Chicago (a 15-minute virtual reality ride/mirror maze), and the 3-D ride Time Escape.
In 2002, Navy Pier attracted more than eight million visitors. It is within blocks of museums, parks, shops, corporate offices and more than 18,000 hotel rooms. The Pier is easily accessible by charter buses, taxis, public transit and automobiles, with enclosed on-Pier parking available. Free trolley buses also operate between the Pier and State Street.