chicago vacation

A Chicago vacation just isn’t complete without a visit to the Navy Pier, the city’s most visited attraction and a major Chicago landmark since its opening in 1916. Originally conceived as both an entertainment facility and a working dock on Lakes Michigan, the Pier has also served as a military training site and a venue for concerts and exhibitions. Now Navy Pier offers a collection of shops, restaurants, and attractions that are fun for the entire family.  When you stay at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort all of the top Chicago vacation tourist attractions are nearby.

The main attractions at the Navy Pier’s Family Pavilion make a Chicago vacation great for the whole family with their 50,000 square foot Chicago Children’s Museum and the 440 seat Imax Theater. The Pavilion also offers 40,000 square feet of restaurants and retail shops. Just past the Pavilion you’ll find the Crystal Gardens, a 32,000 square foot indoor botanical park. The South Arcade houses shops, restaurants, and attractions like Time Escape, Amazing Chicago, and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

The Navy Pier Park has an amusement park area with rides, an 18-hole miniature gold course, a midway, and the 1,500 seat Skyline Stage. Don’t miss the incredible views of the skyline and Lakes Michigan from atop the 150 foot permanent Ferris wheel. The Dock Street area of the Pier runs the entire length of the South Dock and is reserved for pedestrians, bikers, and jobbers. Four performance areas allow entertainers from jugglers to comedians to musicians to ply their trade, and on summer evenings visitors can enjoy fireworks from barges off the Dock.

Festival Hall offers 170,000 square feet of exhibition space for traveling exhibits, and also houses the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows. The museum has a permanent display of over 150 stained glass windows in a series of galleries on the lower terraces of the hall.

In addition to the Navy Pier be sure to visit the Sears Tower, Six flags and the world famous museums.   And, of course save time to enjoy the highlight of your Chicago vacation and that is a stay at home day when you stay at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort.  Take a day for golf, spa, dining and the Kids area at the beautiful Hilton Indian Lakes Resort.