Chicago Waterfront
Chigaco stands on Lake Michigan, the only Great Lake wholly within the USA. Before the advent of railways, water was the most important form of transport, so its position on Lake Michigan made Chicago a major transportation hub. In 1848 the city was boosted by the completion of the Illinois and Michigan Canal connecting Chicago to LaSalle-Peru thereby opening a route between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. Port activities remained centred on the Chicago River until well into the 20th century. in 1921 the State Legislature passed the Lake Calumet Harbor Act authorizing the City to build a deep water port at Lake Calumet to the south of the city centre close to the border with Indiana. In the 1930s, port activities began to move from the Chicago waterfront to the Port of Chicago at Lake Calumet, where they remain to this day. The Chicago waterfront now mainly caters for recreation, leisure and tourism.
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Lake Michigan from John Hancock Center
The Willis Tower isn’t the only tall building in Chicago to have an observation deck. When it was topped out in 1968, the 344 metre (1,127 foot) high was the tallest building in the world outside of New York City. Now it is the 4th highest in Chicago. It is a mixed use building containing offices, shops, restaurants and residences. On the 94th floor of the 100 storey building is the John Hancock Observatory. Although the observatory is lower than the one in the Willis Tower, the John Hancock Center is close to the waterfront, so you get views along the shore of Lake Michigan. You can also look down on the downtown area known as ‘The Loop’. This picture shows the view north along the shore, with Oak Street Beach in the foreground and the hooked peninsula of North Avenue Beach further away.
Adler Planetarium
The best way to get a feel for the Chicago Waterfront is to go on a harbour cruise. On land you are too close to the skyscrapers, too far away from the lighthouse and you could easily miss interesting buildings such as this one. Jutting out into Lake Michigan on Northerly Island is the oldest planetarium in the USA, the Adler Planetarium. It was founded and built by philanthropist Max Adler. Designed by architect Ernest A. Grunsfeld, Jr. it opened to the public on May 12, 1930. The planetarium has been expanded since Adler’s day but the original building has been preserved as its centrepiece.
DLU130530
North Chicago from Oak Street Beach
In Europe a lake is something that, on a decent day, you can see right across. The Great Lakes are on a totally different scale - you can see only a flat horizon and their size allows them to become very rough at times. OK, they don’t have significant tides and the water is fresh, but otherwise you might as well be standing at the edge of one of the great oceans. Chicago may be over 1000 km (620 miles) from the sea, but it still has some pleasant beaches like Oak Street Beach to the north of the Downtown area.
Chicago Harbor Lighthouse & sailing ship
The size of the Lake Michigan also means that lighthouses are needed. The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse was built at the mouth of the Chicago River in 1893, then in 1917 it was moved to its present location at the end of the breakwater to mark the entrance to the harbour.
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© Mike Elsden 1981 - 2025
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