Many of the things to do in Streeterville center around Navy Pier including boat tours, theatre, the children’s museum, and twice a week fireworks displays in the summer.
Last updated: April 2022
Read More About Streeterville:
Best Restaurants in Streeterville
Where is Streeterville?
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Streeterville is located north of the Chicago River and borders River North and the Gold Coast.
How to Get to Streeterville:
The closest trains stops are the Chicago and Grand Red Line stops. Streeterville is a small neighborhood and is very walkable.
Parks and Outdoor Activities:
Navy Pier
Visiting Navy Pier is known for being one of the most popular things to do in Streeterville. Navy Pier is a long pier that goes out into Lake Michigan and there are many restaurants and activities located on the pier. On Wednesdays and Saturdays in the summer, fireworks can be viewed from the pier. Navy Pier also hosts outdoor film screenings, concerts, and other events. Plus, there is also a massive Ferris Wheel located on the pier.
Chicago River Boat Architectural Tours
These tours that take guests on a cruise down the Chicago River depart from a dock in Streeterville. In addition to the architecture tours, there are also jazz and cocktail cruises and fireworks cruises. The architecture tour is one of the most popular tourist activities in Chicago – add it to your must-do list.
Tall Ship Windy
This schooner gives sailing tours of Chicago. It’s great way to see the skyline from the lake and they do offer fireworks cruises too.
Lake Michigan Cruises
There are a variety of different cruises that depart from Navy Pier. There are dinner cruises, speedboat tours, private charters, and more.
Oak Street Beach
This beach along Lake Michigan is located between the Streeterville and Gold Coast neighborhoods. The beach has great views of the Chicago skyline and has a small cafe and volleyball courts.
Landmarks:
The Wrigley Building
This skyscraper with a clocktower located at 400-410 North Michigan Avenue was built in 1920 to house the Wrigley company’s headquarters. It’s one of the most architecturally beautiful buildings in Chicago. One of the best views of the Wrigley Building can be seen from the rooftop of LondonHouse.
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a big entertainment center located on a Lake Michigan pier in Streeterville. Highlights include the Chicago Children’s Museum, the Shakespeare Theater, a massive Ferris wheel, a carousel, and a beer garden. Navy Pier is home to many bars and restaurants and it’s also the starting point for many bike and boat tours.
The Hancock Tower
The Hancock Tower is located on the Magnificent Mile and is the fifth tallest building in Chicago. When it was constructed in the 1960s, it was the tallest building in the world.
The building’s viewing deck 360Chicago, provides a 360 degree views of Chicago. The space is home to Tilt, an experience where guests can experience tilting out over the streets below to get a unique view of the city below. Some people prefer to go to the top of the Hancock Tower instead of the Willis Tower so that they can enjoy the view of the Willis Tower.
Historic Water Tower
This white stone water tower that contained a large water pump survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The water tower is located on Michigan Avenue just north of Chicago Avenue, in the middle of the Mag Mile.
Museums:
Chicago Children’s Museum
Located on Navy Pier, this museum brings arts programs, STEM experiments, and imaginative play to children.
Museum of Contemporary Art
This museum has a collection that includes painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, installation, performance, and moving image and sound spanning from 1920 to today. In addition to their permanent collection, MCA hosts a wide range of traveling exhibitions – some of which are hugely popular and require purchasing tickets in advance.
The City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower
A small gallery that is located within the Historic Water Tower. Admission to the gallery is free.
Things to Do in Streeterville:
360 Chicago
The observation deck of the John Hancock Tower has some of the best views of Chicago. As the name suggests, you can see 360 degree views of Chicago including Lake Michigan, the skyline, and the Willis Tower (formerly called the Sears Tower).
Magnificent Mile Shopping
Located on the line between River North and Streeterville, the Magnificent Mile is a mile-long stretch of Michigan Avenue running from the Chicago River to Oak Street in the Gold Coast. This area is known for its upscale shopping and architecture. Both the Shops at North Bridge and the 900 North Michigan Shops are located on the Mag Mile, as are shops including Neiman Marcus, Saks, Burberry, Tiffany & Co., and Gucci. It’s also where you will find Chicago’s Starbucks Reserve, the largest Starbucks in the world. Many of Chicago’s finest hotels including The Peninsula, The Four Seasons, The Ritz-Carlton, the Park Hyatt, and The Drake are on this stretch of Michigan Avenue.
Gospel Brunch
A weekly Sunday event at the House of Blues that combines an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet with gospel music.
Music Venues:
House of Blues
Located in nearby River North, this concert that hosts a wide variety of concerts and events including tribute acts, emerging artists, and book tours. Note: they currently have a clear bag policy.
Theatre:
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Don’t be confused by the name of this theatre – it isn’t just Shakespeare works that they produce. This year, a musical version of The Notebook with music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson will premiere here. This theatre company produces plays and musical all year and features as many as 20 productions a year.
Comedy Clubs:
Comedians You Should Know
A weekly stand-up comedy showcase that takes place at 8 pm on Wednesdays at Timothy O’Toole’s Pub.
Chicago Comedy Club
The House of Blues hosts stand-up comedy at 7:30 pm every Thursday in their Foundation Room.
Annual Events In Streeterville:
Navy Pier has a large festival hall which hosts events throughout the year. You can find the Navy Pier event calendar here.
EXPO CHICAGO
A large contemporary art fair that takes place at Navy Pier. The three day event features 135 exhibitors. It will be taking place from April 7-10 in 2022.
Chicago Air and Water Show
Over two million people watch this two day show that features stunt pilots, military air crafts, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels or the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team. The event takes place August 20-21, 2022. Prime spots for watching the show are the Navy Pier, the beach, and nearby rooftops.
Winter Wonderfest
This indoor winter playground features an ice skating rink, an Arctic Express Train, a Candy Cane Lighthouse, a huge decorated tree, and of course, Santa. The event takes place throughout December.
Chicago Flower & Garden Show
This event isn’t returning for 2022, but will hopefully make a comeback in 2023.