Information
Landmark: Northerly IslandCity: Chicago
Country: USA Illinois
Continent: North America
Northerly Island, Chicago, USA Illinois, North America
Overview
Northerly Island, a 119-acre man-made peninsula, stretches along Chicago’s Lake Michigan shore just south of downtown, where waves slap gently against the rocks.Part of Chicago’s Museum Campus, it’s a one-of-a-kind urban park where restored prairie meets walking trails, outdoor art, and sweeping views of the skyline and shimmering lake.In the 1920s, as part of Daniel Burnham’s sweeping 1909 Plan of Chicago, Northerly Island was imagined as the city’s green lungs-a stretch of open space where fresh lake air could cut through the noise and grit of downtown.In 1933 and 1934, it welcomed the Century of Progress International Exposition, where bright banners snapped in the wind.From 1948 to 2003, Meigs Field sat here-a single-runway airport where private jets and business planes lifted off over the shimmer of Lake Michigan.When Meigs Field suddenly shut down amid controversy in 2003, the island quickly began its transformation into a public park filled with native plants, open trails, and spaces for people to explore and unwind.Natural Environment and Trails at Northerly Island offers a restored landscape of native prairie, quiet savanna, and shimmering wetlands, all designed to bring back rich biodiversity.The six-acre pond links to Lake Michigan, its calm surface rippling with the splash of fish and the wingbeats of migratory birds, drawing wildlife-and birdwatchers-from all around.Visitors can wander the island on a smooth, multi-use paved trail that winds in a 1.3-mile loop, passing shaded benches and open water views.People come here to walk, jog, ride their bikes, or pause to watch a squirrel dart across the trail.From several overlooks and quiet scenic spots, you can take in sweeping views of Lake Michigan’s blue waves, the glittering Chicago skyline, and the nearby Museum Campus.The old Meigs Field terminal now serves as the Northerly Island Visitor Center, tucked at 1521 S., where the brick still carries the scent of lake air.Linn White Drive, where the pavement runs smooth beside the river.After a late-2023 fire, crews spent 18 months restoring the Visitor Center, sanding charred beams and repainting walls, before it reopened in April 2025.Now you’ll find public restrooms, a shaded shelter, colorful educational displays, and nature programs you can join.At the Visitor Center, you can dive into the island’s story-its past, its wildlife, and the work still being done to protect it-while maps rustle and the scent of salt drifts in from the shore.At the northern tip of Northerly Island, the Huntington Bank Pavilion stretches out under the open sky, a breezy amphitheater where music and crowds fill the warm summer nights.The pavilion can hold around 30,000 people, enough to pack the lawn with music fans and make it one of Chicago’s biggest outdoor venues.From the lawn, you can see the glittering city skyline and the deep blue stretch of Lake Michigan, a backdrop that makes the concert feel unforgettable.At the island’s southern tip, 12th Street Beach offers a calm stretch of sand beside the lake, where in the heat of summer people swim, bask in the sun, and linger over picnic lunches.Just off the island’s northeastern tip sits the Adler Planetarium, America’s first, where visitors explore astronomy exhibits and watch dazzling sky shows.The island has shady benches, grassy picnic spots, and wide open stretches where visitors can relax and take in the view.You can visit the park any day from dawn until dusk, and it’s just minutes from the city center-quiet enough to hear the wind in the trees.You can visit the center Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but the doors stay locked on weekends.You can reach Northerly Island on foot, by bike, or by car, with parking just steps away and transit stops within a short walk.On the island, city folks and visitors can wander through quiet trails, join in local traditions, and relax by the sparkling lake-all in one rare, scenic spot.Northerly Island shines as a green haven in the city, blending Chicago’s rich history with a commitment to sustainability and the simple pleasure of walking its breezy lakefront paths.With its revived wetlands, easy-to-walk paths, lively cultural spots, and sweeping views where the lake shimmers in the sun, it’s a place nature lovers, families, music fans, and anyone craving a quiet break on Chicago’s shoreline won’t want to miss.
