Chicago’s skyline looking back from Navy Pier. Photo: Matt Kieffer / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

If you’re taking a visitor to Navy Pier, give yourself time to walk toward the far end. On the way out, the lake is the draw. On the way back, turn toward the city and watch how the skyline changes as you get closer to shore. It’s a simple outing, and it gives you two very different views on the same walk.

If you’re bringing someone who’d rather keep the walk short, pick one spot along the pier to stop and take in the view together. The best visit is the one nobody feels rushed through.

Navy Pier hours and admission

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