Chicago's lakefront remains closed to the public as the city enters Phase 3 of its reopening plan, but there's one exception to that rule: Navy Pier. The tourist attraction that juts out into Lake Michigan will begin a phased reopening on Wednesday, June 10, with Polk Bros Park, the Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion, outdoor restaurants and the Pier's various docks welcoming guests once again (you can even score free parking in the Navy Pier garage). Indoor attractions like the Chicago Children’s Museum, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Navy Pier IMAX will remain closed, along with the Centennial Wheel and the Miller Lite Beer Garden.
Keeping in line with the city's guidelines for "cautiously reopening," Navy Pier will sport a long list of new safety measures designed to keep guests safe and distanced during their visits. Surfaces will be cleaned frequently, hand sanitizer dispensers and plexiglass dividers will be a common sight, employees will be wearing face coverings and Social Distancing Ambassadors will be patrolling the area, ensuring that guests are wearing a face covering (it's required) and staying 6 feet apart from other groups.
Among the restaurants reopening for outdoor dining are the gigantic Offshore Rooftop & Bar patio, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Billy Goat Tavern, Margaritaville and Rainbow Cone. Many boat tours are also resuming with various new safety guidelines and limited capacity, including Mystic Blue, Seadog, Odyssey, Shoreline Sightseeing and Tall Ship Windy.
With fewer people vacationing this summer (a survey conducted in April by ValuePenguin found that nearly half of Americans had canceled summer travel) Navy Pier isn't likely to be swamped with as many people as usual. Only time will tell if locals, cut off from the lakefront and starved for some time by the water, will flock to the Pier instead of all the other restaurants offering outdoor dining throughout Chicago.
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