Flying Over to Navy Pier
By Naperville Magazine
Appears in the December 2025 issue.
By Jeff Banowetz
Several new draws make this tourist magnet worth a seasonal visit
For most of us living in the Chicago area, Navy Pier (600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago) is a destination to take out-of-towners when they visit. That’s no surprise, as the pier is one of the top tourist attractions in the state. But if you haven’t visited in a while, you may not know it has several new attractions perfect not only for those new to Chicago, but the whole family with days off over the holidays.
This time of the year, the pier is best known for its Winter WonderFest, running from Dec. 4 to Jan. 4. The indoor attraction inside Navy Pier’s Festival Hall features holiday light displays, a 42-foot Christmas tree, and a wide variety of rides for all ages. The young ones will enjoy the kiddie train, bounce houses, slides, and electric bumper cars, while thrill-seekers can test their courage with the Cliffhanger or Zero Gravity carnival rides.
The festival also features food and drinks, live music and performances on the Winter Wonder Stage, and an indoor ice rink. A ticket to the festival also includes a ride on Navy Pier’s most famous landmark, the Centennial Ferris wheel, which features enclosed, climate-controlled gondolas that take you 200 feet up for an incredible skyline view.
The year-round attraction Flyover Chicago offers another way to see the city—one that wouldn’t be possible in the real world. At Flyover Chicago, riders sit in chairlift-like seats, but you don’t travel very far. Instead, you’re suspended in front of a giant video screen. The car’s movement is synchronized with the images on the screen, making you feel like you’re flying. Additional touches, like air movement from a fan and water mist, help create an unworldly adventure.
The first Flyover experience at Navy Pier was Believe Chicago, which opened with the attraction in 2024. It’s still running, and in it you’ll get an overview of the city from a bird’s-eye view, soaring over buildings and through neighborhoods. It’s an inspiring journey that offers both thrills and an appreciation of all that the city has to offer. This fall, Flyover opened its second experience, Call of the Canadian Rockies, which highlights the incredible natural environment in this part of the world. Join rock climbers and a near-vertical cliff, follow skiers down fresh powder and mirror a horseback rider racing across the terrain. It’s like you’re inside an IMAX movie.
The ride is great for all ages (children must be at least 40 inches tall), and while you have the feeling of movement, it’s not the same as an amusement park ride where you’re actually moving. Unless you’re extremely sensitive to motion sickness, you’ll enjoy the ride. (And if it does bother you, you can always close your eyes.)
The Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier is one of the area’s top attractions for the younger set. Kids can dig for dinosaur bones, play on a three-story ship, or dress up like a firefighter in the many exhibits that encourage play and imagination. There’s an art studio and maker space to explore, and the museum’s Peanuts exhibit, featuring characters and designs from Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip, runs through Jan. 4.
For adults, the Tony Award–winning Chicago Shakespeare Theater remains one of the city’s top destinations for live performances. Its production of Much Ado About Nothing runs through Dec. 21.
If you’ve ever wanted to try the sport of curling, Harry Caray’s location on Navy Pier features an outdoor curling rink at its lakefront patio. The rink, made of Polyglide synthetic ice, can be reserved for groups of up to eight people for 90 minutes for $100. Take a break inside a heated igloo where you can order food and craft cocktails. If curling isn’t your thing, the Lakefront Lodge at Harry Caray’s allows you to enjoy a cozy cabin atmosphere with incredible views of the city. You also can choose from seven other sit-down restaurants with locations at the pier, in addition to more than two dozen food stalls.
You’ll be well-fed for the Navy Pier’s free fireworks show, which returns for the holiday season every Saturday at 8 p.m.
Finally, while summer is typically when one takes advantage of a variety of boat rides from the pier, you still have a few options for exploring the lake this time of year. Most notable is the New Year’s Eve Signature Dinner Cruise, which offers an on-the-water party to kick off 2026. Enjoy dinner, dancing, skyline views, and a midnight fireworks show from the climate-controlled interior and open-air roof deck. Not a bad way to end the year—whether you’re from out of town or just a quick drive from the city.
Photos: Navy Pier; Flyover Chicago
