Best and most popular of the beaches on the South Side, lots of space and amenities. It also has a good view of the skyline. 31st Street Beach has a lot of history, both good and bad things. Has room for all kinds of activities and events. There's a beach house with bathrooms and concessions, and there's a picnic area and playground. Also known as Margaret T. Burroughs Beach. In 2015 there was a movement by public officials to rename it. This is the official name it seems. Most people still call it the old one. She was an artist, civic leader, historian, poet, and teacher. Also she founded The DuSable Museum Of African American History. The beach is within Burnham Park. In 1919 it was the site of what caused the race riots in the city. One of the African-American boys swimming accidentally went into the whites only section. The whites attacked him and he drowned, and in the aftermath there was chaos throughout. Has a lot of good features. It's pretty big and there's lots of room for partying or just hanging. There's also seeing the skyline and the views. read more

31st Street Beach - Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was my first time visiting 31st Street beach and we stopped by from 10:00-12:30 on a lovely, overcast Sunday, on Father's Day. The water and the sandy part of the beach were clean, but be careful as there is a lot of litter and trash in the grassy areas. Upsetting that visitors just dump their trash! There are bins provided. We had a great time and even scored cheap parking in the lot, just $6 for 4 hours! We enjoyed pallettas from the popsicle trolley. There are restrooms provided. A great day. read more

31st Street Beach - Lovely day on the beach! - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

03/22/21 - I stopped here this morning to try and catch the sunrise, unfortunately it was already slightly above the horizon. It was still gorgeous. I'm surprised that I don't have a review of this beach/harbor as this isn't the first time I've been here. Just another great spot to stop and take a few pictures along the lake, lounge on the beach or go out on the lake from the harbor. Easy access right off of Lake Shore Drive, the only problem is parking it's so dam expensive. I parked my car in the drop off area ran out & took a few photos of the sunrise before I got a ticket or towed. There is a nice beach area w/fantastic view of the Chicago Skyline to the north & a harbor (It's empty right now) to the south. There is parking by the hour or a flat rate on the weekends by the day. Further south there is a parking lot by permit for the boat owners to park in. read more

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So happy I was able to take part in Yacht Scene this weekend Basically yacht owners and there crew set off to cruise and then dock at designated meet point This particular yacht scene as both all owners from all diversities and areas far and near and have open big party on the water. You have the option to just float and cruise through or you can link up what other bolts and participants can go and visit and tour other boats. Also, people drop their floaties and float devices into the water and just relaxed and made lake Michigan. We even saw a proprietor who owned his own ice cream boat and was going from both to both selling ice cream which I thought was ingenious of him to have a hustle like that. On such a hot day and such large caliber events. It was well over a hundred yachts on the water I absolutely had a blast and was happy to participate since I tried to just rent a boat on my own and it's so difficult to come together . So I was able to link up with someone who owns their own Yacht and just be a guest read more

31st Street Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The places you find while cruising down the Lakefront Trail... Running out to here from my place in Streeterville is exactly 4 miles and possibly worth the trek if you're looking for a much less crowded beach. Not to mention the view of the Chicago skyline from the south were pretty epic. PROS: -Much less crowded than North Ave or Oak St beaches -Very clean -Nice views of Chicago from the south -A food shack which seems to be open in the summer -Restrooms -Free to visit CONS: -Couldn't find anything to complain about... maybe a bit out of the way to get to if ya don't have a car? Anyways, I'll definitely be trekkin' out next time I'm feeling a beach day. 'Til next time, cheers. 138/365 read more

31st Street Beach - So duh gloom-ay - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Music, bites/drinks, beach, beautiful people, dancing, Summertime Chi....seriously, what else do you need?! There's a different music genre every night. read more

My new favorite beach! It's way less crowded that any other other beach I've been to in Chicago. My friends always want to go to the beach to hang out & we're usually within inches of thousands of people, mostly drunk & obnoxiously loud. 31st Street Beach is such a welcome change & def where I'm going to suggest my friends go next time we need some rays. Parking is plentiful and located within steps of the beach for just a $1.25/hour. There is a food spot full of people hanging out & music playing. They look to have some nice paths for biking & walking. Docks are filled with boats with friendly owners abound BBQing & hanging out. Beautiful view of the city from Bronzeville! read more

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Good beach good food if you need a cab to pick u up 3101 s lake shore drive read more

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Always a great time! Great place to bring the family for all day fun. The Park is first class, your kids will love every minute. read more

31st Street Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Easily accessible from 290/90/94 and an exit to beach via Lake Shore Drive (South), near McCormick Place Convention Center. Ample metered parking (Park Mobile App) on the premises and additional parking approximately 1.5 blocks West of the beach. Parking areas fill very quickly on weekends and the rear of the West lot is reserved for private boat owners after 12pm. The beach is in good condition, most times, but careless visitors bring their poor behaviors with them. The beach has a cafe, which is a bit overpriced, IMO, but I can only imagine what the facility rental and City licenses are to operate a beachfront business. The cafe has a private (customers only) patio and offers bar service Thur-Sun until 10pm. Some days there are food and craft vendors, but you can pack a cooler, food basket, blankets, umbrella, tents and spend the day there. There are lifeguards and safety personnel on land (daily) and by boat (weekends). Beautiful waking and biking trails which stretch along the entire lakefront. The 31st street harbor is very clean, well-lit and houses private vessels via private access ways. Even if you aren't a boat owner, it's always fun to people watch and live vicariously through actual owners. read more

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Doesn't get better than this, hot sun, cool breeze, blue water, waves lapping at the shore. If it stayed like this I could stay here forever. I wouldn't even care if they towed the car away. Perfection. I prefer the area north of the beach, it's almost deserted due to all the amenities being beach side, food, drinks, and of course restrooms. In addition to the beach there is the harbor, we have a slip reserved now just need the boat. In the meantime Chicago Water Sports rentals has a location there, you can rent a Hobie kayak, paddle board or jet ski and get out on the water. I stopped today after some appointments, and stayed about an hour which was the best 1.75 I spent today for parking. Lucky for me this beach is an easy walk or bike ride from home. I will make it a point to stop here more often. read more

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Big ups to 31st Beach! Went for the first time and despite the afternoon showers, had a great time. There is a garage at the boat harbor that is adjacent to the beach and there is also metered parking nearby. The sand on the beach is a bit gravely but not ridiculously so. It wasn't packed either which is what drives me away from some of the beaches up north. If you come with a little one, there is this awesome futuristic playground near by and some water sprinklers to cool off in. I am definitely heading back with my fam and looking forward to it!!! read more

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This beach is cool. They have a restaurant and bar right on the sand. There's usually a DJ on the weekends. Last time I came by they actually had a spin class and a DJ right on the beach, how cool is that. They even have a splash park and playground for the kids. So it's ideal for a bday party for the youngins. There's also the Harbor here which has party rooms, a pool, a Artur ant and bar on the water. One of my favorite beaches in the city. read more

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I love this beach, glad to live not-too-far away from it. Parking can be a little crazy on a nice day, but it's only $1.75/hr before 9 p.m. and $0.75/hr after 9 p.m. (I don't really like that you have to pay no matter what time it is, but oh well) On Wednesdays, they have a bar and music of some sort out on the deck by the beach house. I'm not sure if they have it other nights, as I've only gone on Wednesdays. And if you go out on the pier, at 9:30 you get a nice, if distant, view of the fireworks at Navy Pier (Saturdays & Wednesdays at 9:30 from the last week in May-Labor Day) It's rather clean, except the bathrooms at the beach house are really disgusting. Very nice walking path. It goes from being stony cliffs to beach. The sand isn't super soft, it's kind of a fine gravel for the most part. read more

I look at 31st from a different perspective. I worked there for 6 years in a supervisory position before the new Beach house and the Marina that's there now. I have worked with some of the best lifeguards in the business. 31st wasn't pretty like it is now but we never lost one person on our watch. We didn't have a concession stand in the beach house, we had a food truck that would sell the best hot dogs and tamales in the parking lot when parking was free and on the south end of the beach. Good times, great crews, fantastic leadership. I have worked several different beach locations and would not trade any one of them for the world. But 31st was my favorite. read more

I'm from the Cleveland area, so of course I wasn't expecting TOOOOOO much from a Great Lakes beach. Beaches in Chicago though, whoa, what an upgrade!! This beach was clean and not overly packed full of people. Very family oriented. Parking was so cheap too! My only advice would be to pack and bring your own food, because there was only one concession stand that was over priced. I was hoping for some water front restaurants/diners, but there was nothing nearby. read more

31st Street Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

EXCELLENT BEACH!! Family friendly. Elevated grass area with shade runs right into the sandy beach. Though small, this beach is not crowded and is very clean. The surrounding area offers a shaded park with playground equipment and concession stand with attached restrooms. There is grilling allowed in the grassy area behind the kids playground with hot coal bins when you are done. Awesome views of the Chicago skyline and Navy Pier. Might be perfect to view fireworks from! There is plenty of parking. If you wait to long in the day to go you may have a bit of a hike to get the beach. You do have to pay to park. It is $1 per hour and you must pre-pay the meter and place the receipt on your dash. The parking meters take coins, cash and credit/debit cards! Easy on/off from Lake Shore Drive. From 55, take Lake Shore Drive south to Oak Brook Blvd. Double back on Lake Shore Drive north and exit 31st Street. Watch for the beach parking sign as soon as you exit. read more

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I love the beach and my family loves it even more. We started out at the dock of the marina watching boats and moved to the children's play area which was really unique. Lots of tension features, climbing features, with slides and swings as well as two water features. From there we went to the beach for sand throwing and people watching. It was a lovely day for the beach and the entire family loved the experience. I had not been to this beach before but it was just as good as every other beach in the city I've been to minus the crowding.. It was hard to find a bathroom you did not need a code for. (We never found one) Parking was $6 an hour. Pretty steep if you ask me! There are no free parking or metered parking options here. That's the one draw back. Even for something free like the beach the city has found a way to make you pay. -2 stars for that. Not so humbly submitted, King Michael C. read more

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This beach is one of the lesser known beaches (in comparison) in Chicago, and I love how it's a popular destination for families in the South Side. Now that it's October, there are less visitors but walking down LSD is still beautiful. In the summer, you can frequently see families barbecuing or swimming here. Words of advice: the water has a lot of seaweed here, so don't swim unless you don't mind that. Also, there are lifeguards on duty, and some of them actually go on a canoe to guard you in the water ! This "beach" features a skate park, dock areas, tree sculptures, and a newly renovated (in recent years) playground. The city was also working to put up an outdoor wildlife restoration area filled with plants. Divvy bikes are plentiful along the trail- I suggest grabbing a bike and going for a breezy ride along 31st beach and heading south, ending at Promontory Point. read more

I like this beach. It's quite big. Tons of parking. GREAT playground and splash pad. Reasonably clean. If they allowed boogie boards, this would be our go-to beach. read more

Nice day on the pier they have jet sking and paddle boys and kayak boats were relaxing alittle hard to paddle. Water is very cool read more

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I've been coming to 31st beach for a few years now.I use the Chicago beaches ALOOOOT.Im literally at the beach about 100 times a year.Even in the winter time.I'm an avid kayakfisherman and also workout up there.Im SERIOUS about my beaches.I ended up at 31st after Montrose started that no commercial vehicle law.And BOY,AM I GLAD!!!! Not to say anything bad about Montrose because I LOOOOVE MONTROSE.But 31st is just a 20 minute ride from my house and its just so convenient.Plenty of parking for CHEAP.And I can always go right next door and visit my buddies at Del Campo's Tacos just a short kayak trip away!!!! Love running the stairs @Mccormick Place!!!! Its just in such a GREAT SPOT.Right down the street from Henry's Bait Shop at 31st and Canal.Thank you,Chicago City Council for doing me a favor!!!! FEELING BLESSED!!!! Caught a MONSTAH BROWN TROUT TODAY!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!! read more

31st Street Beach - Monstah Brown trout caught at 31st!!!!! - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This isn't my favorite beach in the city, but it will definitely do. I brought my kiddos here on a sunny, but chilly April afternoon. The best part with kids is the playground. In the summer months this beach can get pretty busy but there is always space to set up your beach chairs. The cafe here is also nice as an option if you forget your picnic basket. read more

Probably the best beach along Chicago's Lake Michigan shoreline. Formerly, this beach was underfunded and under cared for. There was glass and other garbage everywhere in the sand, which was sad and obviously totally unsafe. Since the place was cleaned up, it's the most family friendly beach in the city! There's space for barbecuing and picnicking and there's always room on the beach to throw down your towel. The beach is clean and free of litter now and the water is super nice. There's also a nice pier that you can walk out onto to get a view of the Lake as well as the city to the north and south of the beach. And the view of the northside of Chicago is PHENOMENAL! We came here to watch the 3rd of July fireworks last year and we could see everything! Much better than trying to trudge all the way to Navy Pier and sit with annoying tourists. There's also two food stands that are open every day in the summer, which is convenient if you didn't bring any food for your picnic. The bike path is also excellent because you can take it all the way to the north shore or the south shore. The paths are well maintained and there are often runners/bikers/walkers out for a stroll on the great path by the water. By far my favorite beach in this beautiful city. It's never crowded (definitely not as crowded as North Ave. or Oak St.) and it's always beautiful. read more

31st is the best beach in Chicago to be perfectly honest. There's a full bar, and there's almost always music and a party atmosphere with either live bands or DJs. And given its location, it's much less overcrowded than anything you'll get up North. read more

Parking is ridiculous. I can go on and on about parking, but the one thing that really annoyed me was that with the help of a simple sign I could've saved 20 minutes. Coming over the bridge going East on 31st st, turn left, because that is where the parking is. DO NOT TURN RIGHT because that is harbor parking. The cute is cute, The renovations are nice, and the music at the little restaurant is great entertainment. Oh yeah, don't let me forget to mention that the showers to rinse sand off were completely flooded. YUCK! read more

Neat stroll along Lake Michigan. It is further south, and a bit further away from the hustle and bustle of Lake Shore Drive. If you want to avoid tourists and still get to enjoy a nice day next to Lake Michigan, then go here. You will have to pay for parking from 9 AM - 9 PM. On a clear day, you can see Indiana is a distance and you can see planes hovering over water and waiting to land at Ohare Airport. You can still see the Chicago skyline from this area but it's not as clear. If you want to capture the skyline, I would recommend going to the Museum Campus lakefront area. read more

A very scenic place and a great place for outdoor BBQ's. There's a skate park, the typical park with swings, and a concession stand. If you're a runner, running from where you parked to the Old McCormick place and back is 3miles. To Buckingham on the bike path and back is ~6.5miles. I minus one star because Parking use to be free. It's now a dollar for a hour. Yeah its cheaper than everywhere else and it's nothing compared to North Ave. But still.. It was Free.. read more

I'm an avid and ardent suppport of Chicago House music. Meaning I'm a true househead! On Saturday, June 8, 2019. The Chosen Few DJ were spinning. Of course, the crowd is normally comprised of beautiful black people ages 40 & older...we dance and enjoying music played by our beloved Chicago DJ's. Black people attending are willing to withstand the cold & wind to listen to the music of our hearts & souls. These group of black people loved to be in black spaces....loving black people. However, the black 30's something security guard standing at the front entrance of the patio was EXTREMELY RUDE, LACKED PROFESSIONAL MATURITY and very DECISIVE. He was blatantly trying to cause a disruption and toss around his authority. Its obvious, this guy is accustomed to being a security guard at the 20 & 30 something clubs in Chicago. You know the clubs I'm talking about. This crowd of people listening to House music are not of this caliber. In fact, we avoid those places. Please have an older & matured person securing the premises. Educate him on how to conduct himself properly. read more

One of my favorite beaches to go to! Clean and pretty good amount of space for parking. Went here recently for a waterfront/boat show at the Harbor and had a great time. The band that was playing did a great job and I will be looking into a boat rental. read more

31st Street Beach - Boat life #31stharbour - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

31st Street beach is not just a beach anymore. It has been completely redone. The beach is still there but now there is 31st Street Harbor and Playground. There is an underground parking lot, a boating store that has refreshments, plenty of tables and chairs and an amazing new park for the kids. The ground at the playground is all rubber and the slides are great. What a wonderful new place to watch the boats and hang out with the kids! read more

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It's Beach Time! Break out the booze, bikini's and sun tan lotion! Just Kidding. Who am I kidding, sun tan lotion are for L.O.S.E.R.S.... Cancer is where it's at kiddies!.... JK But regardless, this beach is pretty spacious and desolate at certain times. Not a lot of people know about this beach so it's a plus that there is no people crowding. I hate it when people are around my personal space. "If you are within a hand's reach, you're in my personal space, now step off!" Notes---There is also a long wharf that couples go to make-out in. Since it is far away it is the perfect spot. But not too far where normal can't make out shapes. No hanky panky for your information. I'm not advocating this.... ---The beach may be hard on your feet. The beach felt man-made because of all the large stones imbedded into the sand. Overall- Great Beach, Now where is my SPF -15.... Yes, I said Negative.....15 read more

I love this beach! Quick drive from my apartment, 100x less crowded than the North Side beaches, decent bathrooms, bike paths, concessions/alcohol available (though you know what the prices are like), working outdoor shower, playground/skate park, great views of the city skyline, and a boat marina. Closer parking along the beach is $2/hr from 9 am - 9 pm and $1/hr from 9 pm - 9 am, 24/7. You can also park a couple of blocks away at 31st/Cottage Grove for free and walk over. The grassy area is full of families with tents/canopies and grills, set up for the long haul to really spend the whole day there, celebrating birthdays/Father's Day/it finally being summer in Chicago. You can smell everyone's bbq's as the smoke wafts through the air (barrels for hot coals only are provided in several locations). The scorching-hot sand is for the sunbathers and swimmers, kite-flyers and frisbee throwers. The ice cream men drag their carts along the beach, ringing the bells. Several lifeguards either stand at the water's edge or watch from a rowboat in the water, spread out along the shoreline, calling swimmers in closer. The water is clear enough to see some fish swimming about, and a refreshing temperature several weeks into the warm weather. My #1 go-to for a beautiful day now! read more

Chicago has many beaches! But I personally like this beach above all. You get so much privacy ;) ! Yes you heard it right! Because as summer hits all the beaches are full and over crowded. And I am a kind of person who don't like a-lot of people around me when I am relaxing. I visit to 31st beach and harbor almost 3days a week in summer. And it so good! Clean beach!! This beach has the on duty coast guards so we don't need to worry about the kids and ourself as well when enjoying the Lake Michigan. I often visit it with my in laws and they enjoy it here more too then any other beach. The little deck serves beer and cocktails on weekends with music and lights! Perfect for summer weekends ! There is a place area for kids and sitting area for different ages followed by landscape and trials and even picnic spots in bushes near McCormick building. Truly recommend!! read more

I love this beach. So clean, never packed, and a good crowd of people. No rif raf. There is plenty of parking, a marina to scope out boats, very clean bathrooms, and a brad new jungle gym for the kids. Its super nice that you can grill out on the grass with plenty of shade from the trees, or go plop in the sand, which there is ample of it. Plenty of room for Frisbee. This is my beach for sure. Great for picnics, family, or too just chill and disappear read more

We're gonna do pros and cons with this one: Pros: 1- Not too crowded, so you actually have some space for your blankets, towels, etc and are not laying on top of each other. 2- The parking is cheaper than at other beaches...$1 per hour. 3- There is a lot of grassy space to bbq if you'd like 4- There was actually parking, but good luck after 11. 5-The sand that doesn't get as hot as at other beaches. Cons: 1- Not that soft of sand, can't really make a sand castle and it kinda hurts when it's windy. 2- There was a substantial amount of garbage on the pier when I went. Possibly b/c it was 4th of July weekend tho. 3- The water was freezing. -I like this beach in general and plan to return. I can get real claustrophobic and annoyed with too many people, so this beach is perfect for me. I just wish the sand was softer :( Def check this beach out if you haven't been here before, but be sure to get here before 11am if you're driving. read more

Let me start off by saying the atmosphere was great. Lively, nice, good mix of people. I would come back for the field house area for drinks and food. But I would NOT return for the beach itself. My kids & I normally go to 63rd street beach, I wanted to try something different. My 4 yr old daughter's first step into the sand area she says, "mommy, this sand hurts". And it DID!! I spoke with the lifeguard, asking him what's up with the rocky hard sand, he said it was man-made sand. He told me Oak street, North Avenue and 63rd have real sand. Also, the shore line drops off fast to chest - deep quickly. You could drown easily here. Parking was horrible. Did not get a space, had to pay $20 for the Marina boaters lot, and had to walk with small children back toward beach read more

My first time to this beach...I thought it was just 'So So' I wish Chicago Lakefront can have more options of food instead of just hamburgers and hotdogs. The parking here is really quite something. If you lose your parking ticket it cost $60. Yes...$60. That is more than your full day of parking your car here. I called the Park District and the 31 street beach admin and they never returned my call. They are such crooks to make a rate as such and with no response when contacting them. So after a full afternoon here with lunch and parking fees, snacks....yes...it was a $100 dollar day just for a beach. read more

This beach was a lot better in summer 2009, when the sand didn't suck. Now the sand it pretty much gravel. Compared to north side beaches, the sand is just awful and not really sand at all. Definitely takes away from the beach experience. It does have a nice view of the skyline and is easy to get to off of LSD, but the parking lot is usually full and now you have to pay for parking. I would recommend skipping this gravel pit and going to one of the north side beaches like Hollywood, Hartigan or Loyola. read more

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the beach is beautiful, very clean and a lot of security read more

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