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    Northerly Island Park

    3.5 (96 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Northerly Island Park Photos

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    Brynn P.

    This is a great space to see a summer outdoor concert! The views are gorgeous and there isn't a bad seat at all. Honestly the 300 sections are the best!! Well this is a beautiful view and the sound system is great, there are a few cons. Unfortunately leaving the venue sucks. You need to walk at least 20/30 min to be able to get an Uber. If you want to park there, it's an extra $40. The drinks are very expensive as well. You are looking at about $30 for one cocktail. If you drink and eat before hand though, you'll have a wonderful time. I do recommend going back and I will be before the summer ends!

    The famous heartwood sculpture
    Padma A.

    Love my town another nice outdoor space in the city of Chicago. The park district is located here and some music concerts happen the entire summer. I love the beautiful wildflowers and access to lake after parking at the 12th street beach.

    View of the park in the morning
    Robert S.

    Every time I visit my friend Kevin in Chicago, I go to this park for morning walks...His condo, on 18th and S Prairie is just steps away from the park and it's an easy walk. I am a morning person, so my experience with the park is related to walking and strolling around....not been there for concerts or any events... The views are beautiful and peaceful. Very clean and well kept park. Northerly Island is actually a 91-acre man-made peninsula along Chicago's Lake Michigan lakefront. The site of the Adler Planetarium, Northerly Island connects to the mainland through a narrow isthmus along Solidarity Drive. This street is dominated by Neoclassical sculptures of Tadeusz Kościuszko, Karel Havlíček Borovský and Copernicus. With the demolition of Meigs Field Airport, Northerly Island is now a part of the Museum Campus and has been converted into parkland. A semi-temporary concert venue, the Huntington Bank Pavilion, occupies part of the site of the former airport.

    Jason Mraz 2021
    Brie G.

    We came out twice last summer for concerts - Jason Mraz and Greta Van Fleet. Two VERY different experiences. If you're coming to a more chill show like the one for my main man Jason Mraz, you're likely going to have a really great time. There was room to breathe and we got a gorgeous sunset over the Chicago skyline behind the stage. Amazing! If you're coming for a sold out rock concert during a pandemic, you might feel a little claustrophobic. It was outside, which is why it worked for us, but very crowded. I was in close proximity of a perfect stranger and probably absorbed some weed smoke from a few neighbors. Not totally my jam, but hey I can hang one or twice a year for a concert like this. One of the cons for this show: visibility. I'm 5'8" and couldn't see the stage at all from the front of the back section. The screens were in black and white and that's all I could see. We ended up walking around the last part of the show just to see more and move around. That was good! Back by the back row vendors there was a bit of an incline to help visibility. Both shows: $16 big White Claws. OUCH. They know what the people want and will pay for! I liked seeing a good variety of food options, too. Pro tips: book parking ahead of time via your favorite parking company (Spot Hero for me). I think my parking was $8 for the concert. Give yourself time to walk over from the "mainland" which is roughly a mile. Comfy shoes are a must unless you're willing to shell out roughly $50 for a rickshaw/pedi-cab. Sometimes VIP parking is available if you're in need, but from what I remember it was pricey. With all that said, this is probably my favorite music venue in Chicago. I love that it's outside and they can jam since there aren't homes nearby. Being out near the water is awesome! Last thoughts: they mean business with the clear bags. Don't take a purse unless you KNOW it's within the guidelines they send out with the ticket/show updates. They will make you leave it in a locker and take a plastic bag in. Thankfully I saw the notes and didn't have any issues. If you get super lucky and are offered a free upgrade, PIT IS THE WAY TO GO! Just make sure you get a wristband or you won't be able to go in and out for bathroom breaks, drinks, and food.

    Heading South
    Phil S.

    11/08/20 - I've heard of Northerly Island but have never been there before. I was walking out by Solidarity Drive yesterday. Northerly Island is an area just to the south of Adler Planetarium & east of Soldier Field. Meigs Field use to be where Northerly Island is now. On March 31, 2003 Mayor Daley had bulldozers start tearing up Meigs Field wo/authorization from the FAA. At the time Meigs Field was the busiest single strip airport in the United States. Part of Northerly Island is being used as a concert venue. The other portion has turned into Northerly Island Park. There is a large central lagoon where the Meigs Field airstrip use to be. The lagoon is surrounded by a trail that loops around the lagoon. I started walking on the east side of the lagoon. This trail runs between Lake Michigan on the east and the lagoon on the west, unfortunately I wasn't able to progress very far because the Chicago Park district fenced it off due to erosion from Lake Michigan. They have placed a continuous pile of large boulders between the lake on parts of the path and lagoon making very difficult & potentially dangerous to navigate. The high level of the water and the destructive force of the waters & waves has necessitated the need for this barrier. I back tracked on this east path and took the path that runs to the west of the lagoon all the way to the end of northerly island. The path crosses the west to east via a bridge that reconnects to the path on the east side. There is an outlet from the lagoon into Lake Michigan to the south. "This path does continue further along McCormick Place to the south" I walked Northerly Island today from Adler Planetarium to the south end just south of the original McCormick Place building & back. There are large hilly fields along both sides of the path and a spectacular view of The Chicago skyline from a different perspective. This time of year there is a lot of brown prairie grass. I need to revisit this area during the spring when I'm told there are all sorts of flowers in bloom. This was a very nice walk but not very frequently traveled (maybe the time of the year?). There were a handful of other hikers and bikers on the trail

    City views from the SE hill
    Joe C.

    I finally took the trip around the park completely. I walked from millennium park and racked up 6.3 miles but I think the Northerly Island trail runs about 4 miles. Oddly enough, the next day I see a bunch of features. It has a quite interesting history about how it was an airport and converted. The western side of the island that's adjacent to piers is paved 90% of the way to the southern tip where is blocked off and head to a dirt trail that goes straight across to the bridge to the other side or up and over the hill. The hill offers a pretty sweeping panoramic of the city, it was pretty overcast but still pretty and dramatic. The hill on the eastern side offers a slightly better view, I think it's a tad higher. The east side of the peninsula is mainly gravel and dirt. Also muddy and has a lot of repurposed industrial concrete. There's a concrete block wall that migratory birds are using for nesting similar to Montrose Bay. I could see this side of the island and the stream especially good for birding. Also the southern tip is elevated like a pier so there was a few fisherman lurking about. Exiting on the East side had an added bonus of exiting into the... I think Daphne Garden, but it features sculptures by dead's Kirk. Very dynamic sculptures. With the contrasting weather it's looks like three sorcerers summoning a storm. Anyway I was good and tired after about two hours of walking. Seems like a great spot to pack a DSLR and a drone. A nice escape without to nuisance of travel!

    Views from the kinda sketchy west side path along the water
    Francis R.

    Kind of a waste of space in my opinion... What was once an small airport known as Meigs Field was converted into present day Northerly Island Park ~ think wild prairie grasses, strolling paths, open space areas, and views of the Chicago skyline. First thing is first... of the few times I've tried to check out the strolling paths through the island, ITS BEEN CLOSED OFF. About the only thing open is a short walkway from south of Adler Planetarium and going through some grassy fields to the harbor walkway which goes to Soldier Field. But this grassy area is now in construction and they are in process of putting up a concert stage it seems. I was able to take a small path along the westside of the island until I could go no more. Doesn't seem to be maintained or cleaned as there's kind of random debris along the walkway and trashcans overflowing with trash. But still some nice views from there. Anyways, in short we got a free park with nothing really to do here. Kind of a disappointment. Maybe you'll luck out and the pathways exploring the island will be open. I have yet to have any luck in my two years here. 'Til next time! 116/365

    Ernie H.

    2 things, you can't bring in umbrellas. You pick it up in a pile outside after the concert hoping it's still there. Good luck finding your black one. You can only buy tickets at the box office to save on the ridiculous service fees on days they have an event. Otherwise I like the Venue itself. My son and I accompanied my wife and my sons Girlfriend went to see Charlie Puth - good show and no bad seats in the house.

    Albert D.

    Technically I'm reviewing the Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island. Okay now that that's out of the way let's talk about the venue. Wow. I was blown away. The area was formerly known as Miegs Field which was a small airport servicing downtown Chicago. For more than 50 years, smaller planes arrived and departed from Miegs Field. This all changed when the former Mayor of Chicago, Richard M. Daley, had the runway destroyed under the cover of darkness. This also costs taxpayers of the city $33,000 in fines and the repayment of $1,000,000 in funding to the FAA. Nice job Richie. Anyway, since the airport was closed, Chicago has tinkered with Northerly Island (peninsula actually, man-made) and it's current incarnation is that of a concert venue. The venue is temporary and the name has changed with sponsors. I went to my first show last night. Better Than Ezra was playing with K.T. Tunstall and the Barenaked Ladies. I parked at Soldier Field for $30 and walked around the harbor to get to the venue. I later realized that parking is also available closer to the pavilion but it fills up quickly. Getting through security was easy and within a few minutes I was walking the venue. The capacity is about 8,000 seats. There are floor seats, grandstands, and a VIP area. Numerous food and drink options are available. They had taco stands, burger stands, etc. There are also beer tents, beer tubs, wine tents, Tito's vodka stands, and other options. The venue was clean and the employees were friendly. After getting a beer and surveying the area I found my seats up in the VIP section. This area had patio tables, patio couches, a full bar (yes!!!) and staggered seating. The chair in which I sat was perhaps the most comfortable folding chair I have ever sat in. It was a cash bar but gourmet food was included in the ticket price. The lighting and sound from the venue was top notch. This surprised me given that it is somewhat of a temporary setup. Watching live music with the Chicago skyline in the background is very cool. Behind you is the 12th street beach. I could not have asked for better weather and the evening was awesome. I highly recommend this venue. If you check the concert schedule and find anything you like then do check this place out. Richie's wrongdoing has turned out to be very nice. Five stars.

    Picture of the city from Northerly Island Park
    Ken O.

    After visiting the Adler Planetarium, I need more outdoor time. What better place than the Northerly Island Park? At the park, there is a small sand beach. The beach looked really relaxing and the few beach goers seemed to enjoy the beach. The walking paths are very well laid out and well defined. Prairie grass /flowers are just coming out for the season. There were plenty of walkers and cyclists enjoying the park. The concert venue looked really great. I would consider going to a concert at the venue. Plus having the city as a background has to be incredible. Due to not have a concession stand or rest area, I had deducted a star. Looking forward to return later in the summer.

    Marsh
    Amy Y.

    Go there on a bike, go past the concert venues and go to the restoration area. On the southern side is where the city is restoring prairie back. Even on a bustling summer weekend this place feels like a little quiet piece of paradise in the Chicago concrete jungle. There usually isn't a whole lot of people here, and that's perfect. Nothing better than to watch the sail boats pass by and the ducks swim in the marsh. Sunset is a beautiful time to come. I hope the city continues restore nature back into the city scape.

    Dave & Tim
    Sharita R.

    This is a review for the Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island. I like this venue and I don't like this venue. It's in a great location, you have a wonderful view of the city, and the venue is smaller than some of the other outdoor venues in the Chicagoland area. However, if you don't have close seats in the 100 and 200 sections, sound can be a bit of a bust. Even if you are in those sections and you are off to the side, sound can still kind of suck. The views are ok in the closer sections. Even the 300 section views aren't that bad because it's a small venue. However, the lawn...that lawn has been the bane of this venue since it was first constructed. If you pay for lawn, note that you are sitting there to watch a tv. That is all. We can't see the lawn from where we are sitting, and you definitely can't see us. It's like an afterthought of the venue. It doesn't even feel connected to the venue! Also, food and drinks are astronomically high of course. Bring your own closed water, choose to drink alcohol before or after the actual concert outside of the venue. If you are seated close to the aisles where the alcohol vendors are, I feel for you. The amount of chatter in these lines is so bad, you will feel like you are more on the floor of some convention hall than an actual concert. I'm sure I'll be back here, but I do prefer other venues in and around the city.

    Louie N.

    Parking is expensive, mosquitoes are in abundance, near lakefront, great views, nice stage, good sound, decent food - slow, expensive, small variety, portable potties, high school stadium seating.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Northerly Island Park

    Review Highlights - Northerly Island Park

    The view was amazing (skyline of course), the acoustics were good, and the place was pretty intimate.

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    The wife and I visited "The Bean" and the surrounding area for a bit…read more The mirrored bean is cool and drew a hefty crowd on this Saturday afternoon. It is pretty massive and iconic for this city. I captured some fun "funhouse" type reflection images of us in it. This area with the river makes for a nice walk and visual architecture splendor on full display. There were some huge mural water fountain art displays nearby. During the summertime water runs vertically down them.

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    Check out this incredible transformation of a quarry into a park in Bridgeport. In between it was a…read morelandfill. Palmisano Park has went through a lot of changes to be sure. A lot of nature of course. There's trails and an interpretive wetlands among the many things to come across while going through. Best to know about the transformation before going. It used to be the Stearns Quarry. The city purchased it in 2008, cleaned it up, and opened it the next year. Has lots of nature to see and more to do. There's more than a mile of paths, including recycled timber boardwalks, and walkways. At first this was the site of a coral reef if you can believe it. Limestone was formed, and there's been fossils discovered here that are now in the Field Museum. In the 1830s it became a quarry, and operated until 1970 when it became a landfill. There's a fishing pond that still has the old quarry walls. After opening this park there was cause for celebration. The community before this had a lack of green space. Have to go here if you like parks that have been restored from abandoned areas. It's quite impressive. There's all kinds of plants and wildlife.

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    Maggie Daley Park - Chicago Park District

    4.5
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    We met friends with their kids at the Maggie Daley Park area of Chicago's Millennium Park before a…read moreday of shopping (Feb 2026). It's a bit of a walk in, and the path from the southwest corner of the park at Columbus & Monroe is longer but less-steep than the winding path uphill from the southeast corner at Lakeshore & Monroe. You get some lovely views of downtown Chicago. We continued past the (seasonal, of course) ice-skating ribbon, because we were not prepared to skate. There are several play areas of swings, slides, and climbing structures, some intended for (and with signs to indicate) specific age ranges. The giant slides and towers, and the ship-shaped climber, were very popular. Busy, but not over-crowded. It was quite entertaining, and we played there over 1.5 hours!

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    Earl J Field Memorial Playground

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    4.4
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    We stopped here whilst waiting for our pizza order to be done. It was just alright; I was rather…read moredisappointed. There are two sections to the park, with the big rocket being the centerpiece. It's huge, multiple levels. There are at least three slides coming out from it. Lots of places for kids to climb and scurry and jump. But that part was too big for my kiddo so we went to the smaller section a few steps away. There was a structure to climb, several slides, some bars, and then even a little further away a bunch of swings. I tried to keep her from seeing the swings, to be honest, since I didn't want to have to deal with an upset kiddo when we had to leave without enough swing time. She played around a bit but didn't seem as interested in the playground. We went down a slide or two, but some of them had standing water since it has been a bit rainy recently. The playground isn't technically fenced in, but it is effectively so because it's behind the practice courts which are all fenced in. It'd be hard for your kid to get away from you. There's a parking lot for the Norridge Park District building but the neighborhood parking could be tricky, especially in the summer because there is restricted parking from Memorial Day to Labor Day (ostensibly because of the large pool structure that would keep the residents from having any parking for three months otherwise). The terrain of the park is wood chips and soil, decidedly not my favorite (maybe especially after a rain) and she got dirty pretty quick. I may bring her back when she's old enough to play on the rocket ship, but this won't be a park that we return to much if ever.

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    Northerly Island Park - parks - Updated June 2026

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