Bridge Lifts
It is quite a scene when Michigan Avenue meets the sky.
To accommodate sail boats and other tall vessels traveling between the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, the Michigan Avenue Bridge is opened approximately 100 times a year from April to November. Witnessing a bridge opening from the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum is quite a treat. One spectator raved, “There is nothing I have seen that is as amazing as watching the massive Michigan Avenue Bridge rise to the sky powered by a tiny 108 horsepower motor from inside the bridge. The gears turn, the bridge rises, and you can’t help but be amazed by the ingenuity of it all.”
The bridges begin going up at 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays and 10:00 a.m. on Wednesdays, starting from Lake Shore Drive and proceeding west then south. The process for each bridge to go up and down takes approximately 10 minutes.
Starting September 18, 2010, the Bridgehouse Museum will open for a number of the scheduled bridge lifts. We invite you to experience this engineering marvel up close and personal by registering for one of the following dates.
All Wednesday bridge lifts begin at 10:00 a.m. and Saturday bridge lifts begin at 9:00 a.m.
September
Saturday, September 18
Wednesday, September 22 (by reservation only)
Saturday, September 25
October
Saturday, October 2
Saturday, October 9
Saturday, October 16
Wednesday, October 20 (by reservation only)
Saturday, October 23
Saturday, October 30
Entry fee is $10 per person. Members of Friends of the Chicago River receive a $2 discount, and Insider Club members receive a $3 discount.
Advance registration is recommended. For reservations call Ozana Balan King at (312) 939-0490, ext. 23.
Read about bridge lift details and cancellation policy. (251 KB PDF)
