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 Tribune 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 8:00 a.m. on Saturdays and 9:30 a.m. on Wednesdays, starting from Ashland Ave., proceeding north then east. The process for each bridge to go up and down takes approximately 10 minutes.
In late spring 2008, 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.
Bridge lift viewings begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays and 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays.
April
Saturday, April 26 (sold out)
May
Saturday, May 3
Saturday, May 10
Wednesday, May 14
Saturday, May 17
Saturday, May 24
Saturday, May 31
June
Saturday, June 7
Wednesday, June 11 (sold out)
Saturday, June 14
Wednesday, June 18
Saturday, June 21
Saturday, June 28
Entry fee is $10 per person. Members of Friends of the Chicago River receive a $2 discount. Advance registration is required. For reservations call Ozana Balan (312) 939-0490, ext. 23.
Read about bridge lift details and cancellation policy.(92.5KB PDF)
