The Centennial Vision:
A Framework For Reimagination
Historic Navy Pier is an iconic thread in the fabric of Chicago. As the world’s largest public pier, it is a top-attended leisure destination in the Midwest, attracting more than 9 million guests a year.
When they arrive, those guests discover an exciting, ever-evolving “People’s Pier” for the 21st century, featuring an array of arts, cultural, educational, entertainment and special events programming that offers a uniquely Chicago experience.
In honor of its 100th anniversary, Navy Pier unveiled dramatically reimagined, pier-wide enhancements, new dining options, and compelling landscape and design features that continue to elevate the Pier’s status.
In the summer of 2016, Navy Pier completed the first phase of a comprehensive redevelopment plan, titled, the“Centennial Vision.” The plan has become a reality in the form of the beautiful new Polk Bros Park Fountain and Plaza as the gateway to the Pier, a greener and more contemporary South Dock promenade, an authentic Chicago Food Experience, and the grand new Centennial Wheel.
Looking ahead, Navy Pier has even bolder plans for the completion of two outdoor performance areas in Polk Bros Park, a modernized Family Pavilion, an architecturally enhanced East End Plaza, and the additions of both a new, 240-room, boutique hotel and an innovative expansion of the Tony Award-winning Chicago Shakespeare Theater, called The Yard.
Additionally, Navy Pier’s Centennial Vision also calls for a new strategic direction in programming that will transform this venue into an accessible, year-round centerpiece for Chicago’s diverse arts and cultural treasures. In the summer of 2016 summer alone, pilot programs for art, theater, music, fitness and dance productions introduced the Pier to new audiences. Now, as it enters its second century as a non-profit, Navy Pier seeks enthusiastic supporters and partners who share its vision to be a vibrant civic space that makes memories for guests from across the street and around the globe.