Whether you take a stroll along a paved lakefront path (see the "Tours" section for a walk along Monroe Harbor on our FREE Grant Park / Art Institute Self-Guided Walking Tour), or decide to spend the day at the beach, don’t miss Chicago’s sparkling lakefront. For beachgoers, the most popular beaches near downtown are Oak Street Beach (See Magnificent Mile Self-Guided Walking Tour) and the larger North Avenue Beach (North Avenue at Lake Shore Drive, approximately 5 blocks north of Oak Street beach along lakefront path). Chicago beaches are FREE and open to the public.

Below are some popular lakefront locations: