When exploring the Illinois side of Lake Michigan, the Chicago skyline always beckons, especially the iconic Navy Pier. However, before this summer, finding a place just to dock for the day or night was difficult and virtually non-existent.

“When I became a boater in 1983, [I wondered] why couldn’t I go to Navy Pier and spend the night if I wanted?” says Randy Podolsky, the founder of the brand-new Navy Pier Marina. “Navy Pier is this great location right in the heart of downtown. Come for the fun, the activities, entertainment and food. [But] the idea never got off the ground.”

Fast-forward to 2016, when conversations finally started about creating a marina at this city hotspot. A short-term, transient marina—as opposed to making yet another full-time, seasonal marina—was Podolsky’s vision.

It took nearly 45 years and countless discussions that eventually spawned the realization of the Navy Pier Marina—a one-of-a-kind visitor’s marina that opens this summer.

Everything You Need

Podolsky is the founder, developer, and brainchild behind the operation, known as Navy Pier Marina. Navy Pier Inc., which oversees the pier from the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, is owned by the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois.

With Podolsky shepherding the project, the city unanimously approved it and a planned development amendment for Navy Pier. The legislation included Polk Bros. Park on the west end, the Sable Hotel on the southeast corner, and the marina along the entire north side of Navy Pier. In 2018, permits were issued to develop a privately funded marina, and outside of a small grant, there is no public funding involved for the marina project.

“We worked with the Navy Pier leadership team, and they are visionaries. They executed the entire redevelopment plan, including the hotel and my vision for the marina,” Podolsky says.

This summer, Navy Pier Marina brings excitement and activity to the area like never before. The marina itself will have everything needed, like a Boater Amenities Building with a ship’s store, washrooms, a boater’s lounge, marina offices, electric service, water, pump-out, a bicycle repair station and a dog-friendly pet relief station. The Boater Amenities Building is its own attraction, having been built off-site from 12 shipping containers and delivered, then stocked with all manner of necessities.

The majority of the marina is on floating docks, with the last piling driven on April 16, 2025. There is a wave fence and the channel-protecting wave attenuator system, designed to minimize wave action inside the marina. Watercraft up to 183 feet can dock at the 8,000 linear feet of side-tie mooring that’s available.

The People’s Pier

Once boaters dock at the marina, Navy Pier beckons with tons of activities for all ages. More than 70 businesses operate on the pier, from the Chicago Children’s Museum, where kids can experience hands-on play, to the Centennial Ferris Wheel, providing views from 196 feet up, to the nine-hole Pier Park Mini Golf. At the western entrance to the pier, the 13-acre Polk Bros Park and Fountain hosts free year-round arts and cultural programming. Head to Chicago Shakespeare Theater for a variety of classical plays, or stretch your legs on the 1.5-mile Wellness Way trail. On the southern side of the pier, a variety of sightseeing boats, private charters and dinner cruises are docked for those who want an on-water adventure. Flyover Chicago, an immersive experience, allows visitors to virtually experience Chicago from a whole new perspective.

“I’ve done it four times,” Podolsky says. “It’s so cool, I even took the grandkids.”

For those who want to dock and dine, a variety of restaurants cater to the Chicago appetite, including Chef Art Smith’s Reunion, featuring Southern cooking and comfort food; Bar Sol Mariscos for Latin-inspired food; and the Chicago-famous Billy Goat Tavern and Grill, Giordano’s Pizza and Harry Caray’s Tavern. Lirica serves up Latin and Iberian-inspired small plates, or enjoy cocktails and skyline views from Offshore Rooftop.

Rendezvous

The marina offers one more item that will interest boaters: group rendezvous. The rendezvous concept benefits smaller clusters of family and friends who want to be together and go into the city, while staying in a brand-new downtown marina.

The marina has already been approached by several broker-dealer groups that are coming with 20-40 boats each. The marina’s five-star approach also offers 24-hour concierge assistance for seamless online booking and 24-hour staffed surveillance, allowing boaters to relax in comfort.

“There is no place like this to go with your boat in the Chicago system,” Podolsky says. “Groups and yacht clubs usually have to head north to other towns. There is so much Lake Michigan shoreline, it’s nice to get together with friends in a handful of boats and just, kind of, go.”

In-Water Boat Show

Stirring up interest now, the marina has an event coming up this August 21 – 24. The inaugural Chicago International Boat Show at Navy Pier Marina is the premier boating event on Lake Michigan, bringing live demonstrations and on-water activities, luxury yachts and recreational boats, plus family-friendly entertainment to one site.

From meeting industry leaders to experiencing hands-on boating demos, “this is where the marine world converges,” is the slogan. Chicago’s vibrant lifestyle is on display at the pier, where you can shop, dine, and have fun taking in all the best that the city has to offer.

Navy Pier Marina is the newest boating destination on Lake Michigan and a singular Chicago experience.

“It’s hard to express the joy and gratitude to everyone involved in bringing this to fruition,” says Podolsky. “People [will be] coming here now for the same reason that I had envisioned 45 years ago—[to] enjoy the city and Navy Pier for a day or two, having great services available, and the lake, of course.”

Read the full article by Gregory Harutunian for Lakeland Boating Magazine’s July 2025 issue, pages 30 – 31.