Northerly Island Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Northerly Island. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Chicago's Ultimate City Bike Tour

• Chicago Family Food and Bike Tour with Top Attractions

• Big Bus Chicago: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour, 24/48/72hr Pass

• Bike Tour in Chicago

Visiting Northerly Island is free and open to the public, with no admission cost. However, visiting this man-made island on Lake Michigan on a guided tour costs anywhere from around US$50 for a hop-on hop-off bus tour to US$60 to US$120 for a bike tour.

Designed by legendary Chicago planner and architect Daniel H. Burnham, Northerly Island is the northernmost in a series of artificial islands in Chicago. It has become an urban haven for native plants and bird life, with footpaths that are excellent for birdwatching. There’s also a pond, prairie, and savannah.

That depends. Spend a morning or afternoon (or at least a couple of hours) taking a walk or spotting local and migratory birds. Northerly Island is also home to an outdoor music venue, Huntington Bank Pavilion, which regularly hosts concerts and other special events.

Yes, Northerly Island is an excellent option for families traveling with children. The park features a Nature Play Space, a kid-friendly recreation area where little ones can enjoy messy, hands-on fun, including building a fort, romping around on the play prairie, and digging for earthworms. Expect kids to get dirty.

No, there’s no free parking at Northerly Island. But if you come here by car, you’ll find metered parking spaces. The city bus stops around a 20-minute walk away. Some guided tours include round-trip transfers, which is an option if you don’t have your own transportation.