Chicago Night Visitor Guide

In Chicago, the evening is sold from the water. Nearly every way to see the city after dark leaves from two docks on the river at Michigan Avenue, and the question that decides your night is when the sun goes down. If you are weighing up Chicago Night tickets, start with what each fare buys.

What an evening costs

The river, the skyline and the Riverwalk are free to look at. What you pay for is a seat on a boat, a bus or a helicopter, and the person who talks you round. The drinks on the boats are extra, and so are tips.

Every fare is quoted in US dollars, per person, as each operator lists it. The cheapest evening on the water is the 45-minute river tour, but it runs by day and only its last departures reach dusk. A cruise built for the dark starts at $46.

When it gets dark, and why it matters

Sunset in Chicago moves more than four hours through the year, from 4:19pm in early December to 8:30pm in late June. So the same 7:30pm start is broad daylight in June and three hours after dark in December. These times come from the U.S. Naval Observatory, for the Michigan Avenue Bridge.

The clocks go back on 1 November 2026, and sunset jumps an hour earlier overnight, from 5:46pm to 4:45pm. In summer, book the latest sailing you can if you want the lights; from November, almost any evening sailing is dark. Month-by-month evening temperatures are on the weather and dark times page.

Where the tours start

The two docks are a block apart on opposite banks of the river, and mixing them up is the commonest mistake travellers describe. First Lady boards on the south bank, down the stairs from Michigan & Wacker to the Chicago Riverwalk. Wendella boards on the north bank at 400 N Michigan Ave, by the Wrigley Building. Check which one your ticket names.

The helicopter flies from Vertiport Chicago, on the Lower West Side, so allow a taxi ride there. Every start is plotted on the meeting-points map. For a cruise, arrive 30 minutes early: boarding starts about 15 minutes before, seats are first come, first served, and a missed boat is not refunded.

River only, or out on the lake

The cruises split on one question: do they stay on the river, or pass the Chicago Harbor Lock onto Lake Michigan? The By Night cruise and the sunset cruise go through the lock, and you get the whole skyline from the water. The Creepy Cruise and the 45-minute tour stay on the river, among the towers.

The lake costs you time on a busy evening. Travellers describe waiting their turn at the lock, and one sunset boat never got through it. On the lake it is also colder and windier than on the river, even in August, so bring a jacket.

What is open late

Around a cruise, the city stays up. The Chicago Riverwalk is free and open until 11pm, and Buckingham Fountain runs its light and music show from dusk to 11pm, spring through the end of fall. Art on theMART projects across the Merchandise Mart from Thursday to Sunday, and 360 Chicago's deck opens until 11pm. Skydeck Chicago stays open until 10pm in summer.

The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry is a daytime ticket: it opens 9:30am to 4pm, so it fits the day before an evening cruise. More on each landmark is in the night attractions.

Who each tour suits

The cruises suit most ages. Under-4s ride free, strollers are allowed, and the boats have restrooms and a bar. The Night Crimes bus is recommended for ages 10 and up, and you step up into it, with no lift. On the crime bus the story is Capone, Dillinger and the Biograph Theater, so it is a different evening from the skyline cruises.

If you use a wheelchair, ask before you book. First Lady's dock is two levels down by stairs, with a step-free route by ramp from State St and Wacker Dr along the Riverwalk. Wendella boards wheelchair users from its West Dock and asks you to call 312-337-1446 ahead.

Cancellations and the weather

Every tour here refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start. The cruises sail rain or shine, with an enclosed lounge below the open deck. If the operator cancels for severe weather, you are offered a new date or a full refund.

First Lady sails its 2026 season from 15 March to 22 November. Wendella publishes no season dates, so check the dates offered when you book.

The Chicago Riverwalk

The Riverwalk is run by the City of Chicago's Department of Fleet & Facility Management, 2 N LaSalle St, Floor 2, Chicago, IL 60602, and answers by email at chicagoriverwalk@cityofchicago.org. It is free and open from 6am to 11pm. The city does not sell or answer for the tours listed here.

Asked before you go