Ohio Street Beach

Located in the neighborhood of Streeterville, Ohio Street Beach is a small north-facing beach with light brown sand and nearby sea walls along Lake Michigan.

Ohio Street Beach has been listed as one of the best 25 Chicago beaches by Time Out Chicago and it has also been listed by Lonely Planet magazine as one of the best nine beaches in Chicago.

Ohio Street Beach has lifeguards from the Friday before Memorial Day to Labor Day – during this time, lifeguards are on duty here between 11 am and 7 pm.  In addition to lifeguards, the beach and the area around it have many other amenities including restrooms, storage lockers, a nearby biking trail, concession stands, and rental facilities for umbrellas, cabanas, and chairs. 

Dogs are not allowed on Ohio Street Beach

Ohio Street Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, picnicking, biking, volleyball, paddleboarding, swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, boating, surf-skiing, and jet-skiing.  Ohio Street Beach is ideal for beginner swimmers, kayakers, canoers, and paddle boarders because the water here is usually calm and considerably shallow – this beach is particularly ideal for long-distance swimming.  There is also a seasonal long-distance swimming trail here that is usually operational during summers.

If you are planning to swim, kayak, canoe, or paddleboard near Ohio Street Beach, we recommend being careful because the water here is occasionally known to have unpredictable rip currents and dangerous waves. 

Please also note that swimming near Ohio Street Beach is permitted only within the designated swimming areas and when the lifeguards are on-duty. 

In addition, the water here can also have high levels of microbial contamination.   

If you are planning to sunbathe near Ohio Street Beach, we recommend visiting early because there is a relatively lower amount of sunlight here during afternoons.

Ohio Street Beach offers wheelchair access for visitors with disabilities and has an accessible walkway for people with disabilities. 

Getting to Ohio Street Beach is easy – this beach is located near 600 North Lake Shore Drive and there are metered street parking spaces nearby.

There are also a few paid parking lots near Ohio Street Beach – these parking lots are expensive because of their close location to an expensive neighborhood of Streeterville.

We recommend visiting Ohio Street Beach early during summers because this beach can get crowded.

Ohio Street Beach is open between 11 am to 7 pm.

This artificial beach was initially created in the early 20th century and it became a popular tourist site in the 1920s.

This beach also hosts many fun events throughout the year including many watersports, athletics, and swimming-related events.  Ohio Street Beach is also a great place for viewing the popular Chicago Air and Water Show that takes place every August

There are many attractions near Ohio Street Beach.  The Navy Pier is a popular 3,300-foot-long pier that has a variety of thrilling rides, stores, and restaurants, along with many other landmarks including the Chicago Children’s Museum, a garden named Crystal Garden, public art installations, the Chicago Shakespeare Museum, and a public park named Polk Bros Park.  Milton Lee Olive Park is a recreational park that offers many amenities including grassy recreational areas, multiple large and amazing fountains, and walking paths.  This park also offers amazing views of Lake Michigan.  Maggie Daley Park is a 20-acre park that offers many amenities including a mini-golf facility, picnic areas, an ice-skating ribbon, picnic areas, tennis courts, restrooms, a kids’ play areas, gardens, a climbing wall, and a rental facility for skating equipment.  If you are looking for another attraction near Ohio Street Beach, The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world – the museum’s collection has many famous artworks including Edward Hopper’s famous painting Nighthawks and Georges Seurat’s Sunday on La Grande Jatte which he painted in 1884 and is regarded as the world’s best pointillism painting.  This museum also offers many other artworks including modern art, photographs, artworks from ancient civilizations, and artworks from various global regions including Africa, America, Europe, and Asia.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Ohio Street Beach.  Etta – River North has a casual ambience and serves a variety of excellent dishes for brunch, lunch, and dinner including pizza, focaccia bread, pasta, steak, poultry dishes, salads, and sandwiches.  Café Sophie has a charming and elegant décor and serves a variety of delicious dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including pastries, sandwiches, salads, soups, pizzas, focaccia bread, and charcuterie.  If you are looking for an upscale restaurant, Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab is known for serving amazing seafood and steaks and it is known for serving excellent crabs – this restaurant also serves a variety of other delicious dishes for lunch and dinner including sandwiches, salads, and burgers.  The Purple Pig offers delicious Mediterranean-inspired cuisine including Spanish-style octopus, pastas, kebabs, pork dishes, roasted bone marrow, and Mediterranean-style duck meat.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Ohio Street Beach, Cafecito Chicago serves outstanding Cuban sandwiches and coffee – this restaurant also offers many delicious Latin American-inspired dishes including breakfast dishes, seafood, and roast pork.

If you are looking for a hotel near Ohio Street Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 5-Star The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago offers many amenities including a restaurant, a cafe, a bar, a pool, a fitness center, a spa, wellness classes, and a club lounge.  Another popular and upscale hotel is the 4-Star The Drake that was opened in the 1920s and offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a fitness center, and multiple shopping stores.  Another upscale hotel is the 4-Star Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk that offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a bar, a fitness center, a pool, a convenience store, a sundeck, a sauna, and a gift shop.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Ohio Street Beach, the 3-Star Courtyard Chicago Downtown/River North offers many amenities including a pool, a gym, and a convenience store.