As part of Chicago River Day 20/20: See What You Can Do, our 20-day celebration of the river marking the 20th anniversary of Chicago River Day, Friends of the Chicago River invites the public to enter for a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime, 24-hour Chicago River experience.

One lucky winner, along with up to three friends, will win an all-inclusive package of events including an overnight stay at the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum, a behind-the-scenes visit with bridge operators as they lift the Michigan Avenue Bridge, a river cruise, dining along the river and more.

Check back here soon for contest entry rules and application. To find out what else you can do, visit www.chicagoriverday20-20.org.

The Bridgehouse Museum was selected as one of more than 100 sites for the inaugural openhousechicago. Sites also include the “original” Sears Tower in North Lawndale, the hidden stage of the legendary Sunset Café Jazz Club, little-known Frank Lloyd Wright sites, and many more.

Don’t miss out! Look for a special OHC section in the October 13th issue of the Chicago Tribune, and check out www.openhousechicago.org for full details and to register for the event. CAF members get special OHC access throughout the weekend.

To reserve your spot for either tour, please call (312) 939-0490, ext. 23. Friends of the Chicago River members receive a $2 discount and Insider Club members receive a $3 discount on each tour.

Loop Bridges Walking Tour - $12
Saturdays in September and October at 12 noon
(tour lasts until approx. 2 pm)

The tour starts at the Bridgehouse Museum, where guests will get an appreciation for how the Chicago-type bascule works. Then the group walks west along the Main Stem of the Chicago River, turning into the South branch, ending at the W. Madison St. (Lyric Opera) bridge. This will give guests the opportunity to see 11 of the 18 downtown bascules ranging in age from 27 to 98 years old. The tour will conclude with a water taxi ride back to Michigan Avenue.

The walk from the museum to Madison St. is about 1.5 miles and lasts about 2 hours. Bridgehouse Museum admission and the water taxi fare is included in the $12 admission charge. Tours are limited to 10.

Fall “Meet the Bridge Lift” Tour - $10
Saturdays in September and October at 8:45 am
(tour lasts until approx. 10:00 am)

This is the Fall version of this spring’s popular “Meet the Lift” tour and includes admission to the Bridgehouse Museum during the bridge lift. The tour begins at the Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium located east of Lake Shore Drive on the Riverwalk level, at the mouth of the Chicago River. Guided by Jim Phillips, the group will walk the 0.6 mile distance along the river watching the Lake Shore Drive and Columbus Drive bridges rise - maintaining pace to arrive at the Bridgehouse Museum in time for everyone to be in their favorite spot. You can choose either the gear room or the top of the bridge tower to watch the DuSable Bridge (formerly Michigan Avenue Bridge) lift.

The tour will begin at 8:45 am on Lift Saturdays throughout the bridge lift season (9/17 - 10/29).

The Bridgehouse Museum will open for the 2011 season this Sunday, May 15. If you purchased an Insider Club membership on Groupon.com, you can redeem your voucher at the Bridgehouse Museum during regular museum hours, starting May 15, 2011 through May 15, 2012.

The Bridgehouse Museum is located at 376 N. Michigan Avenue, in the western bridge tower at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. Our main entrance is on the Riverwalk level. The museum is open Thursday - Monday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Please note that our museum is seasonal and is open through October 31. The museum will be closed between November 1st, 2011 and May 15, 2012. If you do not redeem your Groupon voucher(s) before October 31, 2011, you may again redeem your voucher(s) on May 15, 2012.

The Insider Club membership is valid for 12 months from the day you redeem your voucher. This guarantees you access to the museum for approximately six months of museum season, although those six months may straddle two summer seasons.

As an Individual Insider, you are entitled to the following benefits:

Unlimited free admission to the Bridgehouse Museum

•Two free museum passes to share with friends
•$3 discount on bridge lift tickets
•10% discount on museum merchandise
•Invitations to lectures at the Bridgehouse Museum and other Friends of the Chicago River special events
•Subscription to Friends’ e-news and newsletter
•The satisfaction that you are supporting a healthy and vibrant Chicago River!

Thank you again for joining our work for a more vibrant Chicago River! We look forward to seeing you at the museum!

You can also mark the day by brushing up on Chicago River history at the Bridgehouse Museum. The museum will be open from 9 a.m. until noon for a free season preview. The Bridgehouse Museum officially opens for the season on May 15.

Scheduled spring bridge lift viewing dates are as follows:

May
Saturday, May 21
Wednesday, May 25
Saturday, May 28

June
Saturday, June 4
Saturday, June 11
Saturday, June 18
Wednesday, June 22
Saturday, June 25

Bridge lift viewings begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays and 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. Entry fee is $10 per person. You can reserve individual tickets or schedule a group event by calling Ozana Balan King at (312) 939-0490, ext. 23. Additional Wednesdays may be available for groups of 15 or more.

For more information, visit our Bridge Lifts page.

If you purchased an Insider Club membership on Groupon.com, you can redeem your voucher at the Bridgehouse Museum during regular museum hours, starting September 30, 2010 through September 30, 2011.

The Bridgehouse Museum is located at 376 N. Michigan Avenue, in the western bridge tower at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. Our main entrance is on the Riverwalk level. The museum is open Thursday - Monday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Please note that our museum is seasonal and is open through October 31. The museum will be closed between November 1st, 2010 and May 15, 2011. If you do not redeem your Groupon voucher(s) before October 31, 2010, you may again redeem your voucher(s) starting May 15, 2011 through September 30, 2011.

The Insider Club membership is valid for 12 months from the day you redeem your voucher. This guarantees you access to the museum for approximately six months of museum season, although those six months may straddle two summer seasons.

As an Individual Insider, you are entitled to the following benefits:

Unlimited free admission to the Bridgehouse Museum

• Two free museum passes to share with friends

• $3 discount on bridge lift tickets

• 10% discount on museum merchandise

• Invitations to lectures at the Bridgehouse Museum and other Friends of the Chicago River special events
  
• Subscription to Friends’ e-news and newsletter

• The satisfaction that you are supporting a healthy and vibrant Chicago River!

Thank you again for joining our work for a more vibrant Chicago River! We look forward to seeing you at the museum!

This year’s topics explore the dramatic ways that people have impacted the Chicago River and its immediate environment. The lectures promote a greater understanding of the river’s significance to our region’s history and reveal the ongoing, inextricable relationship between the Chicago River and the people within its watershed.

Reservations recommended but not required. For reservations call 312.939.0490, ext. 23.

August 12, 2010, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Shaping Nature, presented by Dr. David Solzman, author and associate professor emeritus of geography and anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, reveals how nature in the Chicago area was physically changed to accommodate the needs of a fast-growing metropolis. The lecture will be followed by a book signing for Dr. Solzman’s The Chicago River: An Illustrated History and Guide to the River and Its Waterways, available at the museum.

August 19, 2010, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Why Can’t We Swim in the Chicago River? presented by John Quail, Friends’ director of watershed planning, examines the water quality issues facing the Chicago River today and what it would take to make the river swimmable again.

September 16, 2010, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

The Evolution of the Chicago Bascule Bridge, presented by Jim Phillips, founder of chicagoloopbridges.com, will explore how the now-ubiquitous Chicago bascule evolved and why this is the predominant bridge style spanning the Chicago River.

September 23, 2010, 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

A Closer Look at Asian Carp, presented by Philip Willink, Ph.D., Field Museum Collections Manager of Fishes, closely examines this invasive species and the potential threat to the Chicago River system and the Great Lakes.

Cost:
Free with museum admission

Friday, July 2
Saturday, July 3
Friday, July 30
Saturday, July 31

Fridays and Saturdays in August, September and October.

For more information, please call the Bridgehouse Museum at (312) 977-0227.

The Bridgehouse Museum will open for a FREE season preview between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The festivities will kick off at 10 a.m. with a celebration of the bridge and the Chicago River that will include remarks by:

- Alderman Brendan Reilly of the 42nd Ward
- Thomas Powers, Acting Commissioner, Chicago Department of Transportation
- John Chikow, President and CEO of The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association
- Timothy Mitchell, General Superintendent, Chicago Park District
- Margaret Frisbie, Executive Director, Friends of the Chicago River

We will then gather in the bridge gear room at 10:30 a.m. to blow out the candles on the birthday cake, provided by Chicago’s own Swedish Bakery!

Jim Phillips, bridge docent and founder of chicagoloopbridges.com, will be on hand all day at the Bridgehouse Museum to answer visitors’ questions about the Michigan Avenue Bridge.

The Michigan Avenue Bridge was the first double-leaf, double-deck bascule trunnion bridge ever built. It was considered an engineering marvel in 1920 and continues to inspire awe today. On select days this spring, you can watch the gears in action from inside the Bridgehouse Museum. For bridge lift schedule and details click here.

By becoming an Insider, you support our museum’s efforts to educate the public about the Chicago River while receiving great benefits. Insider Club memberships make great gifts that allow you to share both the good work and the great fun along the river!

All Insiders receive free admission, complimentary passes for your guests, invitations to museum lectures and other Friends special events, $3 discount for Bridge Lift viewings, 10% discount on museum merchandise, and subscriptions to Friends’ e-news and newsletter. All Insider benefits are valid for the in-season periods within 12 months of starting date.

You can become an Insider now!

UPDATE: Please note that due to bridge improvement activities on the south leaf of the Michigan Avenue Bridge this fall, the Bridgehouse Museum will cancel its fall bridge lift schedule and access to the bridge gear exhibit through the end of the season. Work is expected to take approximately 10 weeks. Museum operations will not be affected beyond the gear viewing area, and the museum will be open regular hours through October 31.

*****
The adjectives “massive” and “graceful” are seldom used side by side, yet both apply equally to the Michigan Avenue Bridge as it lifts out of the way of sailboats navigating the Chicago River. Friends of the Chicago River invites you to get an insider’s view of Chicago’s most famous movable bridge in action at the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum. Starting September 19, 2009, the museum will open on select Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. and every Saturday at 8:30 a.m. through November to give visitors a bridge tender’s view of the bridge lift. Although walk-ins are welcome, visitors are encouraged to make reservations to view the bridge lift, as space is limited. For details, go to our Bridge Lifts page.

Every fall, 20 bridges must lift out of the way as the Chicago River becomes the grand highway on which sailboats return from Lake Michigan to their winter docks. Whether seen from the top of the bridge tower or from the river-level gear room, the bridge lift is an unforgettable experience for grown-ups and children alike. “Standing in the gear room of the Michigan Avenue Bridge, you can feel the anticipation as the gears come to life and the street starts lifting,” explains Margaret Frisbie, Friends’ executive director. “It awes us now as it must have done Chicagoans 89 years ago.”

In the 1909 Plan of Chicago, architect Daniel Burnham envisioned the Michigan Avenue Bridge as a monumental gateway between Chicago’s north and south sides. This grand dream was realized in 1920, when the bridge opened to much fanfare. Since then, the bridge has been lifting out of the way of passing boats in a spectacle of grace in engineering. The gears, driven by a 108-horsepower motor, can lift the 4,200-ton bridge out of the way of passing boats in as little as 30 seconds.

To celebrate the Burnham Plan Centennial, Friends is kicking off this bridge lift season by hosting a lecture about Chicago’s movable bridge legacy at the Bridgehouse Museum on Thursday, September 17 at noon. Chicago: A Living Movable Bridge Museum, presented by author and bridge expert Patrick McBriarty, discusses our city’s movable bridge history and, specifically, that of the Michigan Avenue Bridge, a centerpiece of the Plan. The lecture venue is particularly appropriate, as the Bridgehouse was designed by Burnham Plan co-author Edward H. Bennett. The lecture is free with museum admission. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (312) 939-0490, ext. 23.

The Bridgehouse Museum is located in the five-story southwest tower of the Michigan Avenue Bridge, on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. The museum’s entrance and the gear room are located on the riverwalk level. The Bridgehouse Museum reveals the history of the Chicago River and introduces people to the marvels of Chicago’s many bridges. The Chicago River’s strategic location led to the rapid development of a metropolis on its banks. By building movable bridges, Chicagoans could unite the city that continued to develop on both sides of the river while not interfering with the river traffic that drove its economy. Each bridge is an engineering marvel, and our city is the cradle for many movable bridge innovations. Today, Chicago has more movable bridges than any other city in the world.

The museum is a project of Friends of the Chicago River, a nonprofit organization with 2,000 members that works to foster the vitality of the Chicago River for the humans, plants, and animals that share its watershed. Friends uses the museum to inform and inspire thousands of visitors to protect and improve the Chicago River. For information on how to become a Friend visit our website at www.chicagoriver.org or by calling Friends of the Chicago River at (312) 939-0490.

Friends of the Chicago River discovered that as the public’s perception and understanding of the river improves, so does support for its continued recovery. This is why it is partnering with the Consulate General of Switzerland in Chicago to help Chicagoans imagine a day in the future when they can add swimming to their urban river recreational activities. Switzerland’s many river and lake baths show how Swiss cities have embraced and enlivened their rivers. These examples offer instructive lessons for the possible future of the Chicago River in our own city.

The exhibit will be installed in front of Friends’ McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum for one day only, on July 17, 2009, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This free program includes games, quizzes, and prizes as well as discounted museum admission.

The exhibit consists of five Swiss Cross Boxes with superimposed visual images of Swiss urban rivers, lakes and swimming structures, viewed through specially designed kaleidoscopes. Visitors can look through each of the kaleidoscopes and see swimming structures and other images superimposed on the downtown river vista. The images inside the kaleidoscopes help visitors envision a Chicago River that is clean enough to swim in - just as Swiss rivers are.

Friends of the Chicago River staff will be on hand to explain the increasing use of the Chicago River for recreation, issues still facing Chicago River, and what it would take to make it swimmable in the future. Swiss Consulate staff will be on hand to explain how Switzerland’s environmental policies have helped clean up Swiss rivers, and how urban dwellers are making river swimming a popular summer recreation activity.

The five-lecture series entitled Always Current: Conversations on the Chicago River reveals the river’s significance from historical, ecological, technological and economic perspectives, with an emphasis on the past 100 years. This lecture series promotes a greater understanding of the river’s significance to our region’s history and reveals the ongoing, inextricable relationship between the Chicago River and the people in its watershed.

The Bridgehouse Museum is uniquely located in a landmark tower of the Michigan Avenue Bridge, just steps away from the river it celebrates and at the heart of Chicago’s newly-expanded Riverwalk. The lectures will be hosted on Thursdays between June and September.

Reservations recommended but not required. For reservations call 312.939.0490, ext. 23.

June 11, 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Towards A Greener River, presented by Mark Hauser, Friends’ own education coordinator, focuses on the changes in the river’s ecology since the 18th Century.

July 9, 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Just Add Water, the first of two lectures presented by Dr. David Solzman, author and associate professor emeritus of geography and anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, explores how building the Illinois and Michigan Canal to connect the Great Lakes to the Mississippi via the Chicago River sparked the growth of a metropolis. The lecture will be followed by a book signing for Dr. Solzman’s The Chicago River: An Illustrated History and Guide to the River and Its Waterways, available at the museum.

August 13, 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

A New River Economy, presented by Cathy Hudzik Breitenbach, manager of riverfront development with the Chicago Park District, discusses the river’s current significance to Chicago, its value as a natural and civic asset and plans for riverside developments such as the new downtown Riverwalk.

August 27, 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

A Century of Change, the second lecture by Dr. Solzman, examines the changes that have defined the Chicago River in the 20th Century, starting with the river’s reversal and concluding with its ongoing renaissance as wildlife returns and people increasingly use the river for recreation. The lecture will be followed by a book signing for Dr. Solzman’s The Chicago River: An Illustrated History and Guide to the River and Its Waterways, available at the museum.

September 17, 2009, 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Chicago: A Living Movable Bridge Museum, presented by author and bridge expert Patrick McBriarty, discusses our city’s moveable bridge history and, specifically, that of the Michigan Avenue Bridge, a centerpiece of the Burnham Plan.

Cost:
Free with museum admission