Bridge Lifts
It is quite a scene when Michigan Avenue meets the sky.
To accommodate sail boats and other tall vessels traveling between the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, the Michigan Avenue Bridge is opened approximately 100 times a year from April to November. Witnessing a bridge opening from the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum is quite a treat. One spectator raved, “There is nothing I have seen that is as amazing as watching the massive Michigan Avenue Bridge rise to the sky powered by a tiny 108 horsepower motor from inside the bridge. The gears turn, the bridge rises, and you can’t help but be amazed by the ingenuity of it all.”
Bridge lifts take place every spring and fall. Spring bridge lifts normally start in late April. We will post the full lift schedule as soon as it is made available.
The Bridgehouse Museum will open for a number of the scheduled bridge lifts once they resume in Spring 2012. We invite you to experience this engineering marvel up close and personal by attending a bridge lift at the museum. Please check back in April for the schedule.
Entry fee is $10 per person. Members of Friends of the Chicago River receive a $2 discount, and Insider Club members receive a $3 discount.
Advance registration is recommended. For reservations call Ozana Balan King at (312) 939-0490, ext. 23.
Read about bridge lift details and cancellation policy.
Learn more about the Michigan Avenue Bridge (now DuSable Bridge) at ChicagoLoopBridges.com and HistoricBridges.org
