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.”
Typically, bridge lift viewings at the Bridgehouse Museum begin in April. They are currently postponed due to bridge construction. We will post the lift viewing schedule as soon as it is made available.
Starting June 2009, the Bridgehouse Museum will open for a number of the scheduled bridge lifts. We invite you to experience this engineering marvel up close and personal by attending a bridge lift at the museum.
Entry fee is $10 per person.
Members of Friends of the Chicago River receive a $2 discount. Advance registration is required. For reservations call Ozana Balan (312) 939-0490, ext. 23.
Read about Bridge Lift viewing details and cancellation policy
