Plans unveiled for Navy Pier Marina to open June 2025

Navy Pier Marina © Navy Pier Marina

NPM Venture LLC today announced details of the highly anticipated, June 2025 opening of Navy Pier Marina.

The only marina to offer transient boaters access to Navy Pier and the city at its doorstep, Navy Pier Marina will provide a home in the heart of Chicago for boaters from across the city and suburbs, and around the Great Lakes. It will also be a rendezvous for boating groups seeking unique and modern mooring facilities.

"What an incredible and exciting day for me, my family, and our entire development team" said Randy D. Podolsky, developer and driving force behind Navy Pier Marina. "We persevered and are now able to bring long-awaited recreational boater access to Navy Pier. Being a Chicago native and a passionate boater since 1983, having envisioned this project a decade ago, I could not be more proud of everyone who took part—and believed in—making this dream come true!"

According to Podolsky, in addition to accommodating recreational boaters, Navy Pier Marina will offer limited availability to seasonal commercial vessels, including fishing, sailing, dive and social charters, boat clubs, cruises, dealers, and other boat-share operations.

The marina will also be a site for high-profile boat shows, including the inaugural Chicago International Boat Show, slated for Aug. 21-24, 2025. Produced by Revel Republic, producer of the highly successful Newport Beach International Boat Show and San Diego International Boat Show, the Chicago International Boat Show at Navy Pier Marina will feature an exclusive lineup of luxury boats, yachts, and watercraft, alongside curated showcases from luxury automotive brands, private aviation, and world-class culinary experiences.

Navy Pier Marina amenities

Navy Pier Marina will offer lunch and dinner hourly tie-ups as well as overnight and extended stays. Boaters can moor up with friends and family to eat, ride the Centennial Wheel, experience Flyover Chicago, catch a show at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, or enjoy the Chicago Children's Museum and scores of other attractions at Navy Pier and its surrounding neighborhoods.

Broadside (side-tie) mooring for vessels up to 183 feet in length will be available on modern floating piers. The flexible dock design even allows cleats to be repositioned for vessel tie-up. Marina amenities include an easy-to-use online reservation system and concierge-quality service, along with power and water hookups, Wi-Fi, and pump-out service.

Designed to fit in harmony with Navy Pier, the unique two-story boater amenities building has been constructed from single-use shipping containers, resulting in a modern facility with a retro look and minimal environmental impact. The building will house the marina office, ship's store, restrooms, showers, boater's lounge, on-site laundry, bicycle repair station, and pet-friendly relief station.

The fulfillment of a dream

"The phrase, 'It takes a village,' has never been truer than in this moment," said Marilynn Gardner, President and CEO of Navy Pier. "This magnificent marina represents the culmination of 10 years of tireless work and tens of thousands of 'people power' hours from conception through what you see here today."

Additional information, including access to the marina's reservation system, can be found at navypiermarina.com.