Watch Bridge Lifts in October at the Bridgehouse Museum
Get a close-up view of the DuSable Bridge in motion from inside our McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum. Guests can view the massive gears from several feet away in our gear room or climb to the top of the tower to see the bridge lift above street level. Fall Bridge Lift Viewing Dates are on Saturdays through November 2 and on Wednesdays through October 23. Saturday lifts are typically around 10 a.m. and Wednesday lifts around 9:30 a.m.
Chicago's iconic bridges 第一吃瓜open approximately 40 times a year (April to November) to accommodate sailboats and other tall vessels traveling between the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. The bridge lifts start at Lake Shore Drive, the first of 27 bridges that go up, proceeding west to the Ashland Avenue Bridge on the South Branch of the Chicago River.
Tickets to the bridge lift viewing are $15 per person and reservations are required.
Please email bridgehousemuseum@gmail.com or call 312-977-0227 to make your reservation.
The DuSable Bridge at Michigan Avenue is the third in this procession. Hear the bridge bells start ringing, see the gates close to traffic, and watch the massive gears start turning as the iconic DuSable Bridge starts rising towards the sky.
We cannot guarantee the timing of the lift as it depends on how fast the bridge tenders can move up the river, how many boats need to pass, and weather.
