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Illinois (IL)
Chicago
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Michigan Avenue Bridge
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Michigan Avenue Bridge

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Michigan Avenue Bridge
4.5
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The view from the bridge is one of the best vistas the city has to offer.
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The area
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Neighbourhood: Downtown / The Loop
Often visitors' first stop in Chicago, The Loop is a good starting point to sample the city's energy and flavor. This central business district boasts Michelin-rated restaurants, upscale hotels, premier shopping, and enough arresting architecture to keep your camera busy for hours. You won’t find too many photo galleries of downtown Chicago without a shot of Millennium Park and Cloud Gate (“The Bean”), one of the most iconic landmarks in the city. A stunning skyline coupled with cultural attractions like the Art Institute of Chicago present a Downtown where work and play peacefully coexist.
How to get there
  • State/Lake • 5 min walk
  • Randolph/Wabash • 5 min walk
Best nearby
Restaurants
3,104 within 5 kms
Miss Ricky's
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0.2 km$$ - $$$ • American • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Bongiorno's Italian Deli and Pizzeria
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0.2 km$ • Italian • Pizza • Vegetarian Friendly
Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe
4,966
0.4 km$$ - $$$ • American • Cafe • Vegetarian Friendly
Eddie V's Prime Seafood
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0.4 km$$$$ • American • Steakhouse • Seafood
The Purple Pig
6,176
0.4 km$$ - $$$ • Mediterranean • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Shaw's Crab House
3,336
0.3 km$$$$ • American • Seafood • Sushi
Tortoise Supper Club
613
0.3 km$$$$ • American • Steakhouse • Bar
Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
4,446
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Catch 35
1,224
0.4 km$$$$ • American • Seafood • Vegetarian Friendly
Intelligentsia Coffee
411
0.4 km$ • Quick Bites • Cafe
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Attractions
581 within 10 kms
Chicago Architecture Center
3,283
70 mSpeciality Museums
The McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum
158
61 mSpeciality Museums • Points of Interest & Landmarks
American Writers Museum
430
0.2 kmSpeciality Museums
Wrigley Building
312
0.2 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings
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0.1 kmArchitectural Buildings
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Illinois Center
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0.2 kmShopping Malls
Irv Kupcinet Statue
1
0.2 kmMonuments & Statues
Tribune Tower
634
0.3 kmArchitectural Buildings
Medieval Torture Museum
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
983 reviews
Excellent
535
Very good
352
Average
87
Poor
5
Terrible
4
Akbar Akh
7 contributions
Michigan Avenue Bridge Chicago
Apr 2023 • Family
Michigan Avenue Bridge
Chicago
Michigan Avenue
One of the sights of the great city of Chicago is called Michigan Street, which is a great place for sightseeing and adventure with its large streets and buildings. All famous brands are present on Michigan Street, and of course expensive. On one side of Michigan Street, there is a river that can surprise you. There are tall and unique buildings on this street.
Written 10 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill B
Bel Air, MD8,083 contributions
One of the city's many historic bridges
Oct 2023 • Solo
The Michigan Avenue Bridge is one of around 24 bridges that span the Chicago River from Lake Michigan several miles inland. It is still a functional draw bridge, but according to the staff at the nearby museum, it dies not open often. It is special in that it has four bridge houses that are decorated with sculpture. Since the bridge crosses where Chicago’s founding father, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, established his trading post and home, it is now named after him. Pedestrians can walk on either side of this double desk bridge and can even decend stairs on all sides to walk along the river under the bridge. The DuSable/Michigan Avenue Bridge is an important part of the historical Chicago Loop.
Written 21 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BradJill
Hong Kong, China159,156 contributions
Historic location & bridge house reliefs
May 2023
The Michigan Ave Bridge (also referred to as DuSable Bridge) is a bascule bridge that crosses the Chicago River near the location of the historic Fort Dearborn (1803-37) and the homesite of the first non-indigenous settler, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable (1780) for what would later become the city of Chicago.

The bridge was constructed between 1918-20 and is part of a series of bridges that cross the River to the east and west. On both sides are bridge houses with decorative reliefs (1928) of important moments in Chicago's history including the arrivals of French explorers Marquette and Joliet (1673), the first settlement by Jean Baptiste Point du Sable and John Kinzie (1780-1800), The Battle of Fort Dearborn (1812) and the rebuilding of the city in the aftermath of the Chicago Fire (1871).

There is a bust of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable as well as a plaque marking the location of his homesite just to the north of the Chicago River. From the bridge and nearby open space at Pioneer Court, you have outstanding views of the Chicago Skyline and the historic skyscrapers in this area of the city. You can also walk down to the Chicago Riverwalk from the steps on both sides of the bridge as well.
Written 25 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
betsnow
Tucson, AZ1,327 contributions
Great Views
Mar 2023 • Couples
Seems weird to visit a bridge, but not really when it is such a beautiful one and you want to look over the side at the bright GREEN water colored for St. Patrick's Day. Downtown Chicago is so incredibly easy to walk, and walking here was a breeze. There are some interesting historical facts situated on the bridge and around the bridge... but the views on both sides are quite lovely and even with traffic.
Written 1 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grover R
Pensacola, FL18,030 contributions
The Center of Chicago
Jun 2022
For me this was the center of Chicago. The River was the divide between the Magnificent Mile, retail and residential district of downtown, north of the river and the Loop, commercial and visitor district of downtown, south of the river, while Michigan divided the Lake from the Interior. We crossed this bridge multiple times during our visit and it was such an impressive place to be over the water surrounded by the tallest and most important buildings in the city. It is here at the bridge that you find landmark buildings like the Tribune Tower and the Wrigley Building. This does not even include the bridge itself which is adorned with architectural features. Finally, we did a river cruise which allowed us to go under the bridge. Again for me, this was the center of Chicago.
Written 25 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
christopherbO9687MP
Acton, MA667 contributions
Interesting example of the large moveable bridges over the Chicago River
Sep 2022
The Michigan Avenue Bridge is an interesting example of the large moveable bridges carrying vehicular and foot traffic over the Chicago River. The Michigan Avenue Bridge is unusual in that it has two traffic levels for cars coming off the Upper & Lower Wacker Avenues. The northern side of the bridge is the start of Chicago's Magnificent Mile shopping district; so this is a good place to start if you're walking along that.
Written 28 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Taylor B
Chicago, IL8,751 contributions
Officially, it is the DuSable Bridge, not the Michigan Avenue Bridge
Aug 2022
The Chicago White Sox's home field on the city's South Side has been known in recent years as U.S. Cellular Field and currently Guaranteed Rate Field. But it will always be Comiskey Park to me. Likewise the Michigan Avenue Bridge. In 2010, it was renamed DuSable Bridge in honor of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, Chicago's first prominent citizen who established a homestead and trading post near the mouth of the Chicago River in the 1780s, at the northern end of the bridge. Located at 333 North Michigan Avenue, at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive, it spans the Chicago River and serves as the gateway to the Magnificent Mile, Chicago's fashionable shopping area. Opened to traffic in 1920, it is the first double-deck, double-leaf, fixed trunnion bascule bridge ever built. The southern end of the bridge neighbors the original Fort Dearborn site. The bridge, along with its four bridgehouses, was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1991. If you haven't seen the bridge or walked or driven across it, you may have seen the famous scene of Sean Connery and Kevin Costner meeting on the lower level during the 1987 movie "The Untouchables." It is a drawbridge hinged with a counterweight that continuously balances the leaf (or long arm that crossed the river). Trunnion refers to the pin and supporting bearing that forms the hinge, allowing the bridge leaves to move up and down. The balance of the 4,100-ton bridge leaf and 12,000-ton counterweight of the bridge is so precise, it only takes a 108-horsepower motor to open and close each leaf. An engineering wonder even today, visitors can view the bridge's massive gears from inside the McCormick Bridgehouse Museum, which is located in the southwest bridgehouse with its entrance off the adjacent Chicago Riverwalk. Opened in 2006, the museum is a five-floor, 1,613-square-foot facility that includes exhibits on the history of the Chicago River and the bridge. Visitors also are allowed to access the bridge's gear room during the spring and fall bridge lifting to see how the bridge operates.
Written 24 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BrakiWorldTraveler
Belgrade, Serbia17,664 contributions
DuSable bridge with most amazing city views
Apr 2022
The Michigan Av Bridge is also called DuSable bridge in honor of Jean Baptiste du Sable, where his first homestead used to be and who is considered the Chicago founder and its first resident.
On the bridge southern side, the 19th century Fort Dearborn was established. The bridge was opened to public in 1920.
Around the bridge are some of the city most historic landmarks - the Tribune and Wrigley towers, and from the newer era the Trump tower.
DuSable bridge offers terrific city views standing in the middle of Magnificent Mile.
Written 22 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Irina
United States10,623 contributions
Impressive Historic Site
Jul 2021
The Michigan Avenue Bridge has been officially renamed over a decade ago, and since 2010 it is referred to as The DuSable Bridge -- named after Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, regarded as the first permanent settler in Fort Dearborn, which in 1837 became the city of Chicago.

In my opinion, the bridge deserves the highest compliments from the view point of a historic perspective. Over a hundred years (it was opened in 1920), the bridge has been an invaluable central connection of The Near North Side of the city with The Chicago Loop, both for vehicles and pedestrians. It is a trunnion bascule bridge, and in the spring and fall months it is raised twice weekly , so that the sailboats can pass between Lake Michigan and inland boat yards.

There are commemorative plaques on the walls of the bridge, and the outer walls of the four bridgehouses are decorated with the monumental sculptures, marking the important historic milestones -- events, dates, historic figures in the discovery and development, protection and regeneration of the land of Illinois, of Fort Dearborn, of Chicago. The bridge is listed in NRHP (1978), and it is designated a Chicago Landmark (1991).

Every year, millions of tourists from all over the world visit Chicago, walking along this bridge all the time, admiring the beautiful Chicago River, the unique skyline of the city and its fascinating historic buildings.

It would be fair to say, that The DuSable Bridge (The Michigan Avenue Bridge) is a prominent site for many, who are happy to appreciate the long-term service of the bridge and its historic significance.
Written 21 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Taylor B
Chicago, IL8,751 contributions
Site of Du Sable's homestead and Fort Dearborn
Nov 2021
The Du Sable Bridge, formerly the Michigan Avenue Bridge, cannot be compared to the Golden Gate. But Chicago's signature bridge that carries Michigan Avenue traffic and pedestrians across the main stem of the Chicago River rests in the midst of the city's most historic and commercial area. Located at 333 North Michigan Avenue, at the southern end of the Magnificent Mile shopping mecca, with the iconic Wrigley Building on one side and Tribune Tower on the other, it connects on the north near the 1780s homestead site of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, Chicago's first permanent resident, and on the south the early 19th century site of Fort Dearborn, which was built in 1803. Construction of the bridge began in 1918 and it was opened to traffic in 1920, proving passage for vehicles and pedestrians on two levels. It also can be raised to allow tall ships and boats to pass underneath. One of the contributing properties of the Michigan-Wacker Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and designated as a Chicago Landmark in 1991, it is a double-leaf, double-deck, fixed counterweight, trunnion bascule bridge that is 399 feet long and 91.75 feet wide and is bedecked with 28 flagpoles. There are four bridge tender houses. The northwest and southeast bridge houses contain the controls for operating the bridge. The northeast and southwest bridge houses were purely decorative until 2006 when city officials converted the southwest bridge house into a museum. The McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum, with its entrance off the Chicago Riverwalk, is a five-floor, 1,613-square-foot museum that includes exhibits on the history of the Chicago River and the bridge. During the spring and fall bridge lifting, visitors can see the bridge gears in operation as the leaves are raised and lowered to allow boats to pass.
Written 4 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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MICHIGAN AVENUE BRIDGE: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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