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McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum

The only Chicago bridgehouse open to the public contains a museum devoted to the Chicago River.

Chicago, Illinois

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Entrance to the museum   Jeremy Atherton
Gears for the bridge lift   BeKa211 / Atlas Obscura User
The DuSable bridge; the museum is in the tower on the right   Shadowlink1014
Looking out from the Bridgehouse   yooperann / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the Bridgehouse   yooperann / Atlas Obscura User
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When you walk along the Chicago Riverwalk between May and October, you may stumble across a bridgehouse that is actually open to the public. This would be the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum, located in the southwest tower of the Michigan Ave Bridge. 

The Friends of the Chicago River opened the museum in this 5-story tower in 2006. The ground floor contains the gear room, which contain the massive gears and weights that lift the bridge a couple times per week. The remaining floors are dedicated to exhibits on the history and impact of the Chicago River, such as native wildlife in the watershed, and how the river's flow was reversed in 1900.

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Know Before You Go

Open Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm, from sometime in May to sometime in October. Check the website for exact the exact opening/closing days of the season, and for bridge lift days. Self-guided admission is pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $8 for adults. Admission on bridge lift days is $15 and must be booked in advance.

Only the first floor and gear room are wheelchair accessible. Computer stations showing the other exhibits are available.

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Published

January 17, 2026

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