57th Street Beach

Location:

5700 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60611

Within: Jackson Park

Phone Numbers:
Main (312) 74-BEACH

Location Notes:

57th Street and Lake Michigan

Accessibility Details: A beach is considered accessible if it has an accessible path of travel (beach walk) to the shoreline.

Features: Beaches, Has Restroom, Has Wi-Fi

Is Accessible

Rules

Swim only when lifeguards are on duty.
Follow lifeguards’ instructions.
Only Coast Guard approved personal flotation devices (PFDs) are permitted. Person-children wearing PFDs should have adult present.
No smoking.
No alcohol.
No dogs on the beach.
Do not feed birds or wildlife.
Dispose of trash and recycling in appropriate containers.
Grill in designated areas only and dispose of coals in red barrels.
Keep accessible beach walks clear. No bicycling, skateboarding or rollerblading is permitted in these areas.
Access to the Lake Michigan Water Trail for sports such as kayaking, canoeing and other non-motorized board or paddle sports is allowed at the north end of 57th Street Beach.
Kiteboarding is not permitted at 57th Street Beach; kiteboarding is ONLY permitted at Montrose Beach.

Hours

Facility Hours

Sunday:	11:00 am-7:00 pm
Monday:	11:00 am-7:00 pm
Tuesday:	11:00 am-7:00 pm
Wednesday:	11:00 am-7:00 pm
Thursday:	11:00 am-7:00 pm
Friday:	11:00 am-7:00 pm
Saturday:	11:00 am-7:00 pm

Hours Notes

The beach is open from 6 am to 11 pm, but swimming is only permitted when lifeguards are on duty, from 11 am to 7 pm daily.

Description

57th Street Beach is located at 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive (57th St. @ Lake Michigan) in Jackson Park. This beach features an ADA accessible beach walk and restrooms. Beach goers can stop by the Tasty Grill offering a Mexican menu along with hot dogs and refreshing beverages. The distance swimming area is located parallel to shore from 55th Street south to pier. Limited street parking is available nearby, west of Lake Shore Drive.

Distance swimming area: parallel to shore from 55th St. south to pier

History

The renowned designers of New York's Central Park, Olmsted & Vaux, laid out Jackson Park along with the adjacent Midway Plaisance and Washington Park in 1871. Their earliest park improvements included a beach composed of granite bricks at the location of what is now the 57th Street Beach.

Improvement plans for Jackson Park after the Columbian Exposition World's Fair included a sand beach. However, raw sewage was still being dumped into Lake Michigan, and the lake was not considered a desirable place to wade or swim. The beaches were often used as paved drives for strolling or promenading, rather than wading or bathing.

The lakefront did not become a popular place for public bathing until 1899, when Chicago's innovative Drainage Canal was complete. Since the turn of the century, the 57th Street Beach has been used by generations of Chicagoans.

In 1993, the Chicago Park District constructed a new beach house for the beach, and beach-goers can enjoy a beautiful view of the city skyline.