Facilities at Ohio St Beach in Chicago
 

Are there any changing areas at this beach?

Hi mapngo,
I haven't been to that beach this year, but I don't recall even seeing a restroom building here. It's a pretty small little beach compared to Oak Street or North Ave. Peaceful during the workweek, but probably quite busy on the weekends with its proximity to Navy Pier. Was there a particular reason you were interested in Ohio St. Beach over Oak Street? (I often see more serious swimmers doing laps here -- perhaps b/c it IS a smaller, less crowded place.) Hopefully someone more "in the know" will reply.

If you have a Bally gym membership, you can make use of the nearby River East club to shower/change. And, of course, Navy Pier has restrooms.

Hope you get some information on the board!
http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/r...es/#beach_list

We will be staying at the Hyatt Regency and that looks like the closest beach. We will have a 4 year old with us and we wanted a low-key beach for a weekday.
Do they have stairs into the water, or is a gradual sandy entrance? Is there much trash or glass in the water?
Is Navy Pier easy to access from the beach?
Thanks!

By "weekday", I trust you mean Monday-Thursday and not on a Friday or holiday.

You'll need to read this: www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/resources/beaches

Please keep in mind that there might be a swim ban in effect when you visit. So you'll need to check this website for the Swim Report for the day you are planning on going, even though flags are normally posted to indicate conditions.

Hi mapngo,
The Ohio St. Beach has a gradual sandy entrance. As for trash, the city does make an effort to keep it clean, but this is a fairly small beach, and lots of people do hang out there on weekends -- but the beach shouldn't feel too dirty to you. The one issue I see at times, are the teen skateboarders who hang out right by the entrance to the park.

If you google "olive park beach" and "oak street beach" and click the 'Images' button, you can get a better idea of the beaches. If you're taking the bus anyway from your hotel to Navy Pier, you may just want to ride down to Oak Street Beach. It's much larger and can still feel very low-key as there's more room for people to spread out. And then you and the family can hit L'Appetito Deli in the base of the John Hancock building for some wonderful Italian food.

Really - both beaches are fine, though. And Ohio Street Beach/Olive Park/Navy Pier has gorgeous views of our skyline.
Have a good time!

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. We are looking forward to spending some time in your city. I sure hope the heat is not as bad next week. I'm in Oklahoma and I was hoping to get a little relief from the 100's. :-[

mapngo, I hope that things work out for you.

The important thing to remember is to not *only* plan on going to the beach if you wish to swim. Make sure you have alternative plans as well.

For example, if you go to the Lincoln Park Zoo (which is free everyday), the North Avenue Beach is close at hand, as well as the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. The point is that if you cannot swim at the beach, you already have alternatives in mind.

Because of the storms we've just experienced, there is a swim ban in effect for all beaches in Chicago today (and no telling how long) due to bacteria in the water. You can read about it on the website I gave you above.

For 2012 this beach will have a cafe and bathrooms.