Montrose Beach image

Montrose Beach

Bar Tourist attraction Public beach

One of the Most Reviewed Public beaches in Chicago


Address

4400 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60640

Website

www.chicagoparkdistrict.com

Contact

(773) 363-2225

Rating on Google Maps

4.60 (3.5K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Sunday: 11 AM to 7 PM
  • Monday: 11 AM to 10 PM
  • Tuesday: 11 AM to 10 PM
  • Wednesday: 11 AM to 10 PM
  • Thursday: 11 AM to 10 PM
  • Friday: 11 AM to 10 PM
  • Saturday: 11 AM to 7 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: beach (43) parking (12) water (12) nice (11) great (11) summer (11) Montrose (10) city (10) sand (9) beaches (9)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 3/5 Dani T. 1 year ago on Google
    Negatives: No parking close by.The restrooms are absolutely disgusting. Overflowing toilets, no toilet paper, no soap, no paper towels, water throughout the entire restroom on the floor. Flies and all. Also, the beach water is super low. You can go far out & it’ll still be knee high. Positives: Chill beach. Not too many people. It’s so much space that you can have a good time (party or kickback) without being interrupted. There were umbrellas, tents, and small gathering when I went. Besides the restrooms…it’s pretty cool.
    21 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Theresa H. 8 months ago on Google • 757 reviews
    Great running paths that are both paved and dirt take your pick. There are nice shade trees to run under if you are a mid day runner. They have just closed off a section for a new bird sanctuary so there are birders there looking at the various species. There is a concession stand and bathrooms and plant of areas for picnics.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Eithne M. 1 year ago on Google
    Montrose Beach - and really, the whole Montrose area of the park - is a great respite from city life. It gets a little crowded from 11am until 7pm during the summer but I love the sunsets (and sunrise, if I'm up early enough). There's a cafe, restrooms, paddleboarding and more. Also, if you catch them on the water, the kite surfers are great to watch, too! The dog beach is right next door (separated by fencing), and the park next to the beach has a skate park, a bird/wildlife sanctuary, a boat harbor, bait & tackle shop, golfing, trails, playgrounds and more. Oh, there's also free wifi if you need it!
    6 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Samy M. 1 year ago on Google
    Awesome beach with a concession stand and a patio to sit on. Down the pier, there’s a bird sanctuary with a easy walk nature loop with different paths thru the sanctuary. You can swim here and they did have outdoor rinse stations to get the sand off your feet and whatnot
    6 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jishu Kinkar M. 8 months ago on Google • 143 reviews
    Lively and fun beach! Evenings are great to chill around with friends, go for a stroll and enjoy the sunset! You can see a lot of birds scattered around the beach area especially during the summer months. It has got adequate space for parking as well which saves a lot of hassle!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Greg G. 7 months ago on Google • 191 reviews
    Super photogenic lakefront views filled with families and vendors of all sorts. Great lunch spot in the summer. Great walking path. Great everything.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Pablo G. 8 months ago on Google
    Love picking up a gigios pizza 🍕 and having a picnic and taking in the beautiful sights. My doggies favorite spot.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Yan Y. 2 years ago on Google
    Nice beachsand is as sift as silk, great sunset 🌇 Beautiful sky and stunning windy city skylines. Loved it!!!
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ash J. 1 year ago on Google
    Great beach area, kid friendly, tons of sand area for kids to play. Not many shady areas so bring your tent or umbrellas. Easy access from parking as well.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 James W. 9 months ago on Google • 104 reviews
    A nice speech to walk along several places to sit down and enjoy the marina. When we were there, a live band was playing on the beachfront. Many activities to do; volleyball, boat rentals, and just enjoying the view of downtown and the Sunshine on the water as you watch the sailboats come in and out of the harbor.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sara V. 1 year ago on Google
    Absolutely gorgeous, beautiful view of downtown. Grassy bits, beachy bits, giant cement levels to hang on and jump into the lake from. Even a nice walking path thru a bird sanctuary. One of my favorite places in the city!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 sianna L. 2 years ago on Google
    There is no charge for parking, and there is no limit to the location of the barbecue and no charge for the location of the barbecue. Big park, swimming, barbecue, great.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Roberto A. H. 2 years ago on Google
    Very Nice & Clean Beach, very Family oriented with many things to do, from walking, Volleyball, swimming & biking 😊😉
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Dino C. 1 year ago on Google
    This is one of the cleanest beaches in Chicago! There are a ton of volleyball courts and the view is amazing. The walk on the lake front is fantastic! Don't forget the dog park. This is a A+++++ on my list!.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 David M. 1 year ago on Google
    my dog’s favorite place in the city hands down. Pure joy. we go all year
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ernst G. 2 years ago on Google
    Montrose Beach is an unique and very special place to visit and enjoying a moment with your family and friends,even by oneself. That part of the City of Chicago is the center of all searching souls, where all four elements are united. We, mortals living in a blessed world often took for granted. We present ourselves in many forms, sizes, languages spoken or otherwise and, yet, with abilities to learn,teach and understand the will of dignity and compassion for the world and each other. As children of Mother Nature and the Celestials, which had taught us in their silently voices the meaning of love, kindness, and fairness including courage, faith, understanding and wisdom. So, I am very thankful to be part of Montrose Beach. A wonderful and grateful place to live in and to find Peace of mind and laughters. With the four elements we became one. Ernst
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Papiya S. 2 years ago on Google
    A beautiful beach of Lake Michigan, beautiful city view, parking available both paid and free , a great place to go in the chicago city , highly recommended if you visit chicago, So much fun , you can do a lot of stuff there like boating, fishing and parasailing 🪂 No entrance fees if u can get a free parking
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Allison T. 8 months ago on Google • 77 reviews
    It's a Chicago beach where many locals go. This isn't California nor Florida beach so comparatively, the bathrooms are dirty. I like Montrose Beach because of it's ease of parking, accessibility of pushing things with wheels (wheelchair, wagon, etc.), and a shore restaurant. Again, it's a family friendly place where many locals go. This isn't like North Ave or Oak St. beach where there are young people without little children and over priced bar. Many little ones (with grown ups) play in the sand and in the lake. The restaurant is reasonably priced for a restaurant near the beach.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Syed Muhammad H. 7 months ago on Google • 101 reviews
    My favorite beach at Chicago. Lively clean and safe. The sand is soft too and parking is very cheap.

  • 4/5 Rishi R. 1 year ago on Google
    Beautiful beach! The Dock at Montrose is a great place to eat and get drinks. The beach is full of Volleyball courts.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Darline T. 2 years ago on Google
    Great place for beach volleyball near the city center and within easy reach of public transport. 10 courts with year-round operation give the opportunity to enjoy those who support and want to practice this type of sport. You can book a court for private play, lessons with a coach or even organize a tournament. The club has sufficient facilities for locker rooms, a bar with snacks and a summer terrace to relax after sports. Only the toilets could expand, but still enough. I definitely recommend trying it! 😎🐧
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Pooja D. 2 years ago on Google
    Wonderful place to relax and chill with friends and family.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Faith H. 2 years ago on Google
    Cute little beach - wasn’t too crowded when we went on a Friday morning. There’s also a fenced off dog beach. 4 stars because there was some litter but other than that it was nice.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Aqsa n. 9 months ago on Google
    Nice beach enjoy weather with lots of people walking cycling and doing fishing and plenty of beaches to sit n relax the view .
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Matthew H. 10 months ago on Google
    Pretty beach area with lots of room to walk and plenty of space to enjoy. My wife and I enjoyed our visit
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Dan Z. 3 months ago on Google • 71 reviews New
    One of my favorite beaches in all of Chicago and one of my favorite beaches in the country at that! Montrose beach is the perfect getaway within the city. Its within the Uptown area of Chicago and not far from Edgewater. So there's lots of cool eats, restaurants, bars and other cool attractions to see and do if you want to do something before or after Montrose. The beach can be pretty very active during the summer time and that's probably the best time to go if you're looking to socialize and potentially meet people. The beach is quite spacious and the sand is very fine, nice, never really gets so hot. The water is wonderful and always looks even better after a day of heavy rain. There's times that I have swam in this water and it looks like I'm in the Caribbean. Its hard to beat this beach during the summer. If its too packed though, there's two other beaches nearby which are just as nice (Foster and Kathy Osterman beaches). The one negative is that during the summer, since it does get more lively you sometimes do find some bozos who come here. Granted, this is almost any beach you'll go to anywhere in the world but giving that Montrose is a little more compact, it can be annoying to be near some bozos. But again, its spacious enough where you can do that. Overall, Montrose is one of the best beaches in Chicago and gets a big fat high recommendation from me! PROS: -Beautiful water -Sand is just perfect -Big enough to have space -Good vibes during the summer -Close to Uptown with lots of great eats and bars nearby CONS: -Its not all the time but you can expect some bozos sometimes but its easy to avoid and isn't the norm -Sometimes can be packed during the summer

  • 5/5 Deabrazuca 7 months ago on Google • 15 reviews
    Great atmosphere. They have a vast grass right in front of the beach where we can get together with friends and family for parties and barbecue. Lake Michigan’s water has an amazing temperature during July. It’s a very fun place. 🤩🥳

  • 5/5 Elizabeth A. 9 months ago on Google • 11 reviews
    Perfect place for your dog to enjoy some water during the summer heat! - water isn't too deep -During the week its significantly less crowded -free parking near -remember you're at a DOG beach, so watch out if you "set up" a place to layout -- you might have a dog pee on your chair 😂 -friendly people (so far)

  • 5/5 Stephenie N. 9 months ago on Google
    Gorgeous with endless options for activities nearby! Rent a kayak, rent a bike, take a jog, find a spot in the sand, claim one of the dozens of BBQ pits for a family picnic! And don't forget the massive dog park at the north end of the beach too!

  • 5/5 Ken W. 1 year ago on Google
    Free parking and beautiful weather for late February. The dog beach looks like a winner and wished I had my dog.miles of trails along Lake Michigan can be found there.

  • 5/5 S B. 9 months ago on Google
    This beach is gorgeous. 🏝️ there also is a great spot for the dogs.:)

  • 5/5 Josep C. 8 months ago on Google
    We have visited several beaches. As a family w babies this seemed the most suited! Not the best view of the city, but as a beach, great atmosphere. The sand gets raked and cleaned! Much appreciated!

  • 5/5 Josephine H. 2 years ago on Google
    Very nice place to just walk or workout. We had a class there for strong nation.

  • 4/5 Brandy F. 8 months ago on Google
    Free parking is nice. Get there early if you want a good spot on top of the water. The water was so clear and nice to walk in with shells poking your feet but unfortunately a lot of glass from people not picking up after themselves. Watch where you step but otherwise such a nice beach.

  • 5/5 Bob Gianna (. 8 months ago on Google
    This beach is lovely. It's the perfect place to spend the day when it's hot and sunny. You can swim in the cold but refreshing lake which is shallow. The beach is well organized.

  • 4/5 Nic G. 2 years ago on Google
    Not as crowded as North Ave beach. 85% less frat bros. Nice.

  • 5/5 SumerA C. 8 months ago on Google
    Really nice, family oriented beach. Clean area, lots of people. The ice cream man comes around like old times. The beach is calm and relaxing. Love that I loved to the city! I come here ever so often to catch a wave.

  • 5/5 Shamika 7 months ago on Google
    We came on the 4th of July and it was packed! But we found plenty of space for 2 picnic blankets and a place to dig and castles. There were vendors walking along the beach with ice cream and cotton candy 😍 There are also food stands serving tacos and other light meals. It was a great time!

  • 5/5 Mia M. 7 months ago on Google • 7 reviews
    Best beach in Chicago, hands down. If you like seagulls, wide stretches of sand and people who will smile and wave at you, go here. Rep the rhythm festival later this month! Aug 26-27

  • 3/5 Nicholas B. 1 year ago on Google
    Nice park. Plenty of parking. Lots of homeless camps under LSD viaducts. Was there on a cold nasty day, so had the lakefront to myself.

  • 5/5 Nalinibhavani E. 2 years ago on Google
    Beautiful beach ,awesome view of Chicago sky line & bird sanctuary

  • 4/5 Jossy S. 2 years ago on Google
    Fun beach during the summer ! Way less crowded than other beaches !


Call (773) 363-2225 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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