12th Street Beach
Chicago, IL
12th Street Beach, at 1200 S. Linn White Drive on Northerly Island, sits just south of the Adler Planetarium on the Museum Campus. It's a small, sheltered beach that surprises many Chicagoans who don't know it exists. The Northerly Island natural area and its restored dunes are right behind it.
A quiet, sheltered beach steps from the museums, though parking costs add up.
How we score beachesPair a museum day at the Adler or Field Museum with an afternoon swim here.
Paid parking on the Museum Campus.
Paved paths from the Museum Campus lead to the sand.
Lifeguards are on duty 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Summer concerts on Northerly Island can mean traffic and crowds nearby.
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