Avoid Chicago Crowds At This Family-Friendly Beach With Beautiful Views

Believe it or not, Chicago in the summer can feel almost tropical. The city proper is home to 24 beaches, making for some excellent warm-weather outing opportunities. That's right! You don't necessarily need non-stop flights from Chicago to the Caribbean to make the most of summer — especially once you discover Foster Avenue Beach. Located in the historic Lincoln Park neighborhood, it's another option for a day of fun, particularly with kiddos in tow. 

Foster Avenue is a completely man-made beach along Lake Michigan's lakefront. Construction on the original beach began in the early 1930s. But, by the 1950s, Lake Shore Drive needed an expansion, so the original beach was taken over. However, the beach was recreated south of the original location shortly after. This spot is actually built on top of refuse; it's part of the Lincoln Park (the park, not neighborhood) expansion that happened when the city topped landfill to make more public space.

Now, it's a memorable place for relaxing along the waterfront. "What a nice break from the ultra-crowded beaches further south! Every beach along the lake is gorgeous, but they can sometimes be shadowed by the massive crowds," a Yelp reviewer wrote. "Foster is definitely smaller, but there's plenty of room to spread out without bumping elbows with everyone around you."

Foster Avenue Beach is definitely not as crowded as Oak Street, another Midwest beach. However, we know from personal experience that it can get crowded depending on the day — like holiday weekends. If you visit on Memorial Day weekend, it will be clear that it is not among the best undiscovered beaches. Even so, as far as Chicago crowds go, Foster keeps things on the down low.

But that doesn't mean anyone should miss out on this sandy city haven. That's because it has more to offer besides lounging and swimming. For one, it's next door neighbors to the Get a Grip Trapeze School. With its outdoor setup right by the beach, you may catch some high flying aerial action. You can also grill in marked areas.

Plus, part of what makes this beach so family-friendly is that it has a beach house area. There, you can rent bikes, use the bathroom, or get something to eat. Additionally, Foster features an ADA-accessible beach walk. Getting to the beach is also pretty easy. There's a lot of parking around it, and it's nearby to two bus routes and the Berwyn Red Line stop.

As a public beach operated by the Chicago Park District, there are several important rules Foster Beach guests need to follow. For instance, dogs aren't allowed, and you shouldn't feed the abundant wildlife. Most importantly, however, is the rule about not swimming without on-duty lifeguards. Foster Beach is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Swimming is only allowed from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. when lifeguards are present during the season between Memorial Day and Labor Day. While not an ocean, Lake Michigan is still a body of water to be respected. It's important to only go in if lifeguards are present.

Since 2010, nearly 1,300 people have died in the Great Lakes, per statistics from the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. The GLSRP data indicates Lake Michigan had already had 30 casualties by mid-2024. Seven of those deaths occurred in Chicago. As the stats reveal, and news outlets have previously reported, Lake Michigan is the deadliest of the five Great Lakes. It is also crucial to check the swimming status at Foster Avenue Beach, which can be found on the Foster Beach website. Swimming status shows weather, surf conditions, and the water quality.