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    Water Tower Place

    3.6 (371 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Water Tower Place Photos

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    Shalaunte W.

    This is a parking garage for stores inside this building , and to get too attractions on the magnificent mile. The American Girl store has a huge storefront here . To park here it s pretty pricey. Check your timeline and make sure it's worth the cost !

    Pretty butterfly art
    karina k.

    It's great in the heart of downtown in the tourist area but has lots to see and do. Parking is paid in garages nearby or on the street and you pay the mobile meter or at a machine so it's best to take CTA subway or bus. This mall has a lot of fun stores like Sunglasses hut, Lego, Wow BAO, and tons of food and clothing stores among others. It's pretty inside and they keep it clean, free bathrooms. On the weekends there's an indoor farmers market on floor 4 and on 3-23-25 there was live music (it was a bit too loud) but it was fun. Vendors and lots of seating to eat and people watch.

    Stairs
    Shay B.

    My kids favorite stores are here -- right next to each other. American Girl and LEGO store. We only visit for these but I did notice that they have Free People which I might have to visit soon. The bathrooms are clean. The elevators are gorgeous and the parking is $14 if you park after 5pm.

    Fawn G.

    If you are looking to kill some time and want to roam around in a non chalant way, this mall is for you. The positive is it's very pretty and now for the holidays decorated very festive. It is located on Michigan Avenue and that is another plus. However, I have never seen a more boring collection of stores. American Girl and LEGO is the main draw and Chicago Sports museum other than that....????? My cousin and I roamed for thirty minutes until we found Spirits and Spice which houses artisanal oils, wine and beer. There is a small dining area on Ground Floor which offers pizza, burgers and shakes. Fun facts: first opened in 1976 and was Chicago's first nine level multi purpose mall.

    Entrance
    Steve A.

    By the name of this place, you know what's close to it. It's a mall located next to one of Chicago's most famous landmarks. Water Tower Place certainly isn't historic like that structure though. Even so, it has an important part in retail history. This was one of the first malls with multiple floors, glass infrastructure and all that kind of stuff. As for the actual shopping at this mall, it's not good. It seems to have lost a lot of stores in recent years and hasn't recovered. The stores are a mix of casual and upscale. Also it certainly feels dated. The glass structure is from years past and pretty dumpy looking to be honest. About the only cool part is the water at the entrance. This is an appropriate motive since it's next to the water tower, one thinks. For sure it's not a great mall. It's more about the area and going to other places. There's still things to check out like the food court and whatever.

    Kenya H.

    Pretty cool mall in downtown Chicago. Being from the south I prefer my outlet malls. I have come to the conclusion people in Chicago like to spend money because most stores are full price. Some normal pricing like Bath and Body works and other name brand stores. Nice selection of stores and chill atmosphere. Good place to walk around and sightsee. Not really my type of place in-terms of cost but nice place overall.

    Jonquil B.

    It has been some time since I've been to the water tower. I usually go for eyeglasses or random things shipped to a store, but I actually walked around and though a lot of stores have closed & the variety has changed, but they do have different themed installations/exhibits that make the water tower place it's home for a time (ie. Harry Potter Experience and Art exhibits). It's weird, because I remember people used to just walk around at the water tower but after Covid, random burglaries/smash and grabs, it is a little different now. I don't think the water tower has a lot of customer service? But the stores I visit are very friendly and helpful. I will say visit or revisited for the new exhibits, decorations, and new stores. I do believe the prices, for a lot of stores are still the same.

    Escalators. Higher level of shopping
    Anton F.

    One of the many skyscrapers in Chicago, this property includes commercial office space, a hotel and a shopping mall. The 74 story building houses the Ritz-Carlton Hotel with over 425 rooms and the shopping mall that has over 60 stores, shops and restaurants spread out over 7 floors. Located on the north end of the Magnificent Mile, this is a. Chicago landmark worth checking out. There are several public transportation bus lines that make a stop here.

    Shopping
    Özge A.

    Great selection of shopping stores It is my go to spot for chill shopping days!!! Definitely check it out.

    David C.

    Sad excuse for a mall (apr 2022). About half the stores in this mall are closed. And although it's on the magnificent mile there is nothing magnificent about it. They have an ardidas, a Lego and American doll Stores. An express and several sports apparel stores but it was a waste of time to go here.

    Level 7 view
    Courtney T.

    This mall is absolutely gorgeous! I've never seen a mall so visually appealing. Tons of speciality stores exclusive to Chicago. It's a must see place to visit. The American Girl store was like a dream! Amazing.

    Nicole E.

    Off Michigan avenue. Quite a few police detail in here. 7 floors of stores. It's connected to American Girl place, Ritz Carlton and a movie theater too. Glass elevators and escalators too. Touch screen directory.

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    Absolutely love the South Loop Farmers market Pop-up! Make sure you stop by on Sundays to check it out!

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    Ask the Community - Water Tower Place

    Any parking lot?

    Yes, though it's pricy! You can enter on Chestnut.

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    Review Highlights - Water Tower Place

    There's Macy's, American Girl Place, Banana Republic, Abercrombie, salons, Garrett's, a mezzanine food level, and restaurants and chocolate shops.

    Mentioned in 46 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Illinois Center - View from Illinois Center

    Illinois Center

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    "One of Mies van der Rohe's final designs rises above a former rail yard that many years earlier…read morewas the site of Fort Dearborn." Planning began for Illinois Center in the late 1960's. Richard J. Daley proclaimed it as "the greatest real estate deal in history." The Illinois Center development is a prominent mixed-use complex situated between Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River. It encompasses a significant portion of the skyline and includes office buildings, residential towers, hotels (Hyatt Regency), and retail spaces such as Just Salad, Burrito Beach, Potbelly, FedEx, a credit union and a dentist office. There is also access to the Pedway for underground travel during inclement weather. The concierge at 111 is helpful but sometimes busy. There is a nice selection of foods. The parking rates are a reasonable price. The view of the Chicago River and Trump Tower are a nice distraction. It's extremely difficult to get work done with the captivating panorama.

    Illinois Center is not great unless you have a purpose there, like work. There's restaurants, but…read morethey actually close kind of early (at least the Just Salad does; Potbelly seems to stay open a bit later) and the LAZ parking office is in here. Chicago Architecture Foundation has a space here, which makes sense since the boat tours they run are directly across the street. It's also part of the medway. It's connected to the Hyatt Regency, which can be useful if you're staying in the hotel and park beneath the building. But in general, it's not really worth a visit.

    The Apparel Center - Aerial View

    The Apparel Center

    (2 reviews)

    River North, Near North Side

    There's so many things to say about this building that I don't know where to begin....Let's start…read morewith it's name... 350 West Mart Center was the official name of this building although it was commonly referred to as the Apparel Center or the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza. (No I'm not going to give you a history lesson! Lol) As of late, the building was acquired by Shorenstein Properties in 2012 and officially renamed River North Point in 2013. Now that we've established that the name is River North Point, on to what's inside.... The notables --- on the 15th floor you will find the lobby for the Holiday Inn (with nice views btw) and a restaurant, skipping down some...on the 10th floor you'll find the Chicago Sun-Times, then the 2nd floor you'll find what others describe as a "glass enclosed bridge/skywalk" but I call a pedway that connects this building to the Merchandise Mart (awesome!), and lastly the 1st floor where you'll find the Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago, a convenient store (C&A News), and an informational desk in the lobby. All the other floors are filled with various office spaces that are leased by different companies. This building is located right off the river and easily accessed by the Merchandise Mart Brown/Purple Line. How do I know all of this??? Well I work in this building, duh!

    As an up-and-coming hub for regional, national, and international fashion, Chicago has come a long…read moreway from its status as a redheaded stepchild to NYC and LA. The Apparel Center offers a convenient go-to for Chicago-area boutiques and wholesalers to meet without the hassle of business travel, and has quite literally changed the way I purchase clothing for my shop. Rather than schlep hither and yon for wholesale shows in Dallas or Attanta or New York, I can head downtown, put in some orders, and head back to work in the space of an hour. Efficient in layout and clustered on one floor, the showrooms range from spotlessly minimal ro chaotically cluttered, but that's part of the charm. The showrooms at the Apparel Center are staffed by helpful and honest people, and I can often see them within a day or two's notice. The Apparel Center also works in tandem with the Merchandise Mart for Stylemax, the quarterly wholesale show, so I can also see clothing representatives on a regular basis and have local go-to people for emergency orders and the like. I am immensely grateful that this resource exists for people like me and would love to see it grow into an even more vibrant locale for Chicago's burgeoning fashion scene. Until then, I wil continue to thank my lucky stars I can easily do this type of pivotal buying right downtown!

    Water Tower Place - shoppingcenters - Updated May 2026

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