Foot of Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603
Dock
Not Offered
Mooring
$1.50/ft
Day Trip
Not Offered
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39 Reviews
by Annie D. - Verified user on Oct 20, 2023
It was very bad!!! Actually the worse night in the 3 months we have been on the water. We paid for 2 nights and stayed only one the waves were so bad the boat was rocking like hell….. we really hope we could be at least reimbursed for one night .
by Kip R. - Verified user on Oct 10, 2023
Very rolly and the water taxis blast all though the mooring field waking everybody pretty much constantly. We called at eleven the second day and asked if we could cancel the remainder of our reservation and I was told we could. They charged us anyway for that night we were t there. Very poor staff. Very limited facilities but a great view of the city.
by Hunter - Verified user on Oct 06, 2023
Just plain awesome q
by Charles C. - Verified user on Oct 03, 2023
Great location! Nice having shuttle boat readily available!
by John P. - Verified user on Sep 11, 2023
Great spot to visit the Chicago area. My only suggestion would be to update the mooring balls so that you can access a painter from six feet off the water. Thanks.
by Daniel B. - Verified user on Sep 04, 2023
Clean comfortable and a great view
by mark m. - Verified user on Sep 03, 2023
Very easy. Good communication
by Andrew S. - Verified user on Aug 29, 2023
The staff was always courteous and helpful. The tender service was quite prompt and helpful. The captains on the tenders did a great job especially Adele and Mike. We hope to be back next year.
by Wylie M. - Verified user on Aug 28, 2023
Bad service.... wouldn't recommend
by Larry B. - Verified user on Jul 22, 2023
Beautiful harbor and great tender operators.
by Benjamin S. - Verified user on May 30, 2023
No lines or painters to grab, just bare Mooring ball! Absolutely no reason transient mooring balls shouldn’t be accommodating. Pre season tender hours not provided. Nice and professional trender captian
by Kara - Verified user on May 19, 2023
Magnificent views come with a price - not just about the cost either. We stayed here early in 2023 sailing season, and had 2 incredible days sight-seeing Chicago. The facility is great, bathrooms are clean, tender services friendly and very convenient, and the cans are well-marked. It is not protected from the lake so be prepared for some lumpiness- even on very calm days.
by Adolphus D. - Verified user on Sep 28, 2022
Great staff and Tender service, I’m a new boater and I really appreciate their help!
by Alicia l. - Verified user on Sep 26, 2022
The mooring balls do not have painters (lines) so if your boat is high like ours is, it is difficult to get a line on them. Also, the harbor is not protected from the south east so in rough conditions with waves coming from that direction it made for a very bympy night.
by Jane F. - Verified user on Sep 18, 2022
We stayed on a mooring ball and found it very crowded, very wavy all night, and were given codes to the marina bathrooms that didn’t work. It is convenient to stay here prior to locking through, but would definitely choose elsewhere next time.
by Richard B. - Verified user on Sep 12, 2022
Great launch point for loopers taking the Chicago river route.
by Kathryn P. - Verified user on Sep 12, 2022
We stayed in Monroe Harbor for 5 nights on a mooring. $43 a night. The view was amazing. We did have an unusually calm and warm week for September. The tenders were efficient and ran u til 11:30 at night. I would stay here again in a heartbeat!
by Tom C. - Verified user on Sep 10, 2022
When we arrived, another boat was occupying the mooring ball we had reserved. The staff was great and suggested we find another buoy then simply advise them as to the one we chose. My previous review, which is still here following this one, mentioned that no mooring lines are attached to the buoys. It would be really nice if the water taxis could add a quick stop along their routes to tie a mooring line for incoming boaters. Previous review: This is the second time we've moored at Monroe, both times there was no line connected to the buoy/can. This makes it extremely difficult to tie off. It was very windy and impossible to hold the boat in place with a boat hook. Luckily someone in a kayak caught the bowline and tied it to the buoy for us. I've been boating for 42 years in case you think this is some kind of amateur complaining.
by Carlos J. - Verified user on Aug 08, 2021
Everyone in the marina always provides great service. Special kudos to the tender service crew… they are truly phenomenal!!!
by Joseph R. - Verified user on Jul 21, 2021
The "New" Monroe Harbor is an absolute joy. When I started boating to Chicago back in the 1990's, everyone I dealt with at Monroe Harbor was either rude, dismissive, or just plain unpleasant. So I stopped coming to Monroe Harbor. No longer. Everyone I dealt with - Harbormaster, tender boat captains, even the ice bag vendor - was courteous and friendly. Special shout out to Steve, for helping me get my boat up and running after a little mishap.
by Don M. - Verified user on Oct 11, 2019
Location is Top notch, water taxi to shore is prompt and esay. Staff are pleasant and helpful.
The only downfalls for us were no pendants on the balls making it difficult to grab and the SE winds caused some very rollie nights, it felt like we were anchoring out in the lake.
by David R. - Verified user on Sep 13, 2019
First night was great. When the winds and swell are coming from the southeast, this place is a bouncy hell hole…we barely slept at all the second night for that reason.
by Celeste F. - Verified user on Sep 10, 2019
Nice large mooring field. No lines on balls so you must call harbor master to assist you with tying up. Nice water taxi service. Very rocking. Like a washing machine. Great location. Fireworks every Saturday night and they were fantastic! Nice clean rest rooms.
by Alexander S. - Verified user on Aug 18, 2019
I cannot thank the staff at Monroe enough. Luke was a tremendous help when my bilge pump went out and saved the day. I will be certainly return and highly recommend this harbor.
by Greg D. - Verified user on Aug 11, 2019
Staff very helpful and friendly Winn be back. My only wis is that they put pendants on the mooring balls.
by Michael B. - Verified user on Jul 29, 2019
I really liked the marina. The location was great and we never had to wait long for the tender.
The only downside was that the mooring buoy didn’t have a pickup buoy attached to it so we had to lean over the railing to thread our line through the buoy.
by SZPIRGLAS C. - Verified user on Sep 21, 2018
Perfect, kindness, people helpfull.
by James E. - Verified user on Sep 03, 2018
Very convenient and enjoyable
by Ed H. - Verified user on Aug 13, 2018
The staff of the tenders and the harbor master were very helpful and great to deal with in many different situations I had, as anyone who owns an older boat will know
by Robert B. - Verified user on Jul 08, 2018
We loved staying on the can - cool breezes, no crowds, easy maneuvering, free and efficient tender service. AND all at less than one-third the price of a slip!
by Phillip K. - Verified user on Jul 05, 2018
The location is great and the staff was very accommodating. A tender service is used by the marina operator to ferry people to and from their boats and the service should be better. On one occasion we had to wait nearly 30 minutes for a tender to pick us up for a trip to shore. It was not a peak time, it was the middle of an afternoon, but they only had one tender making the run. Speaking with season customers, this is a common occurrence and complaint.
by Richard P. - Verified user on Oct 01, 2017
Just simply fantastic weather, great views and friendly people on the water taxi. The view and the many restaurants are absolutely fantastic.
by KREITMANN - Verified user on Sep 18, 2017
Beautiful location. Great tender service with dedicated staff.
Wifi totally substandard, event by the office, not to mention at the mooring cans.
Water refill not at all compliant with basic hygiene norms : one has to use the faucets of the pump out dock, which are connected to water hoses used for cleaning holding tanks. Connecting one's own hoses does not prevent bacteria spreading. Separate faucets should be installed on a separate dock ! Shocking !
by Doug W. - Verified user on Sep 05, 2017
The staff at the Harbor office (Jenn) was awesome... so patient and informative as we are new to the area. Tenders to and from shore are readily available and tender Captains are excellent.
There are no facilities to speak of but Chicago downtown and Riverwalk is basically a stones throw away.
by Charlie M. - Verified user on Sep 04, 2017
Great location. Mooring balls are a pain to hook to. No line hanging to grab hold of. Difficult for a larger boat to feed line through eye. The harbor tinders (water taxi) are great.
by Robert T. - Verified user on Aug 24, 2017
Great tender service; attractive price; convenient pump-out and water facilities. First night was on a mooring ball that was open to the swells from the opening in the inner breakwater -- but the helpful staff was able to relocate us to a more protected ball where we slept much better.
by Kenneth B. - Verified user on Jul 11, 2017
Calm, sheltered mooring, exceptional water taxi access. Very helpful staff. Could not have been better.
by Maryanne T. - Verified user on Jun 12, 2017
We were moored in really high winds and the help of the harbor tender pilot was invaluable. Thanks a bunch from the crew of Coracle!
by Stephen G. - Verified user on Jun 11, 2017
We had a great weekend. Too many things to do in Chicago. Tender service was great! Props to captain blue beard!
About Monroe Harbor, the Chicago Harbors
Monroe Harbor is located in the heart of downtown Chicago and its 390 mooring cans combine to create the central panorama of the Chicago skyline. Iconic to the Chicago Harbors, Monroe has a strong community of long-time boaters many of whom love the nostalgia and history of this harbor at the foot of the city. Home to the Chicago Yacht Club and Columbia Yacht Club, the harbor is a central focal point of the lakefront.
A frequent and convenient tender service is available; please hail on channel 68 for pick-up. There are accommodations for boats 25’-80’ in length. Transient mooring is also available. Additionally, there is waste pump-out equipment at the northern end of the harbor that is provided on a no-charge basis. The harbor monitors channels 9 and 16 and the switch to/working channel is 68.
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