Chicago Public Restrooms
Updated March 18, 2018
I know, from experience, that it is sometimes difficult to find a public restroom in an unfamiliar city. A few years ago, my husband and I were on vacation in Paris, France. Our guidebook told of a free public WC (water closet) in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. We looked for a small building nearby but could not find one. An impressive statue of Charlemagne, yes, but no building that looked like it contained a restroom. Finally, we spotted a small sign and some stairs. The restroom was underground!
Knowing where restrooms are located is important not only to tourists but also to residents who are spending a day out enjoying the city. In Chicago, many businesses, especially restaurants, post signs restricting restroom use to customers. If you don’t want to make a purchase, what can you do? Well, there’s no need to worry. There are plenty of free public restrooms. You just have to know where to look.
Downtown Chicago Public Restrooms
Spending the day downtown? If you’re north of the Chicago River, these are great places to find a restroom:
- 900 North Michigan Shops, 900 North Michigan Avenue
- 875 North Michigan Avenue (formerly known as the John Hancock Center), 875 North Michigan Avenue
Enter from North Michigan Avenue at the lower level. Go down the hall past The Cheesecake Factory and turn right. The restrooms will be down the hall on the left. - Water Tower Place, 835 North Michigan Avenue
- The Shops at North Bridge, 520 North Michigan Avenue
Enter from North Michigan Avenue. Take a left past the stores to the escalator and take the escalator to the second floor. The restrooms are located to the left. - Navy Pier, 600 East Grand Avenue
If you have questions regarding the interactive map, please read the Tips for Using These Maps section.
If you’re south of the Chicago River, freshen up at one of these locations:
- Chicago Riverwalk
Restrooms are located on the Chicago Riverwalk between North State Street and North Dearborn Street, North Dearborn Street and North Clark Street, and North LaSalle Street and North Wells Street. - James R. Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph Street
Enter at the West Randolph Street and North Clark Street corner doors. Take the escalator down to the food court and take a right out of the food court area to the restrooms. - Block 37, 108 North State Street
Enter at the North State Street entrance. Walk down the hall to the center area of the mall. Take the escalator down to the lower level and turn left down the hall at the bottom of the escalator. The restrooms will be on the left. These are the best restrooms to use in this mall because there are more stalls. The restrooms on the upper floors of the mall are smaller restrooms with only a few stalls. - Chicago Cultural Center, 78 East Washington Street
Enter at either the 78 East Washington Street or 77 East Randolph Street entrance. The restrooms are on the north (East Randolph Street) end of the building. - Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion, 201 East Randolph Street
This restroom location is open seasonally. The restrooms are located to the east and west of the stage. - Harold Washington Library Center, 400 South State Street
Restrooms are located on several floors of the library. - Grant Park Near Buckingham Fountain, 301 South Columbus Drive
Restrooms are located in Grant Park to the northwest and southwest of Buckingham Fountain. These restrooms are open seasonally.
Lincoln Park Public Restrooms
If you’re in the Lincoln Park area enjoying a day outdoors, here are some good restroom options:
- Lincoln Park Conservatory, 2391 North Stockton Drive
Restrooms are located inside the main entrance. - Lincoln Park Zoo
Restrooms are located in the Regenstein Macaque Forest, Café at Wild Things (open seasonally), Kovler Lion House, Pritzker Family Children's Zoo, Park Place Café, Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House, Foreman Pavilion (open seasonally), and Farm-in-the-Zoo (in the main barn). - Lincoln Park South Fieldhouse, 1650 North Stockton Drive
This restroom location is open seasonally. It is a brick structure located northeast of the Benjamin Franklin monument.
If you have questions regarding the interactive map, please read the Tips for Using These Maps section.
If you are unable to locate the restrooms, just ask someone. Many of the places I have suggested have an information booth with people ready to assist!
Tips for Using These Maps
Use the Zoom In (+) and Zoom Out (–) features, located at the bottom of the map, to show more or less map detail.
Click on a map icon to open a panel showing detailed information about the restroom location. Choose the View in Google Maps link to get directions, see area street views, and access other features. To close the panel, click on the left-pointing arrow next to the restroom location's name.
Use these features to open and close a panel showing a description of the map and a list of all the restroom locations on the map. To reveal more information in each section, click the section's ∨. To see less information in each section, click the ∧. Select a restroom location's name from the list to open a panel showing detailed information about the restroom location. Choose the View in Google Maps link to get directions, see area street views, and access other features. To close the panel and return to the list of all the restroom locations, click on the left-pointing arrow next to the restroom location's name.
When in Google Maps, drag and drop the Google Person onto the map to see the area in street view. You can then move up and down the streets to see what is in the neighborhood.
Select this feature to open a new tab in your web browser and view a larger map. The map opens with the list of restroom locations panel open. You will now have access to a search feature and more menu options. Click on the menus and try the different features to find those that work best for you.
Share the map via Google+, Facebook, Twitter, or email. You can also embed the map on your own website.