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18. We Got DIBS on Navy Pier: A Conversation with Marilynn Gardner President & CEO
This episode is a love letter to Chicago’s lakefront icon. As we head into the holidays, we sit down with Marilynn Gardner President & CEO of Navy Pier, to talk about what it means to steward “Chicago’s front porch”, a place where history, culture, and core memories all collide.
Marilynn takes us on a journey from freight to festivals: how a municipal pier built in 1916 became a Navy training site, a University of Illinois campus (a.k.a. “Harvard on the Rocks”), and eventually one of the most visited spots in the city — complete with the Centennial Wheel, public art, theater, restaurants, FlyOver Chicago, and more.
If you’ve ever flown into Chicago, seen Navy Pier out the window, and thought, “Okay, I’m home,” this one’s for you.
In this episode, we cover:
- A pier with a thousand lives: Marilynn traces Navy Pier’s evolution from shipping hub to Navy training ground, university campus, and finally the civic space we know today.
- Why Navy Pier is “Chicago’s front porch”: How the pier brings people together across neighborhoods, backgrounds, and generations, and why Marilynn sees her role as stewarding a mission-based cultural center, not just a tourist attraction.
- Winter WonderFest is back: The beloved holiday tradition returns after a five-year hiatus, with indoor ice skating, rides, and family-friendly fun for those long Chicago winter days.
- FlyOver Chicago & falling in love with the city (again): Nick shares his unexpectedly emotional experience on FlyOver Chicago, and Marilynn explains why it captures the grit, resilience, and beauty of the city so well.
- Events that shape the city’s cultural life: From EXPO CHICAGO to volleyball tournaments, weddings, fundraisers, and everything in between, how Navy Pier balances public space, local businesses, and significant events.
- Balancing history and what’s next: How Marilynn and her team protect the pier’s legacy while reimagining underused spaces and bringing in new experiences that keep people coming back.
Episode Resources:
Navy Pier
Winter Wonderfest Tickets
Marilynn Gardner LinkedIn
Listen now and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and comment; it helps us continue to bring you the voices behind the institutions, people, and places that make Chicago extraordinary.
Connect with the hosts of DIBS on Instagram Nick Sarantos and Mallory Waxman
View all episodes
By Mallory WaxmanThis episode is a love letter to Chicago’s lakefront icon. As we head into the holidays, we sit down with Marilynn Gardner President & CEO of Navy Pier, to talk about what it means to steward “Chicago’s front porch”, a place where history, culture, and core memories all collide.
Marilynn takes us on a journey from freight to festivals: how a municipal pier built in 1916 became a Navy training site, a University of Illinois campus (a.k.a. “Harvard on the Rocks”), and eventually one of the most visited spots in the city — complete with the Centennial Wheel, public art, theater, restaurants, FlyOver Chicago, and more.
If you’ve ever flown into Chicago, seen Navy Pier out the window, and thought, “Okay, I’m home,” this one’s for you.
In this episode, we cover:
- A pier with a thousand lives: Marilynn traces Navy Pier’s evolution from shipping hub to Navy training ground, university campus, and finally the civic space we know today.
- Why Navy Pier is “Chicago’s front porch”: How the pier brings people together across neighborhoods, backgrounds, and generations, and why Marilynn sees her role as stewarding a mission-based cultural center, not just a tourist attraction.
- Winter WonderFest is back: The beloved holiday tradition returns after a five-year hiatus, with indoor ice skating, rides, and family-friendly fun for those long Chicago winter days.
- FlyOver Chicago & falling in love with the city (again): Nick shares his unexpectedly emotional experience on FlyOver Chicago, and Marilynn explains why it captures the grit, resilience, and beauty of the city so well.
- Events that shape the city’s cultural life: From EXPO CHICAGO to volleyball tournaments, weddings, fundraisers, and everything in between, how Navy Pier balances public space, local businesses, and significant events.
- Balancing history and what’s next: How Marilynn and her team protect the pier’s legacy while reimagining underused spaces and bringing in new experiences that keep people coming back.
Episode Resources:
Navy Pier
Winter Wonderfest Tickets
Marilynn Gardner LinkedIn
Listen now and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and comment; it helps us continue to bring you the voices behind the institutions, people, and places that make Chicago extraordinary.
Connect with the hosts of DIBS on Instagram Nick Sarantos and Mallory Waxman