Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier Wedding Films

Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier was once one of Chicago’s most unusual wedding venues: a one-acre indoor botanical garden under a six-story glass atrium with a 50-foot arched ceiling, more than 80 live palm trees, leaping fountains and year-round views of the lake, the skyline and the Centennial Wheel.

Crystal Gardens Is No Longer a Wedding Venue

In 2021, Navy Pier leased the space to Illuminarium for a ticketed immersive exhibit, and the garden closed. By late 2023 the room had been dismantled and its palm trees given away. The exhibit did not last, and since then the space has hosted only temporary attractions, most recently a summer roller-skating pop-up in 2026. Navy Pier has not announced a return of weddings, so if you are considering Navy Pier today, ask the Pier directly which event spaces are currently available.

A Sangeet We Filmed at Crystal Gardens

Shivani & Kiran

Before it closed, we filmed Shivani and Kiran’s Sangeet and welcome dinner at Crystal Gardens, an evening of Garba and Dandiya dancing under the palms, as part of a five-day wedding that ended with a Baraat and ceremony at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk. It is a lovely record of what the space once was. Watch the full story →

Where to Celebrate Instead

• For a large South Asian wedding downtown: the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, a short walk from Navy Pier, can host a Baraat, ceremony and reception under one roof.
• For greenery and gardens: the Chicago Botanic Garden offers real gardens, lawns and terraces in Glencoe.
• For lake views: Theater on the Lake sits right on the lakefront.
• Everything else: browse our Chicago wedding venue guide.