The Naperville Riverwalk is the reason people who have never lived here have heard of this city, and locals call it the crown jewel without much irony. It runs 1.75 miles of brick path along the DuPage River through the heart of downtown, threaded with fountains, arched bridges, sculpture and covered shelters, and it was not an accident of city planning. It was built in 1981 as the city’s gift to itself for its 150th anniversary, largely by volunteers and donated labour, and it has been extended piece by piece ever since.

This page covers what is actually along it, what each attraction costs in 2026, where to park, and the timing details that decide whether a visit works or falls flat — the carillon tour that only runs certain hours, the beach that is weekends-only until Memorial Day, and the recital series that happens on Tuesday evenings in summer.

What the Naperville Riverwalk actually is

Start with the shape of it, because visitors routinely under-plan. The path is 1.75 miles end to end, following the west branch of the DuPage River. At a walking pace with stops, plan roughly an hour and a quarter to cover it one way; a there-and-back is a solid half-day if you stop at anything. The surface is brick, largely flat, and pushchair and wheelchair friendly along the main runs, though a few of the older bridge approaches are steeper than the rest.

The eastern end sits close to downtown proper, which is why the Riverwalk and a dinner on Jefferson or Main so naturally combine into one evening. The western end delivers you to Centennial Beach and Rotary Hill, where the carillon stands. Most first-time visitors do the middle third, see the fountains and the covered bridges, and leave without realising the two biggest attractions are at the far end.

It is free, it is open year round, and it is genuinely at its best twice: in late spring when the plantings come in, and in the deep winter after snow, when the bridges and the lamps do something the summer photographs never capture.

Moser Tower and the Millennium Carillon — 443 Aurora Ave

Moser Tower and the Millennium Carillon stands at the base of Rotary Hill at the Riverwalk’s western end, and it is the single most distinctive thing in Naperville. The tower runs 16 storeys. Inside it hangs a carillon of 72 bells — a genuine grand carillon, not a chime, which is a rarer instrument than most visitors realise. The largest bell, roughly six tons, is named Big Joe after Joseph Naper, the city’s founder.

Climbing it. The guided tour climbs 253 steps to the top. Tours cost $3 for ages 5 and up, and under-4s are free. If stairs are not an option, there is an elevator to the Gallery Level Observation Deck, so the view is not restricted to people who can manage the climb — a detail worth knowing before you write the tower off. On a clear day the Chicago skyline is visible from the top, roughly 30 miles east.

Buying tickets. This is the part that catches everyone: tour tickets are sold inside Paddleboat Quarry Rentals at 441 Aurora Ave, the building next door, not at the tower itself. People queue at the base of the tower and wonder why nothing is happening.

Hearing it played. The 2026 Summer Recital Series runs Tuesday evenings at 7pm, from June 2 through August 18. It is free and it is outdoors — bring a folding chair or a blanket and sit on Rotary Hill. Hearing 72 bells played live by a carillonneur on a summer evening is the best free hour in this city and most residents have never done it.

Centennial Beach — 500 W Jackson Ave

Centennial Beach is not a beach in the sand-and-ocean sense and not a swimming pool either, and the difference is the whole appeal. It is a former double quarry, abandoned and then filled, sitting beside the DuPage River at the Riverwalk’s western end. The bottom slopes from a zero-depth entry — you walk in from dry ground exactly as you would at a lake — down to a deep end of 15 feet. That zero-depth edge is why it works for toddlers and strong swimmers at the same site, which very few facilities manage.

2026 admission. Youth are $8 resident and $15 non-resident. Adults are $10 resident and $17 non-resident. After 5pm the rate drops to $5 resident and $9 non-resident, which makes an early evening swim the best value on the Riverwalk.

Season and hours. Until Memorial Day weekend it is open weekends only, 10am to 7pm. After that it runs daily. Turning up on a warm Wednesday in mid-May to find it closed is the most common Centennial Beach mistake, and it happens every year.

The Grand Pavilion — 912 Honorary Sindt Memorial Court

The Riverwalk Grand Pavilion is the large covered shelter people book for outdoor lunches, birthdays, showers and small receptions right on the water. The rental fee is $150 during June, July and August. Two rules catch people out: requests must be submitted at least 21 days in advance, and the person renting must be 21 or older. Rentals run through the Naperville Park District, reachable on (630) 848-5000. In peak summer the desirable dates go early, so 21 days is the legal minimum rather than sensible planning.

Where to park for the Riverwalk

Parking is the practical question that decides how the visit starts, and the answer depends on which end you want.

For the western end — Rotary Hill, the carillon, Centennial Beach — the Naperville Municipal Center Parking Deck at 400 S Eagle Street is the closest garage. Non-reserved spaces are open to the public, and every space not explicitly marked reserved is free after 5pm on weekdays and all weekend. For a Tuesday evening carillon recital, that combination is close to perfect: park free, walk five minutes, sit on the hill.

For the eastern end and downtown, use the downtown decks and the metered street parking serving Jefferson, Main and Washington. There is also a small Riverwalk Lot on Jackson Avenue, but it holds only about 24 spaces and it is full most of the time on a summer weekend. Do not build your afternoon around getting one.

The move that always works on a busy Saturday is to park once in a deck and walk. The Riverwalk is linear and downtown is compact; driving between the two ends to save ten minutes of walking will cost you twenty in circling.

Making a day of it

A summer family day. Arrive late morning at the western end, park at the Eagle Street deck. Do the carillon tour first while everyone is fresh — tickets from Paddleboat Quarry Rentals next door — then walk down to Centennial Beach for the afternoon. Swim until five, when the discounted rate kicks in anyway, then walk the Riverwalk east into downtown for dinner.

A free evening. On a Tuesday between early June and mid-August, park free at the Eagle Street deck after 5pm, bring chairs, and take the 7pm carillon recital on Rotary Hill. Walk the Riverwalk afterwards while the lamps come on. Total cost: nothing.

A winter walk. The Riverwalk stays open year round and is at its most photogenic after snow, with almost nobody on it. Downtown is two minutes away for somewhere warm afterwards.

With a stroller or limited mobility. The main brick path is flat and manageable, and the carillon has an elevator to its observation level. Ask at Paddleboat Quarry Rentals when you buy tickets rather than assuming the stairs are the only route up.

What first-time visitors get wrong

They park downtown, walk the middle third, photograph a fountain and leave — never reaching the carillon or the beach, which are the two things that make this more than a pleasant path by a river. They arrive at Centennial Beach on a weekday before Memorial Day. They queue at the base of Moser Tower for tickets that are sold in the building next door. And they come at midday in July, when the same walk is far better at seven in the evening with the light low and the bells playing.

Naperville Riverwalk questions, answered by neighbors

How long is the Naperville Riverwalk?

The Riverwalk runs 1.75 miles of brick path along the DuPage River through downtown Naperville. At a walking pace with stops, allow about an hour and a quarter one way. It was built in 1981 as the city’s gift to itself for its 150th anniversary.

How much does it cost to climb the Millennium Carillon?

Guided tours of Moser Tower and the Millennium Carillon at 443 Aurora Ave cost $3 for ages 5 and up, and children under 4 are free. The climb is 253 steps, and there is an elevator to the Gallery Level Observation Deck for anyone who cannot manage stairs. Tickets are sold inside Paddleboat Quarry Rentals at 441 Aurora Ave, next door — not at the tower.

When can I hear the carillon played?

The 2026 Summer Recital Series runs Tuesday evenings at 7pm from June 2 through August 18. It is free and outdoors on Rotary Hill, so bring a chair or a blanket. The carillon has 72 bells; the largest, about six tons, is named Big Joe after city founder Joseph Naper.

How much is Centennial Beach in 2026?

Youth admission is $8 for residents and $15 for non-residents. Adults are $10 resident and $17 non-resident. After 5pm the rate drops to $5 resident and $9 non-resident. Centennial Beach is at 500 W Jackson Ave.

When does Centennial Beach open for the season?

Until Memorial Day weekend it is open weekends only, from 10am to 7pm. After Memorial Day weekend it runs daily. Arriving on a warm weekday in May is the most common mistake visitors make.

Where do you park for the Naperville Riverwalk?

For the western end, the carillon and Centennial Beach, use the Municipal Center Parking Deck at 400 S Eagle Street — the closest garage, with unreserved spaces free after 5pm on weekdays and all weekend. For the eastern end use the downtown decks and metered street parking. The small Riverwalk Lot on Jackson Avenue has only about 24 spaces and fills quickly.

Can you rent the Riverwalk Grand Pavilion?

Yes. The Grand Pavilion at 912 Honorary Sindt Memorial Court rents for $150 during June, July and August through the Naperville Park District on (630) 848-5000. Requests must be made at least 21 days in advance and the renter must be at least 21 years old.

Is Centennial Beach a real beach?

It is a former double quarry beside the DuPage River rather than a lake or a conventional pool. It has a zero-depth entry that you walk into from dry ground, sloping down to a deep end of 15 feet, which is why it suits toddlers and strong swimmers at the same site.