Dark Knight Trilogy

20. Chicago's Navy Pier

Chicago, IL

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Built for the intake of commercial shipping on Lake Michigan in 1916, the Municipal Pier was a high tourist attraction as well. Renamed the Navy Pier in commemorance of World War One veterans it's name took on an accurate description as it later became a naval training facility for World War Two. Afterward, the Navy Pier was used as the Chicago Branch of the University of Illinois until it's move in the 1960s. A decade later renovations began to construct the top tourist destination in Chicago. More than eight million people a year flock to take part in over fifty tourist attractions including a 240 jet computerized fountain, a giant Ferris wheel, and an IMAX theater housing the largest screen in Chicago where all three Batman movies have played. Two original buildings are still standing including the Navy Headhouse which is now home to Chicago's Children Museum and the Auditorium with it's Grand Ballroom, and fifty acres of park and gardens in between them to explore. The Navy Pier is also known as a popular starting point for many boat trips, including a climactic scene in The Dark Knight. In the film, the Gotham City ferries are replicas of the Spirit of America, a boat modeled after the first ferries and capable of carrying 4500 passengers and 40 vehicles. The boat falls under the Molanari class of the Staten Island Ferry company, the most popular ferry service in New York City operating since 1905. The two ferries in The Dark Knight were known as the Spirit, intending to transport Gotham City's prisoners away from The Joker's influence, and the Liberty, full of citizens attempting to flee the city. Not being able to get far, the Gothamites are caught in The Joker's ploy of the Game theory. Otherwise described as interactive decision making, the game theory is a study of how intelligent individuals interact with each other to achieve their own goals. But the corrupt and dishonest reputation of Gotham City only reached so far and disproved The Jokers assumption that each ferry would deem their lives more important than the others and both survived the night. "This city just showed you that it's full of people ready to believe in good."