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All 636 Chicago Attractions »

Chicago's First Lady Architectural Tours

111 E. Wacker Dr., then SE corner of Michigan Ave. Bridge, Chicago, IL
847-358-1330
Ranked #24 of 84 tours in Chicago
4.5 of 5 stars 59 Reviews
Type: Tours
Traveler Description: The official Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise aboard Chicacgo's First Lady. The CAF-certified Volunteer Docents are trained and certified... more »
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59 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    43
    12
    3
    1
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Date Rating
Edmonton, Canada
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 20, 2012 NEW

This 90 minute tour along the river is very informative but can be uncomfortably chilly on cooler days so dress appropriately. No complaints about the tour as everything pointed out was architecturally relevant. It is an excellent afternoon, probably enjoyable more than once. More

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See 6 more reviews by thriftycanuck49 for Chicago
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 16, 2012 NEW

Wow! We had an excellent CAF volunteer docent on our boat tour today. Highly recommend this 90 minute relaxing tour, especially on a beautiful sunny day. More

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Washington, DC
Top Contributor
56 reviews 56 reviews
Reviews in 27 cities Reviews in 27 cities
211 helpful votes 211 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 6, 2012

What a delight! Crusing along on the upper deck absorbing the history and significance of each passing skyscraper from a volunteer docent in love with their city. If you only have time for one tour in Chicago, this has to be the best. You spend 90 minutes on board a well equipped ship, complete with very clean bathrooms, an array... More

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See 5 more reviews by DC_World_Traveler for Chicago
Chicago Heights, Illinois
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2012

This 90 min tour starts on the riverfront at the intersection of Michigan Ave and Wacker Dr - a very convenient location if you're in the Magnificent Mile area. It is an excellent tour for anyone with even a slight interest in architecture. The tour guides will give you a history of Chicago from the great fire of 1971 to... More

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See 4 more reviews by travelbug_2683 for Chicago
Hobart, Australia
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2012

This your is so interesting and value for money. It goes for nearly 2 hours and you get free coffee or lemonade and cookies and it takes you all around the river with a commentary which is very informative about all the buildings and their history More

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Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Top Contributor
55 reviews 55 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
26 helpful votes 26 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 16, 2012

This tour was well worth it. Learned a lot about Chicago from the knowledgeable guide. More

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See 15 more reviews by ds20e for Chicago
Florida
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed March 25, 2012
2
people found this review helpful

The tour was great and very informational. The bar has good selection and prices. There weren't enough seats upstairs so some people were standing. Overall a nice little river cruise! More

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Kenosha, Wisconsin
Top Contributor
59 reviews 59 reviews
Reviews in 30 cities Reviews in 30 cities
101 helpful votes 101 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed January 12, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

If you are an architecture or history buff, this is a great tour. If you are not, it's still entertaining and interesting. On an August afternoon, I wished I had had a hat to shade my eyes. I'm glad I did this once. We were glad to have found this just as they were selling the last few tickets before... More

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Watertown, Massachusetts
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
32 helpful votes 32 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed December 28, 2011

We found the tour to be an excellent value, delivered by an articulate and knowledgeable docent. It was a great experience even though the weather only partially cooperated that day, and some of the buildings were hidden in the clouds during parts of the cruise. I can understand why some visitors may find the delivery "too much information", but anyone... More

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Vienna, Virginia
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed December 12, 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Highly recommend taking a trip down the Chicago River on the First Lady. You will disembark with an entirely new perspective and appreciation for all those sky scrapers. The guides are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the city, architectural history and of how architecture shaped the evolution of Chicago's amazing skyline. If you do only one cultural thing in... More

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See 3 more reviews by CharlieBarbK9 for Chicago

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