Chicago City Tour: Elevated Architecture Tour with Train Ticket Included
4.8
LIKELY TO SELL OUT*
Chicago City Tour: Elevated Architecture Tour with Train Ticket Included
By Chicago Architecture Center
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 10 per group
Duration: 2h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Narration by a professional and certified guide.
- Admission to the galleries of the Chicago Architecture Center.
- Fare to ride the Chicago Elevated Rail system
- Entry/Admission - Chicago
- Entry/Admission - Chicago
What's not included- Food or drink
- Storage for luggage or strollers
- Coat check
- Entry/Admission - Chicago
- Entry/Admission - Chicago
- Start:
- 111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601, USAChicago Architecture Center at 111 E Wacker Drive.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3173P21- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- Only about 15 minutes of this two-hour tour is on a train, while most of the remaining tour takes place outdoors standing on the station platforms.
- Pets are not allowed.
- The itinerary of this tour is subject to change without notice.
- Seating at stations and on the train is not guaranteed.
- This tour is not ADA accessible. Stairs are required.
- Not recommended for travelers with difficulty walking or standing.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3173P21
From
$41.00
per adult
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601, USAChicago Architecture Center at 111 E Wacker Drive.
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Top rated
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- H1958JZalexandraj0 contributionsFantastic experience!I had Maureen as my guide, and she was fabulous! The tour was wonderful and very informational. Got to see lots of beautiful architecture styles, both interior and exterior.Written March 18, 2025
- cwshats0 contributionsInteresting WalkGreat walk that covers a lot in a small little area of downtown. An interesting variety of buildings and Chicago history Betsy is a great docent that kept us entertained and managed the group well.Written March 17, 2025
- veronicatF9364LV0 contributionsArchitecture Tour w Juan Carlos- Amazing!This was such a great way to see Chicago and learn about its history through architecture. We had Juan Carlos, and he was so well-informed and enthusiastic about everything he talked about- I knew next to nothing about architecture before this and I really felt like I learned a lot! The weather was gorgeous and he took us to extra areas to tell us stuff about buildings he liked and their history which added time and was super appreciated. I will recommend this to anyone visiting Chicago and I am so grateful to have experienced this tour on my trip!Written March 14, 2025
- Irener0070 contributionsSomething fun and different.We took the walking tour of Chicago’s underground pedway.The tour was led by John S. It was a fun time and a good tour. I would recommend the tour as well as the docent, John S.Written March 13, 2025
- H3859EMelizabethm0 contributionsEducational and interesting experience about sacred locations in Chicago.Hello, I was able to participate in a walking tour today and I am happy to report it was an extremely enjoyable experience due to our docent, Maureen. Even sites that I did not think would be enjoyable, I enjoyed learning about. She was informative, professional, and very engaging and obviously puts a lot of time into learning about the sites to make the presentation interesting and engaging! Although it was very cold outside it was well worth the experience! Thank you, ElizabethWritten March 12, 2025
- ritafE5047NX0 contributionsTiffany tour is fabulousPris did a great job as our guide bringing to life all of the Tiffany works that we saw. We had a wonderful time! Price was very reasonable and just the right amount of time.Written March 12, 2025
- phertz0 contributionsGreat Experience!This was a great tour with a great tour guide Paul! Paul was clearly passionate and knowledgeable about the subject matter, and his stories about Chicago's history and the architecture really made the time pass incredibly quickly. Highly recommend this tour and tour guide!Written March 11, 2025
- annette58_120 contributionsKeys to MiesPaul was our docent and our Post War Modernization Tour was wonderful. Paul was very knowledgeable and had a friendly demeanor. I would definitely recommend this tour.Written March 11, 2025
- Bob W0 contributionsChronological Architecture TourNancy Schwab gave an excellent walking tour filled with fun information and great passion for Chicago’s architecture. Nancy even provided a paper highlight summary of her tour as we finished.Written March 9, 2025
- E1288SNmaureenw0 contributionsArt Deco: The Riverfront---a great tour!I took the Art Deco Riverfront tour with Russ S today, and it was outstanding. He gave great details about the art deco characteristics of each building, and had very engaging stories at many of the stops. So knowledgeable! Highly recommend!Written March 7, 2025
- Victoria D0 contributionsBrilliant tour guide and gorgeous architectureOur tour guide Sandy P was amazing, really informative and answered all of our questions! We did the 1pm Chicago Must See tour on 7th MarchWritten March 7, 2025
- Navigator242339307530 contributionsHistoric Treasures walking tourThe Historic Treasures walking tour we took with Matt was absolutely wonderful! Matt is an excellent tour guide and knew volumes about the historic buildings. I highly recommend any tour with CAC and becoming a member.Written March 4, 2025
- Q2391SNjohann0 contributionsMust do visiting Chicago.Amanda showed us the great architecture of Chicago. Very nice and interesting experience. We’ve enjoyed the tour very much.Written March 4, 2025
- W8988VRmikek0 contributionsGreat view of how the Golden Age affected the style of buildings.Our docent did a wonderful job of explaining the style of each building and why it worked so well to suit its purpose. She was very knowledgeable and was a fabulous presenter. She made the tour interesting and fun.Written March 3, 2025
- pamhubenak0 contributionsAmazing visit to the Chicago Architecture Center!Oh, my goodness, what an amazing day! We entered the Chicago Architecture Center, this morning, planning to tour the new exhibit on Wrigley Field. I always like to begin our visits by watching the short video on the history of Chicago architecture. After the video, one of the nice docents, Mitch, asked if we had any questions. We began chatting with Mitch, then set off on our own personal walking tour. We were thrilled! We visited the Marquette Building, the Monandock, the Rookery and the Chicago Board of Trade. Mitch shared so much information with us along the walk and while we visited the buildings, which was absolutely wonderful. We cannot more highly recommend the Chicago Architecture Center and their fabulous docents, exhibits and tours. The river tour and walking tours are incredibly educational, making any trip to Chicago even more special. We love this amazing city.Written February 28, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.8
52 reviews
Excellent
47
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3
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2
MarĂa Emilia
Capital Federal District, Argentina3 contributions
Feb 2025 • Solo
I really enjoyed this tour!
Our guide, Chris, was great and full of interesting stories and facts about the architecture surrounding the train and the train itself. He really knew a lot about Chicago!
We started from the Chicago Architecture Center and walked to the elevated train (the "L" train). Once there, we got on the train and stopped at some stations to admire the architecture. The ride was on a section of one of the "L" lines (Pink and Green lines on this occasion).
The tour gives you the chance to enjoy the city from a different perspective.
I definitely would recommend it to those who want to learn about and enjoy one of the most iconic infrastructures of Chicago.
Our guide, Chris, was great and full of interesting stories and facts about the architecture surrounding the train and the train itself. He really knew a lot about Chicago!
We started from the Chicago Architecture Center and walked to the elevated train (the "L" train). Once there, we got on the train and stopped at some stations to admire the architecture. The ride was on a section of one of the "L" lines (Pink and Green lines on this occasion).
The tour gives you the chance to enjoy the city from a different perspective.
I definitely would recommend it to those who want to learn about and enjoy one of the most iconic infrastructures of Chicago.
Written February 16, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so happy you enjoyed the L tour with Chris and hope to see you again!
Written February 18, 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Linda Y
4 contributions
Oct 2024 • Solo
For this tour, you go to the Chicago Architecture Center where there was a visible check in counter. You received a Day Venture Pass. Steven was the tour guide for this run, he was quite knowledgable about the facts of each site that he took us on. Also the fact that this tour also provided headphones and listening devices became very good. You can still hear Steven as he spoke about each locations and didn't have to necessary need to be as close to listen to him speak. There is some walking up and down the stairs on this trip. This is a walking tour, and we visited roughly three stations and the challenge apparently was that this was the day of the Chicago Marathon so the amount of people using the L on a Sunday apparently was more than normal Sunday travel. I would definitely recommend this tour experience for anyone visiting Chicago and wanting to explore the facets about the L with architecture points.
Written October 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the great review! We're so happy you enjoyed the Elevated Architecture tour and hope to see you again soon!
Written October 17, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
M K
Acton, MA12 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Steve was very informative and fun and the tour covered the history of the El and its design, plus tons of Chicago building architecture and history. All of my questions were answered! The train ticket was an additional $5.50 per person, if you didn’t already have a pass.
Written May 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the great review! We are so happy you enjoyed the Elevated Architecture tour and hope to see you again soon!
Written June 4, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
GLEN R
2 contributions
We came from Southern California, to see Chicago. Our tour guide, Quintin, was absolutely outstanding in his presentation of the architecture features that we saw on our tour. He was informative, interesting, and caring. Without any reservation, we would recommend anyone to take a tour conducted by him. Thank you, Quentin, a very informative and outstanding tour.
Written June 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the fantastic review! We're so happy you enjoyed the tour and hope to see you again the next time you visit Chicago.
Written June 5, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephen G
1 contribution
Nov 2024 • Couples
As part-time residents of Chicago who rarely use public transportation, this tour gave us a new perspective on buildings and neighborhoods we see all the time. Our guide Amanda was wonderful. She provided thorough historical background, described distinctive features of the many buildings highlighted in the tour, and brought to life the people and events that brought the L into being and shaped its long history. She answered the many questions we had, and we appreciated how much she enjoyed sharing the distinctive history of the Loop with us. We look forward to doing other tours with Amanda and deepening our knowledge about the great city we live in.
Written November 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the fantastic review! We're so happy you enjoyed the Elevated Architecture tour and hope to see you again!
Written November 25, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jet46233595127
1 contribution
Aug 2024 • Family
We took this excellent walking tour with our guide Chris. He did a great job teaching us about the history, development, and influential people involved in building the L system, as well as teaching interesting facts about the architecture at the various stops on the loop. Absolutely loved it, really felt like we were getting an in-depth lesson during an enjoyable walk and ride around the loop.
This is a walking tour, moving from the Chicago Architecture Center on foot to a station about 10 minutes away, up and down several different L stations, and ending back at the Center, so be ready to walk a bit. It isn't overwhelming, most time is spent at the different stations looking at the architecture around the stations, but know in advance that it isn't just a train ride. Absolutely worth it and a great way to learn about this fascinating, unique feature of Chicago and to see how a city grows around infrastructure.
This is a walking tour, moving from the Chicago Architecture Center on foot to a station about 10 minutes away, up and down several different L stations, and ending back at the Center, so be ready to walk a bit. It isn't overwhelming, most time is spent at the different stations looking at the architecture around the stations, but know in advance that it isn't just a train ride. Absolutely worth it and a great way to learn about this fascinating, unique feature of Chicago and to see how a city grows around infrastructure.
Written August 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the great review! We're so happy you enjoyed the Elevated Architecture tour with Chris and hope to see you again.
Written August 27, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Catherine R
Oakland, CA3 contributions
May 2023
Absolutely delightful and jammed with fascinating information--both about the architecture you see from the platforms to the incredible story of how the L came to be. The guide was so knowledgeable about construction, transportation planning, and even how the L was built (small pieces of steel, lots of rivets)! And a lovely man, too. We took three CAC tours on our week in Chicago (May, 2023) and each was fantastic. Also, visit the CAC!
Written May 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the great review! We're so happy you took 3 tours with us...that's awesome! We hope to see you again soon.
Written May 16, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Su C
Cambridge, MA9 contributions
Nov 2024 • Couples
We've visited the CAC for years and taken many of their walking tours. While they've all been very enjoyable, this was the best tour so far. Our docent Matt was warm, extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and very considerate of individual attendees' needs (e.g., getting a stroller and young kids around the Loop). Thank you, Matt!
The individual audio systems were easy to use and made it simple to hear Matt despite background city noise.
Great experience and very highly recommended.
The individual audio systems were easy to use and made it simple to hear Matt despite background city noise.
Great experience and very highly recommended.
Written November 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the great review! We're so happy you have continued to tour with us and look forward to seeing you again the next time you visit Chicago!
Written November 12, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
wanderingspirit2016
Ontario, Canada10 contributions
Dec 2022
This tour was fabulous. It was a cold rainy day but Amanda gave me a wonderful one on one experience, regaling me with stories of Charles Tyson Yerkes, the schemer behind the creation and unification of the elevated train. We admired the varied architecture from the platforms, from 1870 to present, as well as the transformation over the years. This was my second tour this week (Treasure of the Golden Age). If you like to know the history and how the city grew, the CAC offers you the best information and lots of humourous stories. I highly recommend any of the tours with the knowledgeable docents!
Written December 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the great review! We're so happy you have enjoyed our tours. We really love to tell the stories of the city! We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Written December 10, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Roddy M
London, UK17 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
We went on several walking tours in Chicago during our visit and this was one of the best. Our guide was really knowledgable - in addition to the facts and figures and dates there were some entertaining anecdotes along the way as well. Hopping on and off the Loop trains was fun too. And the ticket allows you to see around an exhibition at the Chicago Architecture Center as well. Highly recommended!
Written June 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so happy you enjoyed the Elevated Architecture tour and hope to see you again soon!
Written June 11, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.