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    Chicago Line Cruises

    4.3 (273 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    Our tour guide, Lynn

    Wow - what a terrific Architectural Tour!! Lynn was an amazing font of knowledge about buildings large and small all along the river. It was so interesting and entertaining, and so nice to be cruising along the river on a hot day. The crew was pleasant, there were drinks for sale, and the ride was smooth. When rain threatened they handed out free rain ponchos which kept us dry and comfortable during an ensuing slower. Very highly recommended!!

    Tour guide Bryan discussing one of the buildings

    The tour was everything which was advertised. Our 90 minute Chicago river architectural cruise departed from the Ogden slip (465 N McClurg Ct). The boat staff were all helpful and very friendly. I selected this cruise for my wife and I because it was led by someone with some real architecture knowledge. Our guide, Bryan, had a degree in architectural history and was from the Chicago area. He was very friendly and knowledgeable about all the buildings along our path on the main branch as well as north and south branches of the Chicago river. We found the tour very informative and fun. Bryan was not someone who was just trained to be a guide but we found him to be an expert in this field. I appreciated that they did not push the sale of drinks, but told us where on the boat to purchase them if you wanted anything to drink. They also politely asked that if you wanted to talk to your friends, spouse, etc, to please go below deck so others could listen to the presentation. I'd highly recommend this company and our guide, Bryan.

    Samantha R.

    The Chicago skyline is truly iconic and being able to see it from the water is really special. However, this tour did not fully meet my expectations. If you did not get there 30 minutes early, you had to sit on the sides of the boat and for the majority of the tour you could not see what the tour guide was talking about unless you happen to be on the side they were narrating about. I'd say for about 75% of the tour we were on the wrong side of the boat and we passed by several other tour boats that were open in the middle so that you had a 360 view no matter where you were sitting. I think for the price of this tour we should've been guaranteed to be able to see the sights no matter where we were sitting and this tour wasn't any cheaper than some of the other ones that we saw. I appreciated the free beverages and the tour guide was super knowledgeable, but not being able to see really put a damper on things.

    Cristina W.

    I've done it before and always enjoy it. The narrator gave us alot of useful information.

    Boarding Chicago line cruises to see the architectural tour
    Aram K.

    So I loved this tour, it really only got one star taken off because of a last minute charge that wasn't advertised and charged to be the day of. They called it a voucher fee, $26. Seemed a bit weird that I paid for the tour weeks ago and the day of the tour I get this random extra charge show up that they didn't authorize with me beforehand about. I know some people who are more price sensitive would not take it as lightly as I did, for me I just felt a little deceived but I knew I wasn't going to care about $26 as long as the tour was really good, so I said nothing about it and pushed onwards. First of all, the tour guide Marshall was awesome and super informative. He knew everything about what seemed like every single building we passed by. The tour was 90 minutes and Marshall was giving us facts about everything the whole time. We learned alot about architecture while we were on the tour and the different types that were introduced in the building designs we passed. They offer free coffee which we used, as well as water and lemonade. You can also buy beer wine or hard liquor. I would definitely recommend this tour to someone new to Chicago

    My son and I
    Shasta L.

    Great experience on the Architectural boat cruise of Chicago. Our guide was very knowledgeable and good at his job. And Tom at the bar was very hospitable. I would recommend totally recommend this tour.

    View from bottom deck
    Mel S.

    When searching for top things to do in Chicago, I continued to see many posts about doing a river tour. While I'm pretty much down for anything with being outside / around water, what sold me was that this company also went over the architecture of the buildings. There's so much history on this side of the US, so I knew I had to book this. - The tour guide was knowledgeable, funny, and calming (her voice was almost as soothing as in a meditation session) - With your ticket purchase, you get access to free coffee, tea, water, lemonade, and soda (can purchase alcohol for an additional cost) - There are two decks for seats (top deck and bottom deck). The top deck allows you to see where the tour guide is pointing when they're talking about the buildings, but it is also directly in the sunlight and can be brutal on a Chicago summer day. The bottom deck protects you from the sun, but prevents you from knowing exactly what building is being talked about immediately until you hear more about the design aspects of the building. - In the beginning, the tour guide encourages folks that want to talk to do so by the bar, but not everyone listens, so we got stuck struggling to hear the tour guide amongst what could have been a bachelor party or birthday party. Overall, would recommend this tour because you get to learn so much about Chicago, relax on a boat, and really take in some beautiful sights.

    David C.

    Go to this cruise!!!! Not the others! Our concierge at the Gwen, Ramon, recommended this to us. The guide, I think her name was Diane (last name was Gonzales) had so much knowledge and narrated the entire time. Tons of info on famous architects and characteristics of each building. Also it was a very nice day. The captains came out and introduced themselves. You get comp soft drinks and coffee and tea. Beer and booze for sail. Super nice way to learn and spend 90 minutes on a boat on a beautiful day and best way to see the iconic buildings of this city.

    Waiting to board!
    Monica D.

    I loved the cruise! Prompt leaving the dock, easy to find, and great tour guide (shoutout Jim!) Would definitely go back with other family members to ride and learn about how Chicago came to look as it does. Free endless cookies and drinks also make it awesome. If you check in on yelp you get 1 free ice cream voucher! Be sure to wear sunscreen if its sunny, and be prepared to be feel the full force of the sun in the summer.

    Date afternoon
    Nathan D.

    Informative | Full-Service | weather Informative: we did the architecture. They start promptly at their stated time. Jim was our guide and he offered SOOO MUCH INFO! We learned a lot from chicago political history, to facts about the fire, to architectural history, and bios of famous architects. The trip is about 100-110 minutes long but it's jammed back with information that makes you feel more connected and knowledgeable about the city. Full-Service: The staff is pretty robust, there are about 3-5 attendants inside the lounge where there is complementary water, lemonade, and coffee/tea. Once you are aboard you can have a chocolate chip, raisin, oatmeal, and sugar cookies on top of water, lemons are, hot tea, hot chocolate, or coffee. Weather: the quality of your experience is dependent on the weather. We had perfect 70 degree F with no clouds. So much of the tour is looking up and off in the distance that any kind of rain, clouds, or fog would impact the views. Pro Tip: sign in on yelp and you get a free ice cream. A $5-8 savings. Pro Tip: Parking is limited in the area so budget time to find parking in the area. Pro tip: be early. There are about 100 quality seats on the boat but normally about 150 tickets sold. Get there early (20-30 minute) and sit in one of the first 5 rows.

    complimentary cookies
    Viv P.

    Great 90 minute architecture tour in Chicago! I've been to a few others, and I liked them all. In comparison, here's what I liked: 1. lower deck with complimentary cookies, hot cocoa, coffee, tea and cold water and lemonade 2. a much more in-depth lecture of the architecture in Chicago, including quite a bit of history 3. restrooms! 4. lower deck to get away from the sun or the cold (cold in my case, as we went late October) 5. docking outside of Navy Pier. We didn't have to wait for the dam to open to get into the river and back on the dock. One thing that I liked but didn't like was the guide. Amy was awesome, totally knowledgeable and completely friendly. But the tour did feel more like a lecture than a tour, and there really wan't much interaction with the audience. She had so much information to give out that there was also no room to ask any questions. A little bit of fun facts would have made the otherwise education tour much more interesting.

    Ruthie W.

    My neighbor who lived in Chicago recommended the architectural boat tour and I found this company on Groupon. It was very easy to book online. My coworker and his wife decided to join me. It was a beautiful, sunny day for the tour. Inside the office there was a station for coffee for visitors to enjoy. Restrooms were available before the 90-minute tour. On board the boat, they served complimentary cookies, lemonade and water. The chocolate chip cookie were so soft as if they were freshly baked. I believe cocktails may have been available for purchase. Initially I sat in the rows of chairs and later moved to the front of the boat since I love taking pictures. Definitely more unobstructed views from the front! I was even able to capture a panoramic photo. Very educational tour!

    Chad A.

    Don't wanna do the crowded mainstream boat tour in Chicago. Look for this intimate boat tour with great friendly service. Reservation staff and boat crew are both so easy to work with. Hannah and Dan both helped me reschedule my family tour with no hassle land no extra fees.

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    Ask the Community - Chicago Line Cruises

    Review Highlights - Chicago Line Cruises

    The Architecture Cruise is fantastic and strongly recommended for anyone - even if you're not a tourist.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Inside Chicago Walking Tours

    Inside Chicago Walking Tours

    (113 reviews)

    The Loop

    Colleen was great during our Chicago interior architecture tour. We went to six different buildings…read moreand she had super interesting points to share during each stop. She was thoughtful in offering restroom breaks during the two hour tour. Would absolutely recommend this tour - I have been to Chicago multiple times and learned more on this tour than I ever did in my previous visits combined. Fun way to see the city and stay (mostly) warm since it's a tour of the interior of buildings :)

    I have taken many tours in different cities at home and abroad. Chicago being the birthplace of the…read moremodern skyscraper has many stories to tell about the evolution of turn of the century architecture after the great Chicago fire. Locally we have a great city guide on our local PBS channel 11 who does a fantastic job at uncovering some of the best forgotten stories about our cities past. Of course, I am referring to Geoffrey Baer, whom I have watched on our local PBS many times over the years. So yes, I can say that I am a fan. But you know it's one thing to watch these architectural marvels on TV or in person. I decided to be a tourist in my own city by taking the Original Chicago Architecture Interiors Tour by Inside Chicago Walking Tours. How was it? I loved it. Many of the treasures we uncovered, I have walked by for many years without every going inside and seeing the marvelous interiors firsthand. We also went over the exterior of several buildings that I never stopped to think about the stories behind the buildings history. Yes, I took a lot of buildings for granted. On this tour we went over the timeline and historical evolution of some of some of the significant buildings in our downtown area. Of course, were not able to cover all of them because Chicago is blessed to have so many great buildings with a storied past. I highly, highly recommend this tour to tourists and locals alike. Some of the buildings that were covered were the Chicago Board of Trade, The Federal Building, The Marquette, The Palmer House, and the Chicago Cultural Center (and many more). If you decide to take this tour get ready to be wowed and enlightened about Chicago.

    Marquette Building - The Marquette Building

    Marquette Building

    (6 reviews)

    The Loop

    The Marquette Building is a beautiful example of the Chicago School of architecture. The early…read moresteel framed sixteen story skyscraper was built in 1895. The steel frame is what allowed long "Chicago windows" due to less pressure of the masonry. It was designed by Holabird and Roche. The skyscraper was named for Father Jacques Marquette, the first European settler who explored Chicago in 1674-1675. Mosaics, sculptures and bronzes honor this expedition in the Marquette's entry and lobby. The bronzes and sculptures show the trip and important historic figures that were met along the journey. The railing around the atrium features beautiful Tiffany designed mosaics. Louis Comfort Tiffany was commissioned to create a mosaic frieze to detail the story of Marquette's life, the exploration of Chicago and the Native Americans that he met. Art panels are made of lustered Tiffany glass, mother-of-Pearl and semi-precious stones. It is stunning! The building is free and open to explore. Ask the security guard for a brochure or if you are lucky, he may even share some history about the building. There is also a small exhibit behind the lobby that discusses Chicago skyscrapers and architecture.

    Chicago September 2019…read more Walked into the Marquette Building in downtown Chicago to view the beautiful artwork in the lobby. No admission fee. Just walk in and enjoy the view. The lobby is not too big but filled with stain glass art work that is eye catching. One can view the art from the first or second floor. Many Yelpers have already posted photos with great historical commentary. I'll just add a #metoo. No where to park around here unless you want to spend $30.00 ... I just jump on the CTA and pay $2.50 one way (or $5.00 round trip). Many of the buildings in downtown Chicago have fantastic art work in their lobbies. Most are free to explore. Welcome to Chicago !

    Chicago Line Cruises - boatcharters - Updated September 2026

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