Absolutely fabulous architectural river cruise!!! MaryJo was our tour guide and she was awesome and fun. The tour is 90 minutes long but felt like maybe 30 minutes..so fun we did not realize so much time had passed when they headed back. Nice crew and clean boat!! Also note...not for profit! All proceeds go to the ACC! The only river tour you need to book...book now!! You will not be disappointed!! read more

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I was dying to do a boat tour when I came to Chicago recently and was very happy with this tour. We bought tickets in advance, but you can also buy them right at the dock. You line up to get on the boat, if you're anxious about getting a spot you might want to arrive early, but there was plenty of space on board. Drinks and snacks are available for purchase on board, they have a full bar. I did not get anything, but I saw plenty of people partaking on our tour. The tour guide was excellent, he talked for the entire 90 minute tour and I definitely learned a lot about Chicago and its history. The boat was clean and well maintained. The chairs are those metal mesh like seats, so if you're wearing shorts or skirt, bring something to sit on so you don't end up with an impression on your thighs like I did read more

excellent time at a friends party on a really nice chicago evening. The staff were polite, the views to die for and the open bar was flowing. Will certainly host or attend another event with them! read more

First Lady - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been to Chicago at least half a dozen times, and the architectural tour is always a favorite. Most recently, I went on Chicago's First Lady, as it was the closest ticket booth and it didn't disappoint. The guides are volunteers, but seem very passionate and knowledgeable. Worth the time and money every time! read more

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Second time on this tour 9 years since the first time and honestly I could take this tour annually I love it so much. The docents are so incredibly knowledgeable and you learn so much about the major architectural styles and history of Chicago while enjoying a perfect 90 minute cruise! read more

Came to celebrate our boss's birthday on Wednesday and we had a good time. We could t have asked for a more glorious day to do so. With 13 of us there, we all sat together on the top floor of the boat and cruised down the Chicago river. Tom out docent was great! Very knowledgeable on all Chicago buildings and skyscrapers. And how photogenic is our city!! It didn't disappoint either the sun hitting all the right marks. read more

First Lady - St Regis hotel - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Genuinely one of the worst experiences in my year and a half of living in chicago. Took the ghost tour and not a single person would stop talking, the crew didn't try and do anything to get anyone to stop. The bartender was letting people buy 4 drinks at a time. The speaker system was horrible and you couldn't hear anything unless you were on the top floor of the boat but it was pouring rain so you couldn't stay up there long. Do not recommend, swimming in the chicago river would be more pleasant. Take a tour with Windella instead. read more

The architecture tour was great! The boat was nice, and the guide very clearly knew what she was doing. I took more pictures then I can count! Highly recommend! read more

Bill gave a great tour, drinks were good, had a very fun time overall. Would suggest more morning time tours. read more

First Lady - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A Great 90 Minutes! Highly recommend this tour. Bathroom and Bar on board help the experience.

I love that this tour was 90 minutes, not too short and not too long! We didnt feel pressured to give tips and felt very safe on board. The information about the history and building ls was interesting and at the end of the tour before docking again they paused for us to get pics with the skyline! read more

First Lady - The boat paused for us to get pics - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a very professional and well-run tour. It was the first activity we did in Chicago, and it gave us a much deeper appreciation for the buildings we saw throughout the rest of our trip. The guide was knowledgeable, the length is just right, and the views from the boat are fantastic. I highly recommend booking your tour with them! read more

Awesome River Cruise Not a junket or party. Just a very nice 1.5 hour cruise that features great views and lots of context to the river front as it has evolved in the last 200 years. From a smelly swamp to a multi-million dollar waterfront there have been many twists and turns. Our 9/14 9:30 am docent was educated, professional and truly captivating with all the facts and stories. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Better than I expected. read more

Went on the tour today! It was incredibly easy, comfortable and fun. Jessica our guide was knowledgeable and held our attention for 90 minutes. I highly recommend:) Colleen W read more

Went on the Creepy Ghost Tour (3) probably the nicest night of my trip. Full moon,history was silly funny. Night was probably last crisp yet semi warm people watching was amazing I enjoy fun knowledge on a boat! read more

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This was a good tour and we really enjoyed it. Our volunteer guide gave us lots of interesting information. The next day we went to the Architectural Center, because our tickets on Chicago's First Lady allowed us to go to the Architectural Center for only $5.00. At the Architectural Center, we learned that some of the info on Chicago's First Lady was incorrect, particularly some "myths" about the great Chicago fire. Perhaps the guides should visit the center too. read more

We went on the architecture boat tour and it was amazing! Our docent, Claudia was a walking encyclopedia. It was entertaining and we learned so much about the history of the buildings in Chicago. I highly recommend this tour! read more

Great tour. Retired lawyer Bill was amazing guide. Very knowledgeable. Very relaxing tour and great views.

If you're visiting Chicago for the first time a boat tour is a must-do. And if you're going to choose one of the many, why not pick the highly rated boat tour and the official cruise line for the Chicago Architecture Center? To reserve your spots, make a reservation online. They have tour times all day starting from 9am to evening ones like at 7:30pm if you want a night tour. No matter which one you decide on it will be a great and informative time. It's a 90 minute tour led by a volunteer docent who are all very knowledgeable and passionate about Chicago building architecture. The boat will occasionally make some pit stops so you can take pictures which are very convenient. The boat has everything you need from restrooms to even a well-stocked bar. The nice thing is that if you book a tour you can get tickets to the Chicago Architecture Center for only $5 more instead of the typical $14. This is a great way to see Chicago from a different perspective! read more

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This review is not about the boat tour as we never made it on but towards their incompetent staff! The Team Lead Montse has the absolute worst attitude and worst customer service! If you don't believe me approach her and you will see for yourself. We were told to arrive 30 minutes prior to departure time as they begin boarding 20 minutes prior to departure. We were there 45 minutes before departure so we can get a good seat. This is where the horror begins.... They started checking us in 10 minutes prior to boarding and I already had a bad feeling that we weren't going to depart on time (this would've been fine if we didn't have dinner reservations right after the boat tour) but we still decided to stay (always trust your gut!). After they checked us and we were in line waiting for about 40 minutes they made us move to another line (everyone in line was asked to move from line 3 to line 4) so we all did and it was orderly at first. After standing in that line for 10 minutes (we are now 15 minutes past our departure time) we were all asked to move back to line 3. At that point everyone in line started running/cutting in front of others so most of us that arrived super early and were in front of the line were now caught somewhere in the middle of the line. The team lead (Montse) gave everyone attitude and kept saying that it wasn't her fault and was not clear as to why we were asked to move back and forth. She was rude and had this 'shut up and put up' attitude the entire time. Once we were approaching to board (18 minutes or so late) all the good seats were taken so we decided to stay back and ask for our money back. Montse was super rude and had this idgaf attitude about what went wrong and pretty much made me look and feel like I was in the wrong. She gave me an email address where I can write them to "try" and get my money back but she was pretty much not going to help me at all. I would stay away from this boat tour as there are many other options with nicer staff available. Never again! read more

Purchased tickets for St. Patrick's Day for a friend and me, when river would be green, but never got on boat. Accessibility was a nightmare. I called in advance to make sure someone with a walker wouldn't have a problem and was assured it was easy to access. There are many steps to get down to the boat so we walked about two streets over and walked the bridge to an elevator only to realize we were on wrong side and there was no way to get to boat from there. We retraced steps and took stairs and I made it at 4:03, but my friend with a walker was still behind. They said they had to leave on time. They say to arrive 20 to 30 minutes early and we did but spent that time trying to get to the boat. They would not offer a refund, only tickets for next day,but that was our last day in Chicago. I lost $170! I would advise to arrive an hour early or do a trial run the day prior. read more

We took the architecture boat tour today. Ellen was our guide. She was amazing!!! (So knowledgeable!!) We went through the entire Chicago river and saw everything. She new the history of the city, each of the buildings, and what was planned for the future. It was 90 min start to finish. Highly recommend!!! read more

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I haven't been on the architecture tour for about 5 years, but I always enjoy it. It was a beautiful Wednesday sunny (but not overly hot) day. The tour guide was succinct in her description of the various buildings. read more

Amazing architectural river tour! John our guide was just incredible.... Fantastic. Tried to give him tip but he refused. One of the highlights of our weekend in Chicago and I would highly recommend it. read more

Highly recommend the First Last Architecture River tour. Dave our docent from the Chicago Architect Center was very knowledgeable and passionate about the city and the buildings. We enjoyed his insights and facts about the city's architectural history and design. The 90 min tour flew. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us! I know there's lots of options for architecture river tours, but this one was to be the best option for me due to our schedule, the location- which was away from the start of the other tours- and that Dave was a docent from the Chicago architecture center. Highly recommend this tour for all! It's a Must do for first timers in the Chicago area. read more

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The advertisement said it was a creepy cruise and that buildings would be illuminated Halloween colors! Total deception!! Not worth it! The tour guide's stories were not even scary! I'm sorry but we were disappointed!! read more

Our guide, Deb, was friendly and so informative! She provided details about the emergence of the river - past and present. Her commentary on the architects and architecture was entertaining as well as educational. I learned so much and all of it is great context for a visit to Chicago. Definitely worth doing. read more

Terrific river cruise with a wonderfully knowledgeable and personal docent, Harry. We've taken several and this was the best.

Emily obviously cares that her tour attendees learn the city icons, and speaks knowledgeably, comfortably, personably, and fluently. Impressive stamina--bravo Emily! read more

We got Andy for thr creepy cruise and he did an amazing job, kept all of us engaged with great and really funny stories. We can't wait to come back! read more

Excellent tour and the guide was extremely knowledgeable! The weather was perfect. We went on the 7 pm tour. Can't wait to go again.

Tim was a wonderful tour guide!!! So Informative and casual in nature. The city was beautiful!

There is a lot to see and do in Chicago, but an architecture tour by boat is an absolute must. When deciding which architecture tour would be best, I saw that Chicago's First Lady boat tour is the official tour of the Chicago Architecture Center, which sold me. You can get tickets ahead of time, which I recommend doing if you're going with a group and want a specific time. However, for the four of us, we were able to get tickets half an hour before the 6pm tour, which is the last for the day. The ticket window is near the dock/entrance of where the boat takes off from. Tickets were about $50 per person. Line up early for the best seats since tickets do not assign seating. The architecture tour was about 90 minutes and is narrated by a volunteer who tells you about Chicago's history and the background of the many buildings that you'll see along the cruise. It really is the best way to learn about the historical buildings and skyscrapers, and Chicago's past. I recommend anyone visiting Chicago to partake in an architecture tour by boat, especially through Chicago's First Lady. read more

First Lady - Touring - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I researched the architectural tours prior to going with the First Lady. The First Lady is associated to the Architect.org which you can tour also at 111 Wacker Drive. This tour is awesome, being raised in Chicago I learned more about the buildings built on the river than I learned while studying in the city. The little tidbits of information on how decisions were made really made this an interesting tour! The ship/boat that takes you out is classy, the wood on the lower level is rich and gives you that feel of old time sailing. I would take this cruise again and again ! read more

First Lady - Emily is great! - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was a great tour- the female docent was very knowledgeable. I think the price is a little steep for what you get, and I get that prices vary depending on day , but the "51 and up" seems so random. We enjoyed it overall, but I think this tour should be priced a little lower for what you get. Boat staff was all amazing- attendant at window was not so great. read more

We did the architecture cruise on a sat evening. It was a beautiful evening to enjoy the city's architecture. The volunteer who narrated was very good. The boat crew were very friendly and check process was smooth. Overall an amazing way to Njoy the city, would highly recommend it. read more

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The docent was EXTREMELY knowledgeable and made the 90 minutes fly by. The staff were professional. Highly recommend!!

The guy who narrated the tour was articulate, easy to listen to, and really knew his stuff. The architecture in Chicago really is STUNNING. Not sure it is worth the extra money to get priority seating. If you show up a half hour before the sailing time, you will get a good seat. Sit on the top deck, near the middle. The left side of the boat seems to get more attention. read more

Nick was informative and fun. We enjoyed him. Also, his voice reminded us of Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon (bonus).

This was by far my favorite tourist attraction in Chicago. We basically covered a large portion of downtown Chicago in only 90 min. My girlfriend and I took some great selfies and the views alone are worth it. They also have a bar in the first floor just in case you want to enjoy a refreshment while on the tour. Our tour guide was a volunteer who truly loves her city and was very knowledgeable on the subject. It didn't feel like a boring lecture in school, it was actually entertaining and I'm happy to say I left the tour knowing more about Chicago than I did entering. Definitely recommend if it's your first time in Chicago and you're trying to cover as much as possible in a short time. read more

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