Booking an architecture boat tour is an absolute must when visiting Chicago! We booked our tickets through Citypass which I recommend doing early as this tends to be popular and spots fill up very quickly. Our guide, Charlie was super knowledgeable and very entertaining which made the experience even better! He taught us about the history of Chicago and we got to learn so much about the city's iconic buildings. Highly recommend this tour! read more

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Quick take: Must do in Chicago Definitely go on a river boat tour if you are visiting Downtown Chicago. The tour guide was awesome. The weather was so nice. Not too hot and not too cold. Very interesting history and stories about all the businesses and buildings along the river. read more

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Took the 8p Architectural Tour. Perfect time to do it and have the sun set during the tour. Our tour guide was Eric, a 22 year old young man who was phenomenal. Would absolutely recommend and I also need to go again. A lot of information to take in. Very cool date night activity. read more

This is a must do if you are in Chicago. Took a 75 min architectural river cruise. Our guide Elliot was amazing. Very knowledgeable and entertaining. Great way to learn about the history, see amazing architecture and see the city. Will do this every time I am in Chicago read more

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I booked this architecture tour through CityPASS, and it ended up being one of my favorite things I did in Chicago. The tour started right on time, and the entire crew was friendly, organized, and professional. Our guide was knowledgeable and shared lots of interesting facts about Chicago's history, architecture, and the city's iconic buildings. It was the perfect balance of information without feeling overwhelming. If you're visiting in the summer, I'd highly recommend the 7:30 p.m. tour (I went in June). During the 75-minute cruise, you get to experience the city in daylight, during golden hour, and as the skyline begins to light up after sunset. It made for some incredible views and photos. It's a fantastic experience that's enjoyable for all ages and one I'd definitely recommend if you're visiting Chicago. read more

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As someone who had never been to Chicago I was told that this was one of the "must do" things to get the full experience. Originally I was annoyed that it was going to rain the day that I did it, but that ended up being for the best because it scared a lot of people away. From the look of all the empty chairs they can pack a LOT of people on these boats. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed myself if it was so packed. It was nice that they had restrooms available because this is a lengthy ride. I learned a good deal and got to see some interesting sights. I thought it was worth the time we spent on it. read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - rainy day makes people go away - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I got a ticket for Shoreline Sightseeing River Architecture tour via Chicago CityPass. It was easy to book a timeslot through the CityPass app but I'm sure it's not too difficult to secure tickets in other ways. The instructions state to show up at least 15 minutes prior to the time on your ticket and I took that pretty literally. My tour was booked for 5:00PM and showed up at 4:45PM. By the time I got there the line was SUPER long. There's enough seating for everyone but if you want your pick of what seat to sit in you should definitely show up earlier. I ended up sitting on a bench on the side of the boat but I didn't mind at all, it made for good views. Eric, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable and he presented the information in a fun and entertaining way. I went towards the end of May and it was a bit chilly so definitely keep an eye on the weather and pack a jacket if it's appropriate. I guess they don't call it "The Windy City" for nothing. There is a bar on the lower deck that serves alcohol and sells some snacks but my girlfriend and I didn't partake. Nice to know it's there as an option though. I'd definitely suggest you go on the tour if you're visiting Chicago. Maybe it'd be fun even for locals that have never done it before. Very enjoyable experience! read more

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Such a great Chicago experience! The ride last 75 mins it's and the guide was so informative - sharing trails about the Chicago skyline. Highly recommend! read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - Chicago skyline - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had a blast at the architecture tour. As someone with limited knowledge about architecture, it was great hearing and learning so much about Chicago's history and the intention behind the buildings and city planning. It was so inspiring hearing the story and life's work of Daniel Burnham! He came up with a plan on how to effectly build a city for and set an example with Chicago. It's amazing to see how they implemented his ideas and how beneficial they have been comparing it to other major cities. We learned about the resilience of the people bouncing back from the fire and the meaning behind Chicago flag. It was great hearing from someone that was knowledgeable and passionate about the topic. It is worth spending you time here as a tourist early on your trip so you can witness your lessons while you tour around! read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - Contextualism - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Eric was our tour guide and he did an amazing job. Very fun, very professional and very knowledgeable. read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - Chicago skyline - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the second time I have done an architecture cruise in Chicago. Different company, but just as great. Took family this time. Our tour guide, Joe, was outstanding. Covered a lot of history and explained the relevance of the architecture. Would go again with this company. Took the 10:45am tour - great views and good weather. Utilized the tickets through the C3 pass. read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - View from the boat at the beginning - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Very impressive and unexpected. We were at a ball game when someone told us about this tour. This was our first time in Chicago and they highly recommended this tour. I looked it up immediately and found this one. I booked it for the next day. The confirmation was easy to follow and find the meeting point. We took the 1030 tour. It was full but not packed. We had Sadie for our guide. She is a local and was super knowledgeable. Her description of every building on the river was super impressive and very informative. She gave us historical information. She gave us information on building codes from past and present, fun facts, and she made it fun. We learned more about Chicago in 1 1/2 hours than i could have learned from a book or a class. Like what the locals did for me, I will tell you, this is a must. This was worth the cost and time we had during our trip. Make the time and take the tour. You will not be disappointed. read more

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Excellent tour of Chicago on the river. Good narrator and plenty places to take beautiful photos and videos. There is a bar downstairs in case you want to grab a ginger ale or brewski. 5 stars! read more

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Architecture tour was a beautiful way to see the Chicago skyline and learn the history. I loved the evening/nighttime tour. Seeing all the buildings lit up was awesome. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. They did have a bar so I enjoyed having a cocktail as we sailed ! read more

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Their ticket booth is location on Michigan Ave. near where that Apple Store is on the north part of the river pass. I did the 75 minute architecture tour hosted by Jeremy, it was absolutely worth it. Shoreline Sightseeing is also part of City Pass so you can get a discount on your ticket with that. The "boats" have bars and food options downstairs, the tour guide gives a lot of history about Chicago and the architecture, there's also a lot of great skyline views during the ride. With all the things you can do in Chicago I would put this tour on the must/you have to try on your first visit here. read more

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Went on a boat tour but our tour guide had a medical emergency, probably heat stroke. Decent experience but seems dangerous to do in this heat. She had done two tours before this. They said water was free downstairs in the bar but got charged. read more

Great $$, Plenty of room on the boat and wonderful commentator! I would definitely recommend

The Thursday night we were in town we took an architectural cruise down the Chicago River with Shoreline Sightseeing. We all boarded the Evening Star and got settled. You could sit in folding chairs facing forward or on the benches on the side. All were comfortable and because the boat was open you had a great view no matter where you sat. We had a wonderful tour guide named Victor. Not only was he knowledgable but hilarious. He kept it light and entertaining while giving us lots of information. I won't pretend to know all the technical terms or to even be able to explain all that we saw. I do know that I saw buildings in a different way than I had before. I had never seen or heard anyone so passionate about architecture, but you could tell Victor was totally in it. He made me want to understand it. The buildings really were beautiful. We also learned about the bridges and the history behind the architects and builders. Victor also went into detail about future projects along the riverside. I was fascinated by the parks and small patches of tranquility along the river within the tall buildings If you are looking for a unique experience, this is it. They do more than architectural tours. They also offer Lake Tours, Fireworks Tours, and Water Taxis. read more

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This is a very popular boat architecture tour. On off-season times or days you can simply just walk up and purchase a ticket, but during the summer or busier months, you might wanna purchase in advance. The tour is really informative, and the guides are usually pretty entertaining, highly recommend. read more

Hands down most amazing sightseeing tour I have done in Chicago. I did not know what to expect, but this 75 minute tour was awesome! Our guide Victor knew in and out about every building development, uniqueness, history, architectural styles, pros cons and just a plain history of it! Must do for visitors and locals alike! read more

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The guide was very knowledgeable and the experience was laid back and very enjoyable. Drinks were tasty. I was impressed with the navigation as well, there was an amazing amount of water traffic. We did the tour from the lock to east and west of the Chicago river. Loved seeing my hometown from a different angle. read more

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We took the 75 minute tour. Very interesting, employees friendly. Citypass will let you reserve a time. We used GoCity which was more affordable. No problem getting a ticket on a Sunday in June. Elevator in Apple Store to waterfront. Don't know about handicap access down to the boat as there are stairs and a boarding ramp. read more

Sam S. Was great today!!! Very knowledgeable and good humor as well. A+++++++ would love to do this tour again soon.

Upon buying a Go Chicago pass for 4 attractions, Shoreline was the option to do a river architecture tour and it turned out to be a nice experience that I would recommend if the weather is accommodating. The tour left promptly as advertised from the Michigan Ave location which was easy to find and get to. The boat was a double decker with an open top deck and a covered lower deck with clear plastic tarps to protect from wind and rain. Also there was an open bar and restrooms. Each tour has a narrator and ours was Keegan who did an excellent job providing interesting information about all of the buildings we passed by and also interjecting humor in his dialogue. The tall buildings that we drove by were very unique and attractive. The trip was very comfortable as the Chicago River is very docile. One interesting observation I had was that we passed under at least a dozen bridges going out and then repeated that after turning around and coming back. Most of the bridges are used for automobile traffic downtown and as we passed underneath I noticed that they had open grating so that I could look up and see them passing over. So I wondered what happens when a rock or something else (sludge, rainwater, etc) falls off a passing vehicle above how it must fall on us top deck spectators passing underneath at the same time. Fortunately I did not observe this happen. Oh well.... Come on this tour and you won't be disappointed. Many nice photo ops. read more

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It was wonderful. Liam (spelling??) was our guide and was HILARIOUS!! The view of the buildings from the river was like no other.

We took this 90-minute Architecture River Cruise as part of the City Pass, and we loved it. Learning about the architecture, landmarks, history, and stories of Chicago was amazing as first-time visitors in Chicago. We departed from their Michigan Ave. location, which is right by the Apple Store along the water. As you enter the boat, a picture is taken (if you choose to) and will be available for purchase at the end (we paid $25 it includes 1-5"X7" & 2-3"X5"). We checked the weather ahead of time, so we prepared with a coat because it was chilly. They have all type of beverages available for purchase, such as cocktails, soda, coffee, and tea. Restrooms were clean during our tour. Shout out to our tour guide 'Jim', who was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, welcoming, and simply amazing! Overall, we had an informative, excellent experience with Shoreline and are so glad we chose this tour. It did not disappoint. read more

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Went to Chicago and had so much fun! We decided to get shoreline sightseeing tickets and we made it just in time to catch the one that was leaving in 5 mins! The ticket counter even called the boat to wait for us since we had paid for the ticket! We enjoyed the boat ride, learning about Chicago's history! They had beverages and so we got some hot chocolate while we listened to the host and took lots of videos and pictures along the one hour tour! Soo soo worth it! read more

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Shoreline cruises was a great way to experience the beautiful Chicago Skyline from the water at an affordable price. Beautiful breezes and history of the city made this a wonderful experience. read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - Gorgeous view of Trump Tower and the new buildings going up downtown. - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Chicago is one of the premier cities in the US, and in the world for that matter, when it comes to architecture. Chicago's Skyline is stunning when viewed from many angles. An architectural tour by boat on the Chicago River is one of the best ways to appreciate the beautiful urban landscape that is the signature of the Windy City. Shoreline Tours is probably the best option among those available for a city tour on the water. There are two points of departure...Michigan Ave. and Navy Pier. The former was much more convenient for us so we chose that as our starting point. The kiosk for the tours is readily visible on the East Side of Michigan Ave. just north of the bridge. In general, you can buy your ticket there or ahead of time on-line. However, we received our tickets as part of the City Pass 3-day deal we had purchased a week before our visit to the city. The friendly, polite staff at the kiosk direct you to the stairway leading down to the boarding area. They start the boarding process just before departure time. They snap a photo of your group as you board that you can purchase later if you wish. There is an upper deck and a lower, sheltered deck. In nice weather, the choice of the upper deck is a no-brainer. There is a bar on board with drinks and snacks available. The 90-minute tour takes you up different forks of the river going inland and then going out they take you nearly to the lake. Our guide did a great job painting a condensed picture of the history of the city pointing out various structures as they weaved into that history. The beautiful architecture came to life with the valuable extra dimension of the historical context. Highlights included the Wrigley Building, the Trump Tower, the Tribune Tower, the Jewelers Building, the Willis (Sears) Tower and the Corncob Towers, among others. Those last buildings are famed in movie lore and they were the feature our 5-year-old grandson remembered most prominently. This tour is a fabulous way to soak in the architectural beauty of Chicago, to learn about the history of the loop and to enjoy a pleasant outing on the water. When the weather is nice, nothing beats being out on the water in the early evening. The kids will enjoy that aspect the most. As mentioned, our fare was covered as part of the City Pass, but I believe the cost is in the $50 range. It's worth it! read more

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This was a last minute great find. I was actually at the Apple Store in Chicago, and I saw this boat ready to depart, so I jumped on a last minute tour. I am so pleased I took this tour. Victor was incredibly knowledgeable, funny, and full of fun facts. The boat was comfortable, the bathrooms were clean, the staff was professional and friendly, and the narration was wonderful. It was a great way to see the city from a different angle, and I was able to learn many things I never knew about this city's unique architecture. read more

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I had a really great time on this tour with my son and his significant other. They were a bit 'eh' at an architectural tour, but I knew it wasn't going to be a history lecture. We all had a fun time! Yes, we heard history and stories, and yes we saw the architecture, but the way our guide wove it together and spoke about these places that he could probably do in his sleep was just enough excitement, with some borderline cheesy-ness (which I love) was just a good time and a great way to introduce his girlfriend to the beautiful city! read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

By far my favorite thing I've done in the city! Such a great way to start the day. Do it!!! You won't be disappointed. read more

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This was one of the cheaper tour options, so my expectations were low - but Josh did an outstanding job! Very informative and entertaining.

We went back and forth about which activities to do while on a trip to Chicago and found ourselves debating about this one for awhile, the price was high, but we enjoy tours about the local areas we travel to. We first inquired about the architecture tour while walking around Navy Pier and learned that there were two departure spots and a difference in the boats used. It wasn't the best weather and I was worried about being too cold sitting outside for an hour on a boat, but we learned that the Michigan Avenue boat does have an indoor area you can retreat to if it gets too cold. We walked up without a reservation and were able to get on easily on a weekday. We lucked out and it happened to be around St Patrick's Day so we enjoyed our tour on the beautifully dyed green river. It was sunny and we managed to snag a bench seat on the side of the boat. The tour is only an hour, but there are bathrooms on board if you worry about this. They also sell drinks. Our guide was great, we learned a lot about the different styles of architecture up and down the river. Since this tour I have found myself paying more attention to other styles of buildings now that I am back home. We did this closer to the end of our trip and I think if I had planned better we would have done it sooner so we could spend more time appreciating the buildings after. It was a great experience, but if I ever do it again it will be it the summer as I would love to see all the people dining on the shore while we cruise by on the boat. read more

Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper & they've got a glorious river, dyed green for St. Patrick's Day, running through the city; going on an architecture river tour is a must-do for a tourist visiting Chicago, & there are a plethora of boat companies willing to take your money in exchange for some info about the Windy City (including how the Windy City got their nickname.) I decided to go with Shoreline Sightseeing. $47 for an hour-long guided river tour with an option to leave from Navy Pier or where we departed from -- 401 N. Michigan Ave. There are two levels with bathrooms, a bar, & enclosed seating downstairs, & seating upstairs, the majority of which are exposed to the sun & wind. There is limited seating under a canopy. My beanie, scarf, & gloves kept me warm in the crisp March temps. The bridges are as interesting as the stories about each notable skyscraper. My favorite anecdote: the building at 300 S. Wacker was tired of being ignored so a mural with a "You are Here" push pin now covers the facade to get our attention. Our tour guide will have us believe that the Second City is not butthurt about coming in second to another popular big city, but I think she was just covering up the city's collective chip on its shoulder. Kidding! Kind of. read more

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Everyone knows Chicago is a great architecture city, so of course I went on an architecture boat tour. My family booked this one due to its great reviews on TripAdvisor, and it was such a good time! Our tour guide was Stephanie, and she did a great job of explaining all the different styles of architecture and pointing out both old and new notable builds. For example, she told us that different floors of Trump international hotel match the height of other surrounding buildings using something called contextual design. She also told us facts about Chicago as a whole, such as how the Great Chicago Fire was caused by this woman's cow. Aside from the great information, the tour is a super chill way to enjoy all the beautiful Chicago skyline. Just sit back, bask in the sun, and look up. Also, when we had to turn around, whoever was driving the boat executed some stellar 180° turns. This trip is 100% worth your time! read more

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We did the 75 minute architecture boat tour, and our guide was Kevin. He was very knowledgeable, energetic, and entertaining! He had a lot of fun stories and enthusiasm. It gave us a unique view of the city - super worth the time and money! read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I recently went on an Architectural tour with the Shoreline Sightseeing with a couple of friends. We were lucky to be on the river in the month of March as the weather was pleasant. The tour started from Michigan Avenue and it was an hour long. The tour was very informative and our guide Michael was very funny as well. He shared important architectural knowledge while making it entertaining for everyone. I had a friend on the tour who has been on many architectural tours in the past like Wendela and other local tours, and she said the tour with Shoreline sightseeing was much more informative. They don't take you on the lake if you participate for an hour slot, which was a bummer but overall it is good! I will definitely recommend them to anyone who would like to know more about the city's architectural marvels. read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Victor was 10 out of 10 amazing tour guide! Knowledge, engaging, witty, and funny! The architecture tour was 90 minutes of magic. Loved sitting front row to take in the sights and all of Victor and his binder of picture. read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This tour was magnificent especially for architectural buffs like myself. Take in the sights on the serene canal and you will learn at least 25 fun facts about the surrounding skyscrapers. Take the 7:30pm tour as you will start with sunlight and end when all the lights come on...two different moods. Tip: get admission to this as part of the City Pass...worth every penny especially if you are in town to visit four more major attractions. read more

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