River cruises - Chicago Tours and Travel

The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) offers more than 85 different architecture tours of Chicago including the architecture river cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady.   The website, www.architecture.org describes all the tours, exhibitions, lectures, special events, and adult and youth education activities, all designed to enhance the public’s awareness and appreciation of Chicago’s outstanding architectural legacy.

Architecture river cruise:

CAF is most famous for the architecture river cruise.  Seeing the city from the river gives a whole new feel to the experience. The tour is ninety minutes long, and is provided by certified volunteer docents who are entertaining as well as very educated regarding Chicago's architecture.   The experience is always fresh because the docents keep up-to-date with new construction along the river and include all the news in their fact-filled commentary.

The cruise highlights 53 historic and architecturally significant sites including: the Trump Tower, Merchandise Mart, 333 W. Wacker, the Wrigley Building, the Tribune Tower, the Sears Tower, River City, and Marina City. The cruise also includes the North Branch of the Chicago River with buildings such as The Montgomery, formerly the world headquarters for Montgomery Ward; the Chicago Tribune printing press plant; Goose Island; Kinzie Park development; Riverbend and the clustered glass River Cottages.

The tour is offered aboard Chicago's First Lady Cruises cruising yachts, with open-air decks as well as air conditioned interior seating.  All CAF cruises depart from the Michigan Avenue Bridge and Wacker Drive, just north of Millennium Park.

The web-site also describes a wide range of tours, such as:

• Downtown tours
• Walking tours
• Neighborhoods tours
• Suburban tours
• Lunchtime tours
• Bus tours
• Segway tours
• Bicycle tours

CAF also offers education programs, a design-themed shop and excellent free exhibitions.

Chicago's First Lady Cruises: 

Since 1993 the fleet of Chicago First Lady Cruises has been the official vessels for the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise. The fleet operates more than 1,600 tours annually to the general public during its May-November season.  Chicago’s First Lady Cruises owns and operates four luxury yachts: Chicago’s First Lady, Chicago’s Little Lady, Chicago’s Fair Lady and Lady Grebe. All are available for private charter cruising each evening. As stewards of Chicago’s waterways, Chicago’s First Lady is dedicated to helping protect the environment.

For more information and tickets please visit  www.architecture.org.