Must-See Chicago
Must-See Chicago is a fast-paced, 90-minute introductory tour to Chicago featuring some of its most famous…
Recommended Tours
Visiting Chicago
Choose one of CAC’s acclaimed architecture tours, from a selection of our guests’ perennial favorites.
Latest and Greatest
Join us on one of our newest tours of the city, led by an expertly trained CAC Docent.
Skyscrapers
Select a tour of architectural treasures throughout Chicago and its suburbs, brought to life as only a CAC docent can.
Neighborhood Tours
Choose a tour featuring your favorite architect.
Visiting Chicago
Choose one of CAC’s acclaimed architecture tours, from a selection of our guests’ perennial favorites.
6 Tours in this collection
Chicago Architecture: A Walk Through Time
Want a quick introduction to Chicago’s magnificent architecture? This 90-minute tour takes a comprehensive…
Chicago Icons: Connecting Past and Present
This lively overview of Chicago architecture explores iconic buildings from the 1890s to present. We'll…
Chicago’s First Skyscrapers
Chicago is home to some of the world’s earliest skyscrapers. Get an up-close look at these 19th Century…
Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park
Oak Park is home to the world’s largest collection of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. View…
Elevated Architecture: Downtown "L" Train
Explore Chicago’s amazing architecture from the unique perspective of elevated trains and station platforms…
Latest and Greatest
Join us on one of our newest tours of the city, led by an expertly trained CAC Docent.
Skyscrapers
Select a tour of architectural treasures throughout Chicago and its suburbs, brought to life as only a CAC docent can.
4 Tours in this collection
Chicago’s First Skyscrapers
Chicago is home to some of the world’s earliest skyscrapers. Get an up-close look at these 19th Century…
Mid-Century Modern Skyscrapers
Looking for iconic Mid-Century Modern architecture? What better place than Chicago with its triumvirate…
Art Deco Skyscrapers: The Loop
Go inside the lobbies of Art Deco masterpieces built in the heart of Chicago’s financial district during…
Art Deco Skyscrapers: The Riverfront
Tour the lobbies of five opulent Art Deco skyscrapers built near the banks of the Chicago River during…
Neighborhood Tours
Choose a tour featuring your favorite architect.
2 Tours in this collection
Find a Tour
Tours by type
Tours by Location
Chicago Architecture: A Walk Through Time
Want a quick introduction to Chicago’s magnificent architecture? This 90-minute tour takes a comprehensive look at the city’s architectural history by viewing buildings in chronological order, from early skyscrapers to new supertall high rises.
Chicago’s First Skyscrapers
Chicago is home to some of the world’s earliest skyscrapers. Get an up-close look at these 19th Century marvels, learn about innovations used to build them and discover how they transformed Chicago into a center of skyscraper design and engineering…
Art Deco Skyscrapers: The Loop
Go inside the lobbies of Art Deco masterpieces built in the heart of Chicago’s financial district during the Roaring '20s. Learn how Art Deco reflected the era’s fun-loving optimism with lavish materials and geometric ornament.
Historic Treasures of Chicago’s Golden Age
Learn about the great architectural landmarks of Michigan Avenue and State Street. The 40 years between 1890 and 1930 saw the creation of some of Chicago’s the most memorable buildings, many of which are featured on this tour.
Tiffany in Chicago
Learn about the life and work of Louis Comfort Tiffany as we visit some of Chicago’s most magnificent art-glass and mosaic installations, each designed and crafted by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company.
Must-See Chicago
Must-See Chicago is a fast-paced, 90-minute introductory tour to Chicago featuring some of its most famous buildings, including the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago, Willis (Sears) Tower, the Chicago Theatre and more!
Architecture of the Magnificent Mile
Discover how a dirt road known as Pine Street transformed into a "Paris on the Prairie" and later into the Magnificent Mile, the city’s premier shopping district. Hear the secrets and stories behind the striking buildings on North Michigan Avenue that…
What's New
Over the course of 90 minutes, explore some of the newest buildings around the Chicago Architecture Center, focusing on construction elements and their impact on the city’s built environment.
Mid-Century Modern Skyscrapers
Looking for iconic Mid-Century Modern architecture? What better place than Chicago with its triumvirate of modern architects (Mies van der Rohe, Bertrand Goldberg and SOM) and a city ready and willing to accept them. Find out what set these buildings…
Chicago Icons: Connecting Past and Present
This lively overview of Chicago architecture explores iconic buildings from the 1890s to present. We'll compare and contrast a wide range of buildings with varying architectural styles and see how older structures connect to new skyline additions.
Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park
Oak Park is home to the world’s largest collection of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. View the exteriors of nearly a dozen of Wright’s structures.
Fulton-Randolph Market
Discover the fascinating 150-year evolution of the Fulton-Randolph Market District from food wholesaling and meatpacking to gourmet restaurants, technology hubs and boutique hotels.
Elevated Architecture: Downtown "L" Train
Explore Chicago’s amazing architecture from the unique perspective of elevated trains and station platforms. Learn the history behind the famous "L" system and hear how it has shaped the development of buildings within the Loop.
Art Deco Skyscrapers: The Riverfront
Tour the lobbies of five opulent Art Deco skyscrapers built near the banks of the Chicago River during the business boom of the Roaring '20s. Learn how Art Deco reflected the era’s fun-loving optimism with lavish materials and geometric ornament.
Chicago Athletic Association Hotel
Experience the museum quality restoration of an iconic Chicago landmark, the most exclusive men's club in the city, now a model of adaptive reuse as a chic boutique hotel.
Chicago Board of Trade Building
The Chicago Board of Trade is a Loop icon and City of Chicago and US National Historic Landmark that anchors La Salle Street, described in the building's opening brochure as the 'monarch' of the street, still standing tall and proud. We’ll see newly…
Chicago Pedway
Take a warm walk through a portion of the Pedway system to discover the fascinating “city below the city” used by Chicagoans every day.
Fine Arts Building
Discover this treasure trove on Michigan Avenue and learn how it went from a carriage showroom to a high-profile artists’ colony that housed tenants like Frank Lloyd Wright, Lorado Taft and Harriet Monroe.
Hotel Boom: Making Old New Again
Chicago’s growth as a favorite travel destination has fueled a surge in the creative repurposing of historic skyscrapers into chic new hotels. Learn how and why a former motor club, insurance company and bank have undergone this change
Macy's on State: The Legacy of Marshall Field's
Celebrate the holiday season with our special tours on 11/20 and 12/18, featuring festive decorations. Explore this State Street landmark by Daniel Burnham, surrounded by seasonal cheer!
Marquette Building
Completed in 1895, the Marquette Building brings Chicago’s early history to life in an artistic and elegant setting. Examine the innovative exterior and get an up-close view of the beautiful interior.
Merchandise Mart
Once the largest building in the world, the Merchandise Mart remains a center for commercial and residential design. This massive structure has kept up with the times and is now recognized as a key Chicago hub for technological innovation.
Palmer House Hotel
On 12/2, the Palmer House Hotel will be adorned with holiday decorations, creating a festive ambiance for this special tour. Experience the glamour, intrigue, and excitement of the bygone 'Grand Hotel' era all while surrounded by cheerful holiday spirit…
Pub Tour: Andersonville
Experience the Swedish influences of Andersonville a historically landmarked neighborhood settled in the 1850's. Join us in seeing architecture taken to new uses and now operate as churches, restaurants and schools with Scandinavian inspiration. Get…
Rookery Building
Explore the interior and exterior of one of Chicago’s most famous and beloved historic buildings: The Rookery by Daniel Burnham and John Wellborn Root.
The Old Post Office
Explore the new Old Post Office Building, whose early 20th-century design has been adaptively reused into a beautiful, modern Class A Office building.
Union Station: Icon of a Great Age
Union Station is one of the last grand train stations still operating in the U.S. and the only one in Chicago, serving both Amtrak and Metra commuter rail. Take in the elaborate details of this historic landmark, including the stunning Great Hall, which…