Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady
Experience why we're the #1 rated boat cruise in Chicago, tickets are on sale now for the 2024 season…
Choose one of CAC’s acclaimed architecture tours, from a selection of our guests’ perennial favorites.
Join us on one of our newest tours of the city, led by an expertly trained CAC Docent.
Select a tour of architectural treasures throughout Chicago and its suburbs, brought to life as only a CAC docent can.
Explore Chicago’s green spaces and learn why well-designed parks and outdoor recreational areas are essential to the city.
Choose a tour featuring your favorite architect.
Choose one of CAC’s acclaimed architecture tours, from a selection of our guests’ perennial favorites.
Experience why we're the #1 rated boat cruise in Chicago, tickets are on sale now for the 2024 season…
Must-See Chicago is a fast-paced, 90-minute introductory tour to Chicago featuring some of its most famous…
Want a quick introduction to Chicago’s magnificent architecture? This 90-minute tour takes a comprehensive…
This lively overview of Chicago architecture explores iconic buildings from the 1890s to present. We'll…
Chicago is home to some of the world’s earliest skyscrapers. Get an up-close look at these 19th Century…
Oak Park is home to the world’s largest collection of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. View…
Explore Chicago’s amazing architecture from the unique perspective of elevated trains and station platforms…
Join us on one of our newest tours of the city, led by an expertly trained CAC Docent.
Discover a living urban canvas along the Wabash Avenue Arts Corridor in the South Loop. Learn more about…
Over the course of 90 minutes, explore some of the newest buildings around the Chicago Architecture Center…
Take a short walk to see the Lakeshore East neighborhood, featuring two notable buildings designed by…
This tour helps you discover the western portion of the Riverwalk, starting at the Vietnam Memorial near…
Select a tour of architectural treasures throughout Chicago and its suburbs, brought to life as only a CAC docent can.
Chicago is home to some of the world’s earliest skyscrapers. Get an up-close look at these 19th Century…
Previously titled Mid-Century Modern Skyscrapers, this tour takes a look at iconic Mid-Century Modern…
Go inside the lobbies of Art Deco masterpieces built in the heart of Chicago’s financial district during…
Tour the lobbies of five opulent Art Deco skyscrapers built near the banks of the Chicago River during…
Take a short walk to see the Lakeshore East neighborhood, featuring two notable buildings designed by…
Explore Chicago’s green spaces and learn why well-designed parks and outdoor recreational areas are essential to the city.
Understand how the unique Chicago-style bascule bridges work. View the underpinnings of the bridges,…
Learn about The 606/Bloomingdale Trail and how it came to be during this 90-minute, one-mile walking…
Grant Park’s landscape is both front yard and recreation spot for Chicago. But did you know that the…
This tour helps you discover the western portion of the Riverwalk, starting at the Vietnam Memorial near…
Hear the stories behind the people buried at the beautiful and tranquil Oak Woods Cemetery on Chicago’s…
Choose a tour featuring your favorite architect.
Oak Park is home to the world’s largest collection of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. View…
Discover Northwestern University’s stunning, wooded campus on the shore of Lake Michigan. This two-hour…
In addition to being the site of the 1893 World’s Fair, Hyde Park is also home to the University of…
Discover the art, architecture and history of Chinatown on this 90-minute walk, which includes stops…
Discover Uptown—a treasure trove of terra cotta ornament and creatively repurposed historic buildings;…
Discover the fascinating 150-year evolution of the Fulton-Randolph Market District from food wholesaling…
Your selections are: Downtown
Experience why we're the #1 rated boat cruise in Chicago, tickets are on sale now for the 2024 season!
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 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…
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.
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.
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 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, and more!
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…
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.
Previously titled Mid-Century Modern Skyscrapers, this tour takes a look at iconic Mid-Century Modern architecture in Chicago and its triumvirate of modern architects (Mies van der Rohe, Bertrand Goldberg and SOM)
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.
Chicago’s unique architecture has co-starred in movies with Ferris Bueller, Batman and the Blues Brothers, among other famous big screen characters. See some of the buildings featured in these films and more!
Take a short walk to see the Lakeshore East neighborhood, featuring two notable buildings designed by the woman-led Studio Gang Architects: Aqua Tower and the St. Regis Chicago.
Grant Park’s landscape is both front yard and recreation spot for Chicago. But did you know that the area was once under water? Or that at one time it housed an airfield, a major league sports team and the tomb of a Civil War hero? Join us as we unlock…
Understand how the unique Chicago-style bascule bridges work. View the underpinnings of the bridges, as the tour follows the bridge lifts of three of the Chicago River’s most famous bridges, including Michigan Avenue’s DuSable Bridge, Columbus Drive’s…
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.
Completed in 1970, 875 N. Michigan Ave (John Hancock Center) dominates the northern end of Chicago’s skyline. On this tour, you'll learn how the building forever changed the character of North Michigan Avenue.
Discover the exciting diversity of Chicago’s world famous architecture as we trace its development from the early days up to the present.
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.
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…
History buffs and true crime lovers, rejoice! This bus tour delves into the compelling true story told in Erik Larson’s best-selling novel, “Devil in the White City.” The story traverses two simultaneous events in Chicago’s history: the World’s…
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.
Cette visite vous propose un aperçu complet de l’architecture de Chicago, de ses bâtiments les plus connus et admirés, ainsi que la collection de nombreuses œuvres d’art dans le centre de la ville.
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
As the first skyscraper built within the Loop after World War II, the Inland Steel Building became an instant symbol of Chicago’s prominence as a modern American city in the 20th century.
Explore the construction, development and renovation of this State Street landmark by Daniel Burnham.
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.
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.
Tour the world’s tallest commercial building with load-bearing masonry walls and learn how the transition from masonry to steel frame skyscrapers transformed the workplace.
Experience the glamour, intrigue and excitement of the bygone "Grand Hotel" era at the Palmer House. See recently restored public spaces and renovated guest rooms while learning about the history of Chicago’s oldest continually operating hotel.
Marvel at the original marble, mahogany doors and decorative wrought iron found throughout the two lobbies and uppermost floors of this 1895 building, designed by John Wellborn Root and Charles Atwood.
See historic gems in this former center of manufacturing and explore its boom-and-bust transformation into a vibrant neighborhood buzzing with residential buildings, entertainment venues and office towers. Steeped in history and character, River North…
This tour helps you discover the western portion of the Riverwalk, starting at the Vietnam Memorial near State Street. As we walk to Lake Street, hear how this linear park—called Chicago’s new coastline by some—has become a magnet for outdoor recreation…
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.
Chicago's downtown is home to a number of striking and architecturally significant houses of worship. Visit several of these sites, including "the tallest church in the world"—a skyscraper with offices, designed for worship and work.
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 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…
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Willis Tower with a trip to the 103rd-floor Skydeck combined with a tour of the transformative $500M redevelopment featuring a visit to Catalog’s restaurants and experiences and an exploration of the Tower’s history…