Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady
Chicago’s First Lady is committed to taking the proper precautions to ensure the safety and wellbeing…
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.
Parks & Public Spaces
Explore Chicago’s green spaces and learn why well-designed parks and outdoor recreational areas are essential to the city.
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.
7 Tours in this collection
Must-See Chicago
Must-See Chicago is a fast-paced, 90-minute introductory tour to Chicago featuring some of its most famous…
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.
5 Tours in this collection
Wabash Avenue Arts Corridor
Discover a living urban canvas along the Wabash Avenue Arts Corridor in the South Loop. Learn more about…
What's New
Over the course of 90 minutes, explore some of the newest buildings around the Chicago Architecture Center…
Aqua, St. Regis Chicago and Lakeshore East
In just one hour, Discover Chicago’s newest neighborhood, Lakeshore East, featuring two notable buildings…
Riverwalk East
Learn about newly completed improvements to the Chicago Riverwalk—starting at the Vietnam Memorial…
Riverwalk West
This tour helps you discover the western portion of the Riverwalk, starting at the Vietnam Memorial near…
Skyscrapers
Select a tour of architectural treasures throughout Chicago and its suburbs, brought to life as only a CAC docent can.
5 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
View Art Deco masterpieces built in the heart of Chicago’s financial district during the Roaring '20s…
Art Deco Skyscrapers: The Riverfront
Tour the lobbies of five opulent Art Deco skyscrapers built near the banks of the Chicago River during…
Aqua, St. Regis Chicago and Lakeshore East
In just one hour, Discover Chicago’s newest neighborhood, Lakeshore East, featuring two notable buildings…
Parks & Public Spaces
Explore Chicago’s green spaces and learn why well-designed parks and outdoor recreational areas are essential to the city.
5 Tours in this collection
Chicago's Moveable Bridges
Understand how the unique Chicago-style bascule bridges work. View the underpinnings of the bridges,…
Walk the 606
Learn about The 606/Bloomingdale Trail and how it came to be during this 90-minute, one-mile walking…
Grant Park Secrets
Grant Park’s landscape is both front yard and recreation spot for Chicago. But did you know that the…
Riverwalk West
This tour helps you discover the western portion of the Riverwalk, starting at the Vietnam Memorial near…
Civil War to Civil Rights at Oak Woods Cemetery
Hear the stories behind the people buried at the beautiful and tranquil Oak Woods Cemetery on Chicago’s…
Neighborhood Tours
Choose a tour featuring your favorite architect.
6 Tours in this collection
Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park
Oak Park is home to the world’s largest collection of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. View…
Northwestern University
Discover Northwestern University’s stunning, wooded campus on the shore of Lake Michigan. This two-hour…
Hyde Park
In addition to being the site of the 1893 World’s Fair, Hyde Park is also home to the University of…
Explore Chinatown
Discover the art, architecture and history of Chinatown on this 90-minute walk, which includes stops…
Uptown
Discover Uptown—a treasure trove of terra cotta ornament and creatively repurposed historic buildings;…
Fulton-Randolph Market
Discover the fascinating 150-year evolution of the Fulton-Randolph Market District from food wholesaling…
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Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady
Chicago’s First Lady is committed to taking the proper precautions to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its river cruise guests and team, including ensuring that boats are cleaned and sanitized throughout the day and their service. Chicago’s First Lady…
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
View 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.
Wabash Avenue Arts Corridor
Discover a living urban canvas along the Wabash Avenue Arts Corridor in the South Loop. Learn more about the murals that make up this colorful corridor and discover art in hidden places.
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…
Millennium Park: Beyond the Bean
*Premier Tour: Learn how architects, artists and engineers collaborated with Chicago’s movers and shakers to transform a railroad yard and parking lot into a magnificent park that has thrilled millions and become the envy of cities around the world…
Note: There are currently no departures available for booking. New tour departures are released on the 15th of each month. Please check back soon!
The Great Chicago Fire: Disaster and Recovery
Did the cow do it? You may know the story of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, but now you can visit the very spot where it began.
Humboldt Park
Walk the historic core in the largest of Chicago’s West Side parks, created by many including William LeBaron Jenney and Jens Jensen. Discover architecture and sculpture that honor many of the immigrant groups that have created our city. Our walk partner…
Gothic Chicago
*Premier Tour: Chicago is home to several styles of Gothic Architecture: French, English, Castellated, Collegiate, German, Spanish and Venetian, found in more than 90 structures scattered throughout the city. This tour highlights numerous examples of…
Note: There are currently no departures available for booking. New tour departures are released on the 15th of each month. Please check back soon!
Churches in Evanston
*Premier Tour: Evanston has been called the “City of Churches.” This walking tour near the city center features the exteriors of nine churches in the space of 10 blocks. Styles include Gothic, Romanesque, New England Meeting House, and Classical Revival…
Note: There are currently no departures available for booking. New tour departures are released on the 15th of each month. Please check back soon!
Historic Austin
Explore the architectural gems of Austin, a former “railroad suburb” on Chicago’s West side. Annexed in 1899, Austin became the home of numerous immigrant communities and remains a hub for many grand residences built in the fashionable Queen Anne…
Kenilworth
Walk Kenilworth's leafy streets, learn the history of the village, view its earliest houses and see other fine examples of residential architecture that were designed between 1891 and the mid-1920s by distinguished Chicago architects.
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.