Featured Tour
Gothic Revival Architecture
Hidden among Chicago’s Modern buildings is a rich collection of Gothic architecture. Discover why architects…
Find Your Chicago Architecture Tour
Chicago is known around the world for its architecture. Whether you tour downtown or a neighborhood, our expert docent guides will tell you the stories behind the buildings. Visit iconic skyscrapers, elegant hotels or the legendary houses of Frank Lloyd Wright. With more than 85 tours to choose from, we won't blame you if you can't pick just one.
Recommended Tours
Most Popular
Choose one of CAC’s acclaimed architecture tours, from a selection of our guests’ perennial favorites.
Signature Tours
Select a tour of architectural treasures throughout Chicago and its suburbs, brought to life as only a CAC docent can.
One-Time Bus Tours
Get on a bus to see more of the city! Choose from several special one-time bus tours. Save up to 40% by booking multiple tours.
New & Noteworthy Tours
Discover all of CAC’s newest architecture tours—including tours that feature recent upgrades or the timely building topics you want to know about most.
Most Popular
Choose one of CAC’s acclaimed architecture tours, from a selection of our guests’ perennial favorites.
5 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…
Architectural Highlights by Bus
Discover the exciting diversity of Chicago architecture on this wide-ranging odyssey, which traces the…
Historic Treasures of Chicago’s Golden Age
Learn about the great architectural landmarks of Michigan Avenue and State Street, with glimpses inside…
Elevated Architecture: Downtown "L" Train
Explore Chicago’s amazing architecture from the unique perspective of elevated trains and station platforms…
Art Deco Skyscrapers: The Riverfront
Tour the lobbies of five opulent Art Deco skyscrapers built near the banks of the Chicago River during…
Signature Tours
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 Icons: Connecting Past and Present
This lively overview of Chicago architecture explores iconic buildings from the 1890s to present. We'll…
Chicago Modern
Chicago is recognized as a leader in Modern architecture, a style that revolutionized our visual world…
Chicago Architecture: A Walk Through Time
Get a comprehensive look at Chicago's architectural history on this unique tour that covers buildings…
Hotel Boom: Making Old New Again
Chicago is experiencing a surge in tourism, resulting in the creative repurpose of historic skyscrapers…
Historic Skyscrapers
Chicago is home to some of the world’s earliest skyscrapers. Get an up-close look at these 19th Century…
One-Time Bus Tours
Get on a bus to see more of the city! Choose from several special one-time bus tours. Save up to 40% by booking multiple tours.
7 Tours in this collection
Gothic Revival Architecture
Hidden among Chicago’s Modern buildings is a rich collection of Gothic architecture. Discover why architects…
Synagogues by Bus
Learn about synagogue architecture and the history of Chicago’s early German Jewish community on this…
Schools by Bus
Take a day trip to the North Shore to see some fantastic school architecture. We will visit the acclaimed…
Parks by Bus
You might drive or bike past them often, but have you ever really explored Chicago’s beautiful parks?…
Emerging Chicago
Hear what’s new and exciting in Chicago’s built environment on this exclusive tour. This year we’re…
Churches By Bus
See stunning churches on this fascinating tour. This year's tour details are being finalized, but in…
Frank Lloyd Wright Neighborhoods by Bus
Follow Frank Lloyd Wright's career from 1899 to 1913, when his designs changed the face of the American…
New & Noteworthy Tours
Discover all of CAC’s newest architecture tours—including tours that feature recent upgrades or the timely building topics you want to know about most.
4 Tours in this collection
Illinois Center Pedway
Take a warm walk and see the cool architecture of the Illinois Center Pedway. Learn how an abandoned…
Art Deco Skyscrapers: The Loop
Tour the lobbies of Art Deco masterpieces built in the heart of Chicago’s financial district during…
Chicago Pedway
Discover the fascinating “city below the city” used by Chicagoans every day—the Pedway. From the…
Chicago Shakespeare Theater & The Yard
Since its opening on Navy Pier in 1999, Chicago Shakespeare Theater has grown to be one of the largest…
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Aqua and Lakeshore East
Take this short walk to encounter the Lakeshore East neighborhood and Aqua Tower, a skyscraper designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects that has earned high praise from architects and critics around the world.
Note: Scheduled departures for this tour will return next season. To be notified when tickets for our next tour season go on sale, email tickets@architecture.org.
Art Institute of Chicago: The Campus and Modern Wing
In partnership with the Art Institute, explore how various styles of architecture, sculpture and landscapes interact to create a unique museum campus. We’ll visit both the interior and exterior of the museum including its newest addition, the critically…
Note: No upcoming departures are currently scheduled for this tour. To learn about other CAC tours and events, sign up to receive our monthly e-news at architecture.org/email.
Beverly (North): Elegance on the Ridge
Once home to some of Chicago’s wealthiest families, Beverly’s mansions are still among the most beautiful in the city. During this tour we’ll view some of Beverly’s mansions along with homes that are merely large and unique.
Note: No upcoming departures are currently scheduled for this tour. To learn about other CAC tours and events, sign up to receive our monthly e-news at architecture.org/email.
Beverly (South): A Castle, Mansions and More
Tour one of Chicago’s most fascinating neighborhoods, Beverly. Explore two houses built just after the Great Fire of 1871, a Frank Lloyd Wright home and a true Chicago castle. This tour showcases part of Chicago’s Longwood Drive Landmark District…
Note: Scheduled departures for this tour will return next season. To be notified when tickets for our next tour season go on sale, email tickets@architecture.org.
Bike Humboldt, the 606 and Palmer Square
This leisurely ride takes us through some of Chicago’s constructed natural beauty. We’ll bike along a route that was once the city’s edge while examining a historic boulevard and park designed by William LeBaron Jenney and Jens Jensen. As we ride…
Note: Scheduled departures for this tour will return next season. To be notified when tickets for our next tour season go on sale, email tickets@architecture.org.
Bohemian National Cemetery
Discover a wealth of stories told in stone and bronze at Bohemian National Cemetery. Since 1877, Bohemian National has remained the cemetery of choice for Chicago’s Bohemian and Czech immigrant communities. In this beautiful space, immigrants have vividly…
Note: Scheduled departures for this tour will return next season. To be notified when tickets for our next tour season go on sale, email tickets@architecture.org.
Calvary Cemetery: Catholics in Chicago
Join us as we visit Chicagoland's oldest Catholic cemetery to see the resting places of prominent Irish and Italian Americans, including Chicago mayor Jane Byrne, as well as three other Chicago mayors. On this tour we will examine the rise of Catholics…
Note: No upcoming departures are currently scheduled for this tour. To learn about other CAC tours and events, sign up to receive our monthly e-news at architecture.org/email.
Chicago Athletic Association Hotel
Experience the allure of a historic, exclusive men's club transformed into a 21st century luxury hotel. You will see old world craftsmanship restored to its original elegance, plus renovated and newly added spaces.
Chicago Board of Trade Building
The Chicago Board of Trade is a Loop icon anchoring the LaSalle Street financial corridor. We’ll see newly designed and renovated spaces, historical art and the massive traders’ vault within the three architecturally distinct Board of Trade buildings…
Chicago Murals
This year’s Chicago Murals tour heads to Hyde Park, where you’ll see a variety of amazing Progressive Era and Community Arts Movement murals. Stops highlight works by William Walker and women muralists Astrid Fuller and Olivia Gude, among others.
Chicago Pedway
Discover the fascinating “city below the city” used by Chicagoans every day—the Pedway. From the Thompson Center to Block 37 to the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, our one and half mile walking tour introduces the history, design and unique surprises of…
Chicago Shakespeare Theater & The Yard
Since its opening on Navy Pier in 1999, Chicago Shakespeare Theater has grown to be one of the largest theater companies in the city. Explore the theater’s three performance venues, including The Yard, a newly constructed, flexible year-round stage…
Chicago's Amazing Fair of 1893
CAC's family tour, Chicago's Amazing Fair of 1893, is designed for those with elementary-aged children. It tells the stories of the World's Fair of 1893 in such a way that all family members are sure to enjoy.
Note: No upcoming departures are currently scheduled for this tour. To learn about other CAC tours and events, sign up to receive our monthly e-news at architecture.org/email.
Churches By Bus
See stunning churches on this fascinating tour. This year's tour details are being finalized, but in 2018, six stops covered a variety of architectural styles from the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. Check back for updates!
Civil War and Chicago's Role: Rosehill Cemetery
Hear the stories of the heroes, villains and ordinary citizens on this visit to Rosehill Cemetery. Learn about men who were instrumental in the nomination of Lincoln, discover the role of newspaper editors in this struggle and see how women contributed…
Note: Scheduled departures for this tour will return next season. To be notified when tickets for our next tour season go on sale, email tickets@architecture.org.