Featured Tour
Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady
The CAC's world-famous river cruise is a must for out-of-towners and Chicagoans alike. Looking for the…
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.
6 Tours in this collection
Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady
The CAC's world-famous river cruise is a must for out-of-towners and Chicagoans alike. Looking for the…
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.
6 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
Want a quick introduction to Chicago’s magnificent architecture? This 90-minute tour takes a comprehensive…
Hotel Boom: Making Old New Again
Chicago is experiencing a surge in tourism, resulting in the creative repurpose of historic skyscrapers…
Discover Chicago's Historic Neighborhoods
CAC has partnered with Big Bus Chicago for a tour that explores Chicago's mosaic of neighborhoods. Every…
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.
6 Tours in this collection
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…
Schools by Bus
Take a day trip to the North Shore to see some fantastic school architecture. We will visit the acclaimed…
Emerging Chicago
Discover what’s new and important in Chicago’s built environment on this exclusive tour. This year…
Churches By Bus
See five stunning churches in Wicker Park and West Town on this fascinating tour.
Women in Chicago Architecture
Women have been architects for decades, but until recently, their achievements often went unacknowledged…
Chicago Murals
This year’s Chicago Murals tour heads to Hyde Park, where you’ll see a variety of amazing Progressive…
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.
5 Tours in this collection
Louis Sullivan Rediscovered
See the trailblazing work of Louis H. Sullivan on this tour through Chicago’s Loop and discover how…
Elevated Architecture: North Side Art
Chicago’s elevated train stations house an incredible collection of public art, including paintings…
Magnificent Architecture of the Magnificent Mile
Discover how a dirt road known as Pine Street transformed into a "Paris on the Prairie" and later into…
Art Deco Skyscrapers: The Loop
Tour the lobbies of Art Deco masterpieces built in the heart of Chicago’s financial district during…
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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Tours by Location
Fulton-Randolph Market: From Gritty to Gourmet
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.
Gold Coast: Astor Street
Discover the architectural treasures of the Gold Coast, one of Chicago’s most affluent neighborhoods. This tour covers residential architecture along Lake Shore Drive and in the Astor Street Historic District.
Gold Coast: Dearborn Street
See some of Chicago's most beautiful residences and an early 1900s church on this delightful walk along three blocks of Dearborn Street. Learn the history of this storied Near North neighborhood, established in the wake of the Great Chicago Fire.
Gothic Revival Architecture
Hidden among Chicago’s Modern buildings is a rich collection of Gothic architecture. Discover why architects from the late-19th to mid-20th centuries revived this style from the Middle Ages. See beautiful interiors and a few surprising exteriors!
Note: No upcoming departures are currently scheduled for this one-time only tour. To learn about other CAC tours and events, sign up to receive our monthly e-news at architecture.org/email.
Graceland Cemetery
Beautiful and serene, Graceland Cemetery is a treasured oasis in the center of our bustling city. Notables interred here are Chicago's movers and shakers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Daniel Burnham, Potter Palmer, Charles Wacker, George…
Graceland Cemetery: Symbols in Stone
As we explore a venerable section of Graceland Cemetery, we’ll discuss the meanings of and changes to gravestone symbols and shapes, from Victorian times to the present day. We’ll see a variety of obelisks and mausoleums, as well as distinctive memorials…
Graceland Cemetery: Women of Influence
During Chicago’s period of growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women played a hugely influential role by participating in the Underground Railroad, exhibiting the first Modern Art paintings, creating the juvenile justice system and even…
Grant Park Secrets
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…
Hidden (Mostly Indoor) Art
Walk with us and find the truly fine art hiding in building lobbies across the Loop—and a few on the buildings themselves. Find out why these pieces are placed where they are, discover new artists and learn how the art and the buildings complement each…
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.
Hidden (Mostly Outdoor) Art
See what you might not see—fine art hidden in the open. Find out why what’s there is there, discover artists new to you, see old friends in new ways and learn why building owners and managers want art at their buildings.
Highland Park
This tour traces Highland Park’s history from pioneer settlement to summer retreat for Chicago’s wealthy to year-round suburb. Encounter a beautiful variety of residential styles and see homes by architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and W. W. Boyington…
Holiday Lights, City Lights
Don’t let the cold weather deter you from admiring Chicago’s stunning architecture! Hop aboard Big Bus Chicago and hear the stories of great architects and leaders who shaped the city while taking in twinkling holiday and building lights.
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.
Hyde Park
In addition to being the site of the 1893 World’s Fair, Hyde Park is also home to the University of Chicago and many significant buildings, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, Robie House. See these sites as well as pre-Chicago Fire houses…
Illinois Center Pedway
Take a warm walk and see the cool architecture of the Illinois Center Pedway. Learn how an abandoned railway freight yard was transformed into an important urban development. You’ll see some pretty and some gritty portions of the Pedway as we travel…
Note: Scheduled departures for this tour will return next season. Please email tickets@architecture.org to be notified when tickets are available.
Inland Steel Building
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.