Find Your Chicago Architecture Tour

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…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In just one hour, discover Chicago’s newest neighborhood, Lakeshore East, with a walk around two notable buildings designed by woman-led Studio Gang Architects: Aqua Tower and the soon-to-be-completed Vista Tower.

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…

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…

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…

Hear the stories behind the people buried at the beautiful and tranquil Oak Woods Cemetery on Chicago’s South Side, from important local African Americans who fought for Civil Rights to Confederate prisoners of war.

This walk through Evanston's Lakeshore Historic District explores a variety of churches and residences in the town that became Daniel Burnham's "country retreat" and which is still considered one of Chicago's most desirable suburbs.

Discover the art, architecture and history of Chinatown on this 90-minute walk, which includes stops at a Chinese bakery and a former Italian church. The tour concludes near some of Chinatown’s tastiest restaurants, convenient for those wanting to stay…

Discover the history and architecture of Fort Sheridan, a former military base listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Designed by one of Chicago's most influential architects, Holabird and Roche, its buildings served military purposes from…

For a limited time, CAC members get exclusive access to this tour in Oak Park—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.