Featured Tour
Chicago Pedway
Discover the fascinating “city below the city” used by Chicagoans every day—the Pedway. From 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 35% by booking multiple tours.
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 CAFC River Cruise will resume on March 15, 2020.
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 35% by booking multiple tours.
10 Tours in this collection
Preservation Chicago’s Most Endangered Buildings
Hosted in partnership with the nonprofit organization Preservation Chicago, this tour visits several…
Synagogues by Bus
This year, the Synagogues by Bus tour heads to the North Shore to view three Modern synagogues: Highland…
Berwyn
Learn about the history of Berwyn, an idiosyncratic suburb with fascinating architecture, including an…
Concrete Chicago
Get a behind-the-scenes look at one of Chicago’s most popular building materials: concrete! We’ll…
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…
Parks and Boulevards by Bus
Join us on a leisurely summertime drive along Chicago’s stunning western boulevards, through Columbus…
Emerging Chicago
Discover what’s new and exciting in the city’s built environment on the 15th annual Emerging Chicago…
Churches By Bus
Once a year, a caravan of buses travels to a new area of the city to appreciate architecturally significant…
Chicago Murals: Rogers Park
Join us on our third annual Chicago Murals tour, this year in Rogers Park. We’ll walk along the Mile…
Sustainability in Chicago
Hear what architects, developers and the city are doing to make existing and newly constructed buildings…
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Your selections are: Bus and Tours for Groups
Architectural Highlights by Bus
Discover the exciting diversity of Chicago architecture on this wide-ranging odyssey, which traces the city’s development from its founding through present day.
Devil in the White City
This tour explores the compelling true story told by Erik Larson in his best selling book, "The Devil in the White City," about two simultaneous events in Chicago history: the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 and the emergence of serial murderer…
Discover Chicago's Historic Neighborhoods
CAC has partnered with Big Bus Chicago for a tour that explores Chicago's mosaic of neighborhoods. Every day at 10:30am, discover five fascinating communities from a seat on an open-top bus. You'll get an intriguing look at the art, architecture and history…
Farnsworth House by Bus
Farnsworth House—the famous glass house along the bank of the Fox River—is one of the world’s great architectural masterpieces, designed by Mies van der Rohe and completed in 1951. A founder and leader of the modernist movement in Europe, Mies lived…
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.
Frank Lloyd Wright by Bus
Discover the neighborhood where Wright's famed Prairie Style of architecture evolved. The tour includes bus transportation to and from Oak Park with commentary, a one-hour interior tour of Wright’s Home and Studio and a walking tour of the Frank Lloyd…