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Chicago Architecture Foundation
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: The Loop
224 S Michigan Ave
Ste 430
(between Adams St & Jackson Blvd)
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 922-3432
224 S Michigan Ave
Ste 430
(between Adams St & Jackson Blvd)
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 922-3432
- Nearest Transit:
-
Adams/Wabash (Orange, Brown, Purple Express, Green, Pink)
Monroe (Blue, Red)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
54 reviews for Chicago Architecture Foundation
Loved it, everyone was saying to take the tour so I made sure that it was on our itinerary. Fascinating look at the city both the perspective from the river and specifically the history of the town via the architecture.
Our docent was great, very knowledgeable and passionate about her city.
I'm really glad that we did this early in our trip too as it totally changes how you look at the city later, walking around.
Word of caution bring a hat and sunscreen.
Take lots and lots of pictures, wish I'd taken more.
And try the lemonade, it's delish!
This review is for the C.A.F.'s 90-minute Architectural River Cruise. A tour is only as good as your guide, so with that in mind I am splitting my review into two pieces: two possible stars for the technical company-based stuff (the boat, crew, ticket purchasing, etc) and three possible stars for the quality of the tour.
For the first two stars, the C.A.F. gets them both. The ticket booth was easy to find thanks to a big blue street-level sign on Michigan Ave and the purchasing procedure was painless (albeit noticeably more expensive than a majority of other boat tours). They also had a well-organized docking station and lawn chairs to sit in and observe the river if you arrived too early for your cruise. The boat (we took the Little Lady) was nice and seemed well-kept, and the crew seemed on top of things.
The final three stars, however, I must withhold. Our guide was inept, awkward, and quite batty. If I didn't know better I would say this was her first tour ever, maybe even her first time talking to a group of people. Most of her sentences rambled on into her trying to think of the technical names for architectural components, but ultimately failing miserably. For example, "That is a spindle, or , um, a frindle ... errr, a kindle...." She also seemed to lack any truly interesting factoids; all of the cool things I learned on other tours of the city were left out and replaced with a simple building name, architect, style formula for each landmark. Allow me to give you some of the more memorable quotes from our long, strange journey with her:
"...the Native Americans were here too, along with other wild animals..."
"...Chicago may have the most moveable bridges in the world. I think. You could probably prove me wrong on that..."
"...you will see that building across the street. I mean river...well, they are the same thing, really.."
I understand that this company has hundreds of volunteer docents that run the tours, and that we were probably just unlucky in who we got, but that is not an excuse - I paid the same amount of money for her crappy tour as others paid for a good tour with a competent guide. Perhaps the C.A.F needs to step up their volunteer screening process. I would recommend the Wendella over this, for price and quality.
I had the pleasure of going on a CAF tour down the Chicago River. It was fantastic from start to finish. Friendly employees, and a very knowledgable docent (who refused to call the "Sears" Tower "Willis" Tower).
I can't begin to remember all the things the docent told us on our tour, but I do remember being blown away at the detailed descriptions of the buildings, from the architect to the style to the date it was erected...very impressive.
A little pricey, but worth every penny.
Some tips:
--Buy your tickets online ahead of time. You might be taking a gamble with the weather, but at least you'll have tickets to get onto the boat. I learned this the hard way last year.
--Get to the boat early to ensure primo seating. You can see pretty much anywhere from the boat, but if you want to ride up top, you'd better get there early.
--Bring your camera!
Going on this tour reminded me how very fortunate I am to live in such a fabulous city with such fabulous sights to see. I really do love Chicago!
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I'm going to agree with everyone else. The boat tour on the Chicago River is amazing! There are many others out there, but this is really the best.
The docents are very knowledgeable. The views are worth every cent. I mean, how often does the average joe get to cruise leisurely down the river while someone provides you with the historical details of the city?
A must do for locals and tourists alike!
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I absolutely LOVE these architecture tours. Every time I have a visitor in town this is a MUST DO. Especially if you take it on a beautiful day, it is totally worth the money and so relaxing. It is the best way to see the beautiful buildings and architecture that makes Chicago such a wonderful city. What I love most about these tours is that of the three times I have taken it, I learn something new every time. While the docents mention some of the same major themes, for the most part every docent really personalizes their own tour and adds little tid bits of information here and there that you probably have never heard before.
They also have a great little bar downstairs that accepts credit cards and they make some pretty kick ass bloody marys. If you're a visitor to Chicago, or a long time resident, you must do this tour.
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I've been meaning to take this tour for a decade now and finally got around to it yesterday. It was a wonderful time and even for somebody from Chicago with a fair amount of knowledge about our city's architecture, the amount of new things I learned was amazing.
This is the second CAF tour I've been on and I'm going to try and make taking one an annual occurrence. The docents are great. Super friendly and truly passionate about our city's buildings.
Great boat tour. Sold out, had to buy tix in advance. Guide was a bit repetative with pointing out the green glass and ode to river theme.
Do not go if you ate a huge breakfast, and get seasick. I felt nauseated, and it wasn't the tour's fault. Just me for being stupid. I should have done the walking tour instead.
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If you ever live in Chicago, then you need to take the Chicago Architecture Foundation's river cruise.
For $30-40, you get:
-an afternoon of culture (with or without a morning aperitif) =P
-stunning views of the city's magnificent buildings from a unique vantage point
-sunshine!
-some really cool anecdotes about Chicago's Mayor
If I had 4 thumbs, then I would give 4 thumbs up!
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I've been on the architecture river tour at least seven times and learn something new each time. mostly friends from out of town enjoy it, but those who've grown up here will love it too. it's a mix of a ken burns documentary plus a WTTW special, with a knowledgeable and passionate guide, beautiful scenery, chicago history and reasonable cocktails on board to boot! i've tried other less expensive river tours and none compares to CAF.
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I took my parents and grandmother on the Architectural River Tour and we had a blast. They totally loved it and I thoroughly enjoyed the time on the river. The docent was enthusiastic and very knowledgeable of her history, architecture, design, and trivia knowledge. I would go again anytime.
The biggest draw back was the sun. We went at 1p.m. and the sun was brutal. Looking up was a terribly bright sight. I would suggest early mornings or late afternoon/evenings.
Simply amazing and a wonderful way to see the city. The docent really made the experience that much better. I will be going on other tours through CAF.
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A friend and I went on one of the happy hour walking tours. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable and genuinely interested in our questions. Our group was small, allowing for a conversational tone and agile movement through city streets.
We got an extensive tour of Chicago's modern skyscrapers. The tour ends at a bar with a free drink, so the value is great and you get a chance to chat with fellow tour goers and the guide.
Be sure to check out the fun things in the gift shop too! (they give you a coupon)
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We took the CAF river cruise over Memorial Day weekend and absolutely loved it! We learned so many new things about Chicago, its origins and the various branches of the river. Truly fascinating, and the weather was nice so that make it perfect.
Only one drawback, we lined up early to ensure a good spot as I love to take photographs. We found great seats on the top deck on the right-hand side and for the first half of the cruise I got some amazing shots. Then two people came up from the deck below and stood directly in front of our seats. They effectively blocked our entire frontal view and killed most of the shots I would have taken had they not been standing in the way. The docent (very knowledgeable, and one of those folks that you could have sat down with and discussed architecture for days on end) finally said something to pair after my beau got up and asked them if they could possibly relocate as we couldn't see anything due to their positioning. Once the pair went back below, the tour continued and was very memorable.
Lunch hour tours are excellent for people who are short on time, have to get back to work or just want a more in-depth tour of one particular building. All other tours are highly recommended as well.
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There are few cities in the world with such great quality architecture tours. I'm an architectural history student, and I know my Chicago stuff -- and most of the docents at CAF do too (I said most, perhaps not all...)
The walking tours are exhausting (but good exercise), and lots of fun, and they really make you see the city in a way you wouldn't have otherwise appreciated. The bus tours are good too, esp. for catching up on some places you might have otherwise left off the list (eg. Hyde Park).
The shop is super too. Chicago should be proud to have such a class-act architecture foundation.
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when my mom said that she booked some tours for us to go on while in chicago, i thought that theyd be those corny tours on the double decker buses. i see those buses passing my office 5 million times a day in SF and think that they are super annoying.
luckily, this was not one of those tours.
we went on 2 tours, which were both great. the first was an overall chicago tour with a focus on FLW's robie house and then a drive through the south side of chicago, a look at the planetarium and down michigan avenue. the docent was super knowledgeable and made me want to go explore chicago even more.
the second tour was a tour of "green" chicago. we visited the ho+k office in the CNA building and had a private tour by one of the employees there. we did the same of the OWPP office that had a green living roof. impressive that the employees of these companies gave up their saturdays to host us! the docent was knowledgeable and accommodating of our questions.
all in all, the tours were a great way to get more than just a glimpse into the world of chicagos historical architecture. next time we are here, we will definitely go on some more tours!
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I took the two-hours walking tour called Architecture and Culture of Commerce. It was extremely cold that day and I wondered how I would hear the guide through my earmuffs and two hoods. However, hearing wasn't a problem because everyone was given an earpiece with which to hear the guide. This tour included outdoor and indoor stops around the Loop - like the inside of the Marshall-Fields building, which has an amazing Tiffany ceiling. If I had gone there by myself, I probably would not have even known to look up!
The guide was very knowledgeable and though I didn't always find everything she said fascinating, I felt it was definitely worth the $15 ticket. There were a couple of locals in the group too, so this tour could be interesting to natives and visitors.
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I don't think there is a more interesting way to learn about the architecture in Chicago than by taking the river cruise by CAF. I'm not an architecture buff, so walking around w. a guidebook wasn't going to cut it & you really can't do the Second City justice w.o taking in all those buildings. Make reservations 2-3 days prior if you're dead-set on a day/time b.c they get booked in advance!
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The permanent exhibition is quick to walk through, but interesting and informative. It displays models, pictures, artifacts and stories about work done by Chicago architects around the world.
The walls with Chicago structures are really neat; they tie together political, social and economic history with how Chicago architecture has evolved. The model of downtown Chicago is pretty amazing - and they're currently working on a much larger, expanded version of it!
I've walked through the gift shop only briefly, but it has some fun things such as a knife block shaped like a human figure... Clever, but I don't know what that has to do with Chicago...
It's a fun, free way to spend about 30 minutes or so in the Loop.
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60 minute river cruise - every moment chocked full of fabulous information provided by fast talking orators. My visitors love it and I never tire of the information and views.
90 minute river/lake cruise - it's good too, but you won't feel cheated if you can only take the 60 minute river cruise. Catch this one when you can. I don't repeat this one. If I want that view I walk to the end of Navy Pier.
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I have yet to take one of the Chicago Architecture Foundation's many affordable and intriguing tours. I have heard so many good things about their tours I look forward to learning more about Chicago's diverse architecture. I did happen to wander into the Foundation shop while on Michigan Avenue and left with no less than two bags full of unique stocking stuffers and Christmas gifts.
Their shop veers away from touristy crap and into artsy ornaments, art books, books on architecture, one-of-a-kind kitchen utensils (a flamingo whisk?) and office supplies (a walking Triceratops pencil sharpener?), puzzles and educational toys. You'll also find many items bearing the stamp of Oak Park's favored son, Frank Lloyd Wright. So, be the unique uncle or auntie that's always buying cool toys at Christmas and stop at the Foundation! Or just give 'em socks and underwear yet again...yeah, that's "cool".
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This is the BEST river cruise in Chicago - oh, if you actually want to learn something. I had an out of town guest this summer who is obsessed with architecture, so it was something of a no-brainer to do this cruise. The docent was talking as fast as she could to get in all the information about the architecture visible from the river. Really worth it, the woman who gave the tour was on her game 100%. My friend even chatted with her after and got more information.
It was interesting to me to see the changes along the riverfront. I'd taken this tour about 10 years ago, and then again this summer. Ya la teeeef, what changes this city has busted out in that decade!
The people running the tour were very accommodating as well. We went up to get tickets, but hadn't pre-reserved, and there was only ONE ticket left. A plaintive wail "But she's from Amsterdam!" and one of the workers had our back - she sold us one of her tickets that she had access to as a worker there. Hm. Maybe I shouldn't have divulged that secret, but I'd definitely take this tour again.
Even for native me, architecture dilettante, it was tremendously informative. My brother is an actual architect here in Chicago, and even he learns things when he takes this tour.
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As well as being on my list of "Chicago Musts" as far as gift shops for those visiting Chicago, I was recently reminded of how great the small group tours which are based here are. I took the "Commerce and Culture" two-hour downtown tour this past weekend with some locals and a couple visitors from New Jersey. I know what kind of training is behind these tours, having interviewed at one time to be a docent at CAF. Suffice it to say that the commitment was way beyond my limitations. The training is extensive and given by academics in Chicago history, culture and architecture.
Our guide, Kathy, was a Masters grad from the Art Institute. She was extremely knowledgeable, well-spoken, personable and fun. The tour takes you around a relatively small section of the east Loop, but is both indoors and outdoors. Even living here as long as I have, it reminds you of the rewards of "stopping to smell the roses" to learn the interesting stories behind all the little details of the buildings you pass everyday. You can also feel a bit dorky, standing in Marshall Field's/Macy's, staring up at the Tiffany ceiling, while shoppers scurry all around you like mice in a maze, wondering what the heck you could be staring at. But I am used to being a dork in public!
CAF has a whole list of walking and other tours. I would highly recommend the Graceland Cemetery tour, the Wednesday Tiffany tour, and of course, in summer, the Riverboat Architectural tour. Sometimes you need to be a tourist in your own town, even when the in-laws from New Jersey aren't around.
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Quite possibly the most important museum and foundation to Chicago owing to the fact that Chicago is one of the, if not THE, most architecturally significant city in the world.
The foundation offers a wide variety of ways to learn about the unique architecture Chicago has contributed to the world including tours, exhibitions, programs, education as well as the opportunity to donate to, join or volunteer for the foundation.
The gift shop, with windows on Michigan Avenue, offers an extremely wide range of unique products, gifts, books, accessories, home décor and accessories, toys & games and more, all perfect for celebrating Chicago architecture and for giving to your architecture-loving friends and family.
Check out and bookmark the foundation's website for all of the programs and exhibitions; there is always something new going on.
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I did not get a chance to participate in any tours, but did walk through the exhibition. I like how they incorporated the public school student's work. It was neat to see the different buildings and read about the history of them. The gift shop was very cool, and I would consider buying some things if I were to have my own place. They have very unique, fun and useful items. I have already been on an architectural boat tour and can imagine that any walk through would be quite thorough as well. One day I will try to do one of those. Oh, I think they may also offer tours in different languages as well!
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My new year's resolution last year was to do/see something new in Chicago each week. To help me meet my goal, I because a member of the Chicago Architecture Foundation and went on about 15 tours during my year-long membership. Most tours are free for members (and the bigger ones are discounted), so after just a few tours, I had made up my cost for membership.
For Chicagoland residents, I highly recommend the neighborhood tours. Several are held each weekend April - October, and they were a great introduction to areas of the city I had yet to wander. My favorites were the tours of Logan Square (beautiful houses) and Graceland Cemetery (great history).
For tourists, while the neighborhood tours are fun, you should also make sure to go on one of the downtown tours.
I really liked the Millennium Park tour - it revealed areas of the park I had no idea even existed. Of course, the riverboat cruise is a must for all locals and tourists as well.
The tours are led by volunteer docents, which means that they are passionate about what they do. Even if someone isn't the best public speaker, his or her enthusiasm will hopefully make up for it.
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I love going on walking tours and I found the architecture tours fascinating. I did the "Historic Skyscrapers" tour and the river boat tour. We had headsets so that tour guide didn't have to wear out his voice. Chicago has so much amazing architecture that you have to take a tour with the CAF to appreciate it. I think I learned more on the "Historic Skyscapers" tour than on the river boat tour because we went slower and didn't cover as many buildings. But I recommend both tours.
I'm a very biased member of the CAF, and love their tours. All the docents are volunteers with rigorous training that each develop their own talking points which makes each tour unique. I love the walking tours because I learn something every time plus it forces me to walk a little slower the next time I'm strolling next to these great buildings we have in Chicago. Seriously, if you're a history nerdette like me, the membership is one of the best values in Chicago! Depending on your kids' attention spans, ages, interests, and maturity level, the one-hour tours may be the better bet.
The "Historic Skyscrapers" walking tour was excellent. Our terrific volunteer docent, Craig, was an engineer/urban planner by trade. So he knew a ton about different buildings' foundations, supporting structures, materials... For example, he described the differences between steel frame structures vs. masonry, and their consequences for construction costs, building height, window design. He also explained how different engineers solved the problem of how to build on Chicago's originally marshy land... The tour entered several lobbies to admire Frank Lloyd Wright's gold-on-marble columns in the Rookery, Cartier Wall clocks in the Field Building, the Tiffany mosaic in the Marquette Bldg, etc. All really interesting.
The "Highlights By Bus" tour is billed as CAF's most "comprehensive," covering almost 30 miles of Chicago architecture. Our tour guide, Jean, was like an encyclopedia of facts and dates and names for dozens and dozens of buildings. Tip: Get there early and grab a window seat. You'll see important landmarks on both sides, but it felt like the left (driver's) side got slightly more action. My favorite stop was the IIT campus - Mies Van Der Rohe's minimalist glass box, Crown Hall; Helmut Jahns's soundproofed wonder, a dorm adjacent to the El tracks; and Rem Koolhaas's shiny and colorfully-lit student center. The bus tour's only downsides are that it can be hard to ask questions from the back of the bus, and that your photos from the fast-moving bus will end up blurry with odd reflections.
I took the "River Cruise" several years ago and loved it too. The river is a fine vantage point to appreciate the skyline's mix of old and new, and especially how the newer skyscrapers echo and reflect their surroundings.
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I once again went on another "cruise". This time it wasn't the view that was distracting, but the rather obese tourist sitting next to me and hogging all the room. The cruise was packed to the brim and I was packed in next to this fatty for 90 minutes. Not fun. Also, the sound quality was also a little poor, making it hard to hear. Anyways, I would highly recommend getting there early and getting a good seat up top and close to the orator. Twice now I have had a saucy little lady named Joan, who is also the proud author of a book about Chicago's riverfront. I am now a proud owner of that book, got it autographed to boot! The poor women looks like she has never touched sunscreen in her life and it burnt to a crisp. Ouch.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/17/2007
I recently went on a river cruise when a friend was visiting in town, and I wish I had not waited… Read more »
Full disclosure - I'm training to be a docent for the CAF - and this review is just a bit of insight into the rigorous training program that we go through. At the end I also list my favorites.
I've been taking CAF tours since college, way back in the 80's. Architecture is such an important part of Chicago. We are fortunate to have both some of the world's first skyscrapers from the late 1800's as well as spectacular modern skyscrapers. On all of the tours that I've taken, it always seemed like the volunteer docents really loved what they were doing. Now I know why. You've got to love architecture and love talking about it to make it through the training program.
We started class back in the first week of January, and we will continue, all day, once a week, through the month of March. We have lectures, reading assignments and weekly building descriptions. We practice tours and work on developing our own themes. But the three months of class is only the beginning. New docents go through a certifcation process followed by nine months of tours and re-evaluation before becoming full on docents. All in all it takes over a year to reach the finish line in the training process. And amazingly, we all do it as volunteers.
OK - so now you have an idea of why there are so many 5 stars for the CAF - the docents know their stuff and love talking about it.
Listed below are the tours I've taken and loved - but whether you're taking a tour or just walking through the loop - do yourself a favor: LOOK UP at all of the beautiful architecture all around you.
Historic Skyscrapers: simply a must for any visitor or local, learn why Chicago is where the skyscraper started, and see some of the world's first "Sears Towers" of the late 1800's
Modern Skyscrapers: because history is cool, but we live in today, and there is great architecture going on right now, right here in Chicago
River Tour: make sure you go with the best - CAF on the Mercury Line boats - locals and visitors alike will see why Chicago is one of the most beautiful big cities in the world when they take this exceptional tour.
Cemetaries: really, you can learn a lot from the graves of great Chicagoans. Graceland rocks, but don't miss out on Rosehill farther north.
Farnsworth House - bus tour - For anyone who loves Mies van der Rohe - and really for anyone who doesn't but is open to learning - this tour will blow you away. The trip out to Farnsworth House on the banks of the Fox River is worth every penny.
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Historical Skyscrapers walking tour: essential
Modern Skyscrapers walking tour: equally essential
The walking tours are tremendous. The docents are great, the buildings are marvels, and it will permanently alter the way you live in Chicago. Run, don't walk...or walk...whatever!
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45 young designers and I went on both the Historic Skyscraper and Modern Skyscraper tours when we were in town in February. Although it was damn cold (we northwest folks aren't used to such wind and snow) it was a great experience.
I'll admit I was a bit skeptical about the idea- what would I hear that I hadn't already learned about in school? Once our docents knew our background they modified their tours from a talk into more of a discussion, which made for an enjoyable experience. The opportunity to visit so many influential buildings and spaces was indeed a highlight of my trip. If I ever return to Chicago (hopefully a different time of year) I'll definitely consider taking this tour again.
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Sure, a lot of the crowd were seniors being dropped off by tour busses; sure, local Chicagoans hooted and fervently waved to us dorky tourists as the First Lady cruise boat passed them by; and, sure it was freezing cold on this particular afternoon...BUT, it was cool to be shown the diversity of architectural styles, while learning trivia-worthy tidbits about the building's architects, histories and features. What I found especially cool were the (now) city-mandated public walkways lining the European-inspired riverway and the conversion of places of business (Montgomery Ward, a building used as a multi-story freezer) into high-end residences.
We bought our tickets on Ticketmaster a few days ahead of time, which was a painless process. Get there 20+ minutes before your scheduled departure time if you want first dibs on seating - we arrived and landed towards the back of the line, but still found decent seating on the boat. It was hard to concentrate towards the end of the 90 minute tour because the buildings got more modern and less art deco.
I took the Chicago Architectural Foundation Boat tour this past weekend and was both overwhelmed and impressed with the knowledge of the docent and the experience. The Little Lady was perfect on a cool summer night, we quickly moved through the tour but the docent never skipped a beat nor did we have a minute to spare. The tour started on time and ended on time, the organization and coordination was commendable for boarding and exiting the ship.
My only qualm with the experience is the ticket purchasing at the dock. If you have the choice/option, definitely buy your tickets early and stop by before your tour to pick up your will call. The ladies directing the ticket buying process are not service friendly nor knowledgable. Don't expect to have a tour consultation, expect to wait in line without direction and hope they have your ticket when you get to the window.
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This place rocks. As an out of towner, I wanted to get a better sense of the city and took the River Architecture Cruise. Albeit, you never seem to know when it's going to rain or be sunny, but seeing the skyline, skyscrapers and hearing about them made my trip. It's also a great way to sight see and not walk at all. Saved my feet for a few hours!
Be prepared though-bring more layers, esp. in cooler weather. I was a bit chilly but toughed it out for 1.5 hours. When I'm back, I'm sure to take a walking tour next time. Their store on Michigan Ave across from the Art Instittute is great -lots of cool things to check out and good assortment of prices.
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A review of the shop:
A shop of many bright-colored oddities that don't all scream out Chicago. Here you can buy tickets for the many tours hosted by the Chicago Architecture Foundation, such as a cruise down the Chicago River, or some random knick-knacks to bring back for friends and family. I found most of the stuff in here to be quite pricey and that I can perhaps find it elsewhere. It didn't feel that the items were distinctly Chicago save for some of the posters and Frank Lloyd Wright products.
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Some friends and I decided to wander the exhibits one Saturday to see what lies, literally, at the foundation of this great city of ours. Sure one could argue that they are not into architecture and brush this place off. Or you could say it is not worth the time unless you are going on a boat tour (not me, motion sickness).
Whatever, those exhibits might have been small in size compared to what the Field or other big museums offer, but they sure packed a lot of info. Not only that but they spurred us to do some of our own investigating into what happened to some of the old buildings that were referenced.
Would like to go back and check out a walking tour or something else that does not involve water. As for the store, was ok, probably would have been 'neater' if I were either 1. a tourist or 2. more into architecture as opposed to the history aspect. And you cannot go wrong with the exhibits in the museum being free and just off the L (Adam/Wabash).
I've taken the boat tour and it is very impressive. The docents are very knowledgable. My head was spinning with so many architechtural tidbits afterwards. My advice mirrors those of past posters--get your tickets early! My friend and I tried to buy tickets the day of and we're sad to find out the entire day was sold out. But we recovered and bought for the next day. It is worth it!
I've been on Wendella boats which show you pretty much the same thing but the guides are not anywhere near as knowledgeable.
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Buildings, architecture, skylines, cityscapes...they all enchant me. I've been on most of the Foundation's downtown walking tours and have found them all to be fun and informative. I've lucked out each time in getting old-timer docents who pepper their narrative with personal anecdotes about the city. I'll be in Chicago next month and look forward to catching the few tours I've missed so far. The gift shop is a lot of fun, too...a nice little selection of books and artsy souvenirs (read: no tacky tourist tchotchkes). The only tour of theirs that, in retrospect, I would have skipped was the river tour by boat. Whereas the people who take the walking tours are sincerely interested in the city and its architectural history, the boat tour participants were more interested in chatting amongst themselves and throwing food to the circling birds.
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I had a friend in town last week. This was his first time ever being in Chicago, so he wanted to do some of the trendy touristy things while here. One thing that I had never done and thought would be interesting was partaking in a walking tour in the Loop.
We went to the Chicago Architecture Foundation and purchased our tickets for the Historical Skyscrapers Tour. This might have been the best $15 bucks (including a bottle of water and granola bar purchased b4 the tour) I have spent in Chicago. I took something like 140 pictures. Our docent was amazingly knowledgeable. The buildings were magnificent. It is now my goal to attend each and every tour the Architecture Foundation offers.
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