Chicago's First Lady
Categories: Boating, Local Flavor, Tours [Edit]
Neighborhood: The LoopWacker Ave and Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611 (847) 358-1330
- Nearest Transit:
State/Lake (Orange, Brown, Purple Express, Green, Pink)
Grand (Red)
Clark/Lake (Pink, Brown, Green, Blue, Purple Express, Orange)
- Good for Kids: No
17 reviews
Neighborhood: Near North Side
"I have to say , as a big fan of the PBS special they ran a few years back about the Chicago river, This tour is literally seeing that live.…" read more »
23 Reviews for Chicago's First Lady
I'm going to have to say that I really agree with Shelly's comments. The view is awesome and you get a very different feel for the city from the river than you do on foot. The view is gorgeous and the guide is informative.
It's super relaxing, and there's a slight breeze even if it's a hot day. It was a lot of being "talked at" for me for 90 minutes, but then I started talking to the guy next to me and I loosened up. Definitely go if you're from Chicago or if you're a tourist. It goes all the way to Navy Pier and it definitely feels "Devil in the White City."
Best parts of this tour:
- Great city views you don't get to see from the streets
- Great photo-ops
- Relaxing
- Very informative - our guide was very knowledgeable and I definitely learned a lot about my new city.
Downside:
- I had hoped there would be more anecdotal Chicago information. Yeah, yeah, I know this is an architecture tour, but I thought I would get more history, pop culture.
- They try to cover so much information that our guide didn't seem to cover everything he wanted to talk about
Overall, a worthwhile tour, but there are probably better options if you want more of a "city" tour.
Everyone I asked about Chicago told me that I HAD to take the architectural boat tour. I am adding to their recommendations - if you are going to Chicago and the weather's fair, make this one of your first stops.
Chicago Architecture Foundation puts on a 90-minute tour of the Chicago River. This was a great activity to get in some sights, history, and a general orientation of the city. It would be of particular interest to anyone in the condo market - there's so much out there (kinda makes you wonder where all these magical condo-buying people are coming from...) Our tour narrator, who was a volunteer docent, was obscenely knowledgeable and intelligent. She could have been boring but something about the flawlessness of her vocabulary mesmerized me. Nothing dumbed-down-for-tourists about the experience at all.
At base, also a lovely way to enjoy the weather and the river breeze.
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90 minute tour through the river with emphasis on the architecture of the city hosted by a CAF docent for $28.
Excellent tour! Went in mid-June on a beautiful sunny day (yes, I risked the top deck for the sunburn and it was worth it!) and kicked back with a beer and a camera. I had read "Devil in the White City" and was therefore similar with some of the architects from the Chicago firms so I was very happy to see some of their masterpieces standing along the water. There seemed to be a lot of old warehouses along the river that are now condos - an obvious change in what the city thinks about the river (no doubt it's cleaner these days as well). Great tour - highly recommended!
When I finally went on my CAF architectural boat tour, it's on a Chicago's First Lady. I totally geeked out and wanted to sit on the top with the plastic chairs. I didn't care if it was mildly chilly. I wanted a true Chicago boat tour experience. The staff was pleasant and friendly. Going through the safety announcements, the captain et al. were informative as well as humorous in mentioning that they served alcohol on the boat. Our tour guide was awesome and I'm so glad that I finally went on a boat tour. I'd definitely recommend the tour as well as the boat company to anyone.
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what a way to explore chicago!
went on this CAF tour...there are a few other touring companies but this one is the 'official' CAF boat. the tour lasted about 1.5 hours and was $28...seats were up top...white plastic lawn chairs....and this being a very sunny day i came back with some 'color' (so, bring sunscreen). our docent was quite knowledgeable...but i mostly just took in the views.
a nice way to spend the afternoon.
Chicago's First Lady is a great little boat for a cruise on Lake Michigan. I've hired the boat for dance parties, and though a bit small, it has always worked out well. The staff has always been friendly and accommodating.
Our groups have out grown the boat, but it was definitely great when we did fit!
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My husband and I got married on Chicago's First Lady in September. Captain Ralph was phenomenal. He recommended a beautiful spot on the river for our ceremony and then took us for an amazing cruise of Lake Michigan, complete with a fireworks display. There were two bars set up and the staff was very helpful. One bartender wasn't quite as jovial as the other, but overall, the experience was superb. The boat has very nice "facilities" and although the chairs are plastic on the upper deck, no one cares or notices because the view of the City is so incredible. It was an unforgettable night.
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A simple little boat, with the top deck crowded with cheap plastic chairs. A bar and some snacks downstairs, some restrooms. Standard. Nothing remarkable. Some of the staff was friendly, others quite surly.
You're not going for the boat. You're going for the tours.
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I wouldn't have appreciated my Chicago vacation as much if I hadn't taken this tour. I would've just thought that hey, buildings are just buildings - we have them back in LA, big deal.
The tour showed me otherwise. Our enthusiastic tour guide showed us that there's so much historical background and architectural significance behind the buildings and the context of Chicago itself. Also, to ride down the river in this river while getting absolutely beautiful photographs of the majestic buildings around me was just an experience in itself that you can't get anywhere else. This was definitely the best part of my Chicago vacation..
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Things to know about this tour:
Buy your tickets at the CAF booth at the bottom of the Mag Mile where the boat Launches. The tickets are $28 each. If you buy your tickets at the water tower center you will pay close to $35 including ticket fee so don't waste your money on admin fees and the like go direct to the booth.
We took this tour 4th Nov and it was cold, OK not freezing but on the top deck after 90 minutes you start to feel it.
Saying that I really enjoyed the cruise, it was informative although not massively so. We got some high level stuff about the kind of architectural types, who built what and the name of the building. Some more interesting factoids might have been slightly more useful, such as number of workers, what was there before, number of bricks. I don't know just more stuff. Still She was talking non stop our Docent and she did a good job although she sounded a bit robotic as though she was reading off an autoque. I guess she was trying to enunciate to make sure all the non english language tourists could understand her.
I thought at first we were'nt going to get a seat up top as the queue was enormous when we arrived, but we were in the last 2% of the people to get on and the top deck was full and the two of us still managed to sit together.
HIghly recommended tour. Shame we couldn't go out into the lake, I didn't realise their was a lock system in place so this ship cannot get way out into the lake. Only the boats at Navy pier take you into the lake for the best view of the city but then you cant get into the city to do the architectural tour, so take both tours!
Have fun.
1.5 hours going back and forth on the Y-fork of the Chicago river, with a volunteer talking about every single building your eye can see. An architecturally enlightening boat ride, and a great photo op for tourists such as ourselves. Too bad it was painfully hot today.. I felt like death after one hour and had to go down into the shade to get a glass of ice cold water from their cute bartender. Naice.
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Can I copy and paste Pam S's review? I was with her on this tour and felt the same way...and yeah, we're both BURNED.
This is definitely one of the "must-do" activities in Chicago. It's not free (like the NYC ferry ride), but you get to see the entire city from different angles while cruising down the river for 90 minutes. The tour guide (a volunteer for CAF) does an outstanding job pointing out structures and providing all sorts of info. Amazing!
The lower level has a bar and is air-conditioned, so you always have an option of chilling with a few drinks there.
You can purchase the tickets online in advance - $26 on weekdays, $28 on weekends. The difficult part may be picking the day with the right weather as the tickets are nonrefundable/nontransferable, rain or shine. We all know how unpredictable it is!
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I attended a private party on this boat and it was a GREAT time! It was an evening cruise, leaving at 7 and returning at 10 and dinner was served. It was catered by Harry Caray and everything was delicious!
There was a bartender upstairs and downstairs and many crew people around to help you out if needed. The women's bathroom was marble and granite with 3 stalls and was very clean.
The boat ride was exactly the same route as the day trip (no tour guide) , but we got to see the sunset and the Chicago skyline at night. The big Ferris wheel at Navy Pier looks so pretty from the water.
While I was at the party, I felt like I should be on The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous! So if you have a special occasion to celebrate, this is the way to go!
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Wonderfully informative and interesting architecture tour that takes you on the three segments of the Chicago River downtown. It's put on by the Chicago Architecture Foundation and like the Wendella cruise, it's also on Michigan Ave at the River - but at the Southeast corner.
The docent is a professionally trained VOLUNTEER - who does this for FREE (!), because she likes this shiz. She gave us some historical analysis on each building we passed and had a great speaking voice. Beautiful views (and a bar inside the boat if you so choose) - and unique photo ops you can't get from street level and definitely worth the price for $26.
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Wow. I never knew so much about the city and architecture in general. This tour was 90 minutes and we picked it because it is run by the Chicago Architecture Foundation.
I really thought this was great, and even enjoyed looking like the ultimate Chicago tourist. I took some amazing black and white photos that I could have only taken from the boat. I think that the boat we were on was a lot nicer than some of the other companies.
It was busy even in Sept. so get there early or buy tickets online!
In the name of full disclosure, I am a Docent for the Chicago Architecture Foundation and give the River Cruise. What surprises most people is that we are the only "tour guides" on the river who do not get paid. I think it helps that we do this simply because we love Chicago's architecture and history. ( I think we are all frustrated performers!)And I have to confess that I love to go on other docents tours because they always bring something new to the table! We are constantly evaluating each other to make sure that the info is correct. My husband took a tour on one of the competitors and told me that Lake Point Tower is a cantilever building (it's definitely not) or I've heard that it was designed by Mies Van der Rohe (no way).
I also love presenting Chicago in such a beautiful and unique way. We have people from all over the world who come to Chicago because of our architectural legacy. On one tour I had a group of Brits on board,who had taken the El in from O'Hare on a layover from Minneapolis to the UK just to take the tour. It was pouring rain and probably 45 degrees, but they all told me that it was well worth the effort.
My insiders scoop ... weekdays are always best or Sundays late afternoon; sit toward the back of the boat; dress appropriately! Have fun and maybe I'll see you on the river!
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Fantastic architectural tour on the Chicago River. I wish I did this tour in the beginning of my visit so I could have used my new-found architectural knowledge... Oh well. Here's a tip for your first-time visitors to Chicago: check out Chicago's First Lady in the BEGINNING of your visit!
If you're an architecture buff, definitely take this tour, since it IS the official boat tour of the Chicago Architectural Foundation. But if you're looking for a less lecture-y tour, you might be better off with Shoreline or one of the other, less "official," companies. The parents, bf, and I all really enjoyed this tour, but it was a LOT of names and technical terms, so it seemed a little dry at times (no pun intended). The Shoreline tour is probably not as knowledgeable, but a little more fun. So it all depends on what you're looking for out of your touristy summer activity!
This past early summer, June I think it was, I went on this boat cruise with a friend for a radio station. Since I grew up just outside the city and go to school in it, where I took a history of Chicago class, I don't really do any touristy stuff. But this cruise was fun, they have two bars on it (one up stairs on the deck and one in the cabin). We had great weather and it was fun finally getting to cruise down the Chicago river, and than into the lake. I haven't been on the lake since i was a little kid so it was a great experience for me. Even if you grew up in Chicago and know everything that it has to offer, if you don't go out on the lake much I suggest you go on this cruise! It is well worth the time, took about an hour, and the captains are very knowledgeable about Chicago and it's architecture!
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I have lived in the city of Chicago for almost 9 years and have never ventured out on Chicago's First Lady for the architectural tour (or any other boat tour for that matter). I work downtown every day and see these building all the time, so I thought I would be bored with the tour. I was WRONG - - it was amazing to see the city in this way. First of all, I don't know much about architecture, so the cruise was enlightening. It was also really neat to see the city from different parts of the river - - not the usual view of the city. I would suggest this tour to anyone - - even those who have lived in the city for years!
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I've done this boat tour twice now and loved it both times. How can you not? You get to sit on a boat through the gorgeous city and listen to your guide talk about famous architecture. There's always something new to learn on one of these cruises!
The cruise company, Chicagos First Lady, hosts the Chicago Architecture Foundation's architectural tours along the river and lakefront.
Tickets run $25 on the weekends and $23 during the week. A portion of the fee goes to support architecture education. The season opens in late April and goes through November.
This is a great way to see the city and learn about our world famous architecture.
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