The following tours are looking for docents. Please only apply for tours if you are willing to certify and give the tour on a regular basis. Also, please allow all docents the opportunity to learn these tours. Don’t apply for all of them.
Please note the schedules for the tours! Make sure that you are only applying for tours that you would be available to give.
Tour Name: Must-See Chicago
Tour Director(s): Mike McMains, mi**@mi*********.com and Ellen Shubart, es******@ao*.com
2020 Tour Dates/Schedule: Monday – Saturday at 1 pm
Number of Docents to Recruit: 10
Training Expectations: May 16, 30, June 6
Why you would love giving this tour/Tour Highlights: Must-See Chicago covers so many of the most iconic designs in downtown Chicago. The “wow moments” include views of the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, and Carbide & Carbon Building from the Illinois Center Plaza; strolling through Millennium Park; ascending the Nichols Bridgeway connecting to the Art Institute’s Modern Wing; and riding on the “L” around the Loop. This is a fast-paced, 90-minute tour starting and ending at the CAC!
Tour Name: Berwyn Bungalow Bus Tour
Tour Director(s): Kathleen Carpenter, Ka****************@ma*.com and/or Ellen Shubart, es******@ao*.com
2020 Tour Dates: Sunday, April 26, 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m (one-time only)
Number of Docent to Recruit: 10
Training Expectations: If you are interested you would need to attend an organizational meeting on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 1:30 p.m (at CAC).
Why you would love giving this tour: Are you interested in giving a tour about Berwyn, its fabulous bungalows, architecturally varied bank architecture, and fascinating history with the “Q,” the Burlington Northern Railroad? You’ll learn about Berwyn and be part of the docent team presenting the tour. There’s lots to learn and good friends to learn with.
Tour Name: Uptown
Tour Director(s): Deb Frels, fr******@gm***.com and Robin Simon, ro***********@gm***.com
2020 Tour Dates/Schedule: Saturdays at 10:30AM: May 23, June 6, July 18, August 8, October 24
Number of Docents to Recruit: 2
Training Expectations: Reading/reviewing the manual, practicing for tour/going on a tour, certify
Why you would love giving this tour/Tour Highlights: Uptown is a great tour and we go inside 3 buildings right now. You can experience the changes this sometimes neglected neighborhood has made!
Tour Name: Northwestern University: Evolution of a Campus
This tour is no longer accepting docents to train.
Tour Directors: Leanne Star le********@gm***.com, Bob Michaelson rm******@no**********.edu, Larry Mages LM****@sb*******.net
2020 Tour Dates/Schedule:
Fridays at 10 am: April 17; May 8; June 5; July 17; August 7; September 18; October 9; November 6
Saturdays at 1 pm: April 25; May 23; June 13; July 11; August 8; September 26; October 10; November 21
Number of Docents to Recruit: 5-7 (expectation to give tour 2-3 times)
Training Expectations: Read manual; take demo tour; practice & certify
Why you love giving this tour/Tour Highlights: Exploring Northwestern University’s Evanston campus is a docent’s dream. The tour presents a wide range of architectural styles in a peaceful, lakefront setting, all built around a strong narrative about how the campus developed, more than doubling in size in the 1960s. The compact walking route allows time for interaction with tour takers, many of whom cherish their associations with the university.
Tour Name: Sheffield Historic District
Tour Directors: Nancy Sims: ng*****@gm***.com and Anne Shillinglaw: as**********@gm***.com
2020 Tour Dates: April 30, 5:30 PM; May 14, 5:30 PM; June 11, 5:30 PM; July 26, 1:00 PM; Aug. 27, 5:30 PM; Sept. 13, 1:00 PM; Oct. 3, 1:00 PM
Number of Docent to Recruit: 1
Training Expectations: Take tour winter or early spring with a director, practice and become certified by April 30.
Why you would love giving this tour: Historic Sheffield has it all: architectural gems from the 1870s onward by iconic design masters, including William Le Baron Jenney, Edward Burling and Holabird & Root; three 19th century landmarked row house districts; and façade design details that inspire conversation. Moreover, the neighborhood accurately reflects the myriad variations to housing configurations over the decades of change. We also offer many anecdotes, personal stories and ‘who slept here’ vignettes to weave it all together as we interact with our guests throughout the 90-minute tour.
Tour Name: Hotel Boom
Tour Directors: Bobbi Pinkert bo**********@gm***.com, Monica Rodriguez mo********@gm***.com
2020 Tour Dates: April-October + March: Thur 1:30 pm; November-February: Thur 1:30 pm. Sunday 1:00 pm
Number of Docent to Recruit: 5-6 docents
Training Expectations: We will have a training session for the new docents where we will go over the manual with an emphasis on Landmarking and Tax Credits. We also expect the docents to take the tour and read the tour manual. We will have both a demo tour and training on February 22.
Why you would love giving this tour: Hotel Boom is a well attended walking tour. Guests love having the chance to see both the exteriors and the lobbies/rooftop of these spectacular buildings and learning the win/win results of land-marking.
Tour Name: Food and Architecture of 1893
Tour Director: Siobhan Hartsell si**************@gm***.com
2020 Tour Dates/Schedule: once a week. Friday afternoon or Saturday afternoon
Number of Docents to recruit: 4
Training Expectations: Must be available to give this tour on Friday or Saturday
Why you love giving this tour/Tour highlights: I am a total geek about the World Columbian Exposition of 1893! Tour highlights: you get to eat a Vienna All beef hot dog plus a brownie! The legendary Brownie was created in the Palmer House pastry kitchen in 1893. Bertha Palmer charged the pastry chef at the time to create something different. Your result: the brownie!
Tour Name: What’s New in Chicago
Tour Directors: Mary Jo Hoag, ma*******@sb*******.net and Emily Clott, em********@ya***.com
2020 Tour Dates: Every Thursday at 10 AM
Number of docents needed: 12
Training expectations: Two hours from 10-12 on 2/15 and 3/7, practice on your own and certification with one of the TDs by 4/1
Training dates: training will take place 2/15 and 3/7 at CAC. Attendance at both dates is mandatory.
Tour highlights: This new tour is unlike anything else we give: it focuses completely on new buildings, their plans, construction, use of materials and intended users. The tour is 90 minutes and the route is fairly short compared to other walking tours we give and it is completely accessible!
Tour Name: Historic Austin
Tour Director: Karen Clapp bu*******@sb*******.net
2020 Tour Dates: September 20 and October 25 at 11 am
Number of Docents to Recruit: 2-4
Training Expectations: Review tour manual, go through 1/2 day training and complete demonstration tour
Why you would love giving this tour/Tour Highlights: The Austin community and the work of Frederick Schock
Tour Name: Old Post Office
Tour Director: Lorie Westerman l.*********@sb*******.net
2020 Tour Dates: Still being determined but likely Fall 2020 weekdays
Number of Docents to recruit: 10 initially and will expand in 2021
Training Expectations: will be determined once tour development is completed
Why you love giving this tour/Tour highlights – The Post Office is an excellent example of adaptive re-use and what’s possible when an abandoned historic building is repositioned into a modern office space.
When applying, please include the number of tours you’re certified for and if you have any connection with the Post Office – ex. you or a family member worked there, participated in the construction, etc.
Tour Name: French Language Tour:Historical and Modern Skyscrapers
Tour Director: Jim Harmon ja****************@gm***.com and Assistant Director Claudia Winkler cl*****@gm***.com
2020 Tour Dates:
Friday, May 15 at 10:30 am
Saturday, May 30 at 10:30 am
Sunday, June 14 at 1:30 pm
Friday, June 26 at 10:30 am
Friday, July 3 at 10:30 am
Saturday, July 11 at 10:30 am
Sunday, July 19 at 1:30 pm
Friday, July 24 at 10:30 am
Saturday, August 1, at 10:30 am
Friday, August 7, at 10:30 am
Sunday, August 16 at 1:30 pm
Friday, August 28 at 10:30 am
Sunday, September 13 at 1:30 pm
Sunday, September 20 at 1:30 pm
Saturday, October 10, at 11:00
Number of Docents to Recruit: 3
Training expectations: You must be a fluent French speaker. This means that you can give an interactive tour with confidence and guests are not distracted by your delivery. You do not need to have complete mastery of architectural vocabulary. The French tour docents will help you hone your skills
Why you would love giving this tour/tour highlights: You get the opportunity to interact with French speakers from around the world! Guests appreciate the CAC’s mission of demonstrating that design matters, and are often surprised—and usually delighted—to learn that much of Chicago’s architectural legacy is connected to their familiar worlds. The tour is largely a French version of A Walk Through Time.