Kyle Adams, 2016
We had a really a great time on our River Cruise. Very interesting, Presented very well by Kyle. She was informative and funny and had a real love for architecture. The ride didn’t go too fast so you could hear and understand everything very well. At the end, it started to rain but it was so enjoyable we stayed on the upper deck and just got wet.
Jim Bartholomew, 2008
My husband and I took this tour with our 19 and 15-year-old sons and 25-year-old niece. Docent Jim was awesome. He engaged everyone on the boat with his extensive knowledge of the architecture of all the buildings and kept the kids engaged with fun facts. I highly recommend this tour for all!
Joni Hirsch Blackman, 2013
Our guide Joni was a treasure of knowledge. I learned lots, and enjoyed the River Cruise ride up and down the river. Excellent way to spend an evening.
Sandy Brendine, 2001
This cruise is hyped up, and for good reason! Our volunteer docent, Sandy, was great. He shared so much insight on the buildings, their history, and fun facts. There was plenty of room to move around and take photos, a bar with tasty cocktails, and perfect timing to see everything in daylight and with night lights on. I couldn’t have asked for a better cruise!
John Burns, 2009
We took the CAF River Cruise aboard the First Lady and totally enjoyed it. It was a beautiful day and we were presented with an entertaining and enlightening tour about the history and present of Chicago architecture. Our guide and narrator, John Burns, was superb. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of nearly all the buildings along the river and we really enjoyed it. Cannot recommend it more highly.
Barbara Butz, 2006
This is the second time I’ve done the River Cruise, and the first for many of my family members who were with me (including 3 boys under the age of 13). Everyone had a blast! Our tour guide, Barbara, was super fantastic! I have no idea how she remembers the number of facts she shared with us, but she was unbelievably knowledgeable and a joy to listen to. So much fun!
Jane Cahill, 2005
I can’t imagine a better River Cruise guide than Jane. She had every fact at her fingertips, clearly enjoyed sharing her knowledge with all of us. She was intelligent and personable but didn’t try to be a stand-up comic. She told many stories of the evolution of the riverfront: from swamp to the early days of industry; from wanton polluting to the repurposing of warehouses; to building public walking paths along miles of riverfront; and the artistic, elegant buildings.
Kathleen Carpenter, 2006
Vice to Nice is an entertaining and informational tour that explains the transformation of the south loop from an unsavory neighborhood of crime, sleazy bars and prostitution to the present day booming neighborhood of upscale condos and businesses. Kathleen, our docent, was very knowledgeable and possessed a talent for sprinkling a bit of humor into a plethora of history and politics. CAF has done it again!
Hau Chyi, 2015
We learned so much about the architecture and history of this beautiful city on the River Cruise. Our docent was extremely knowledgeable. Hua, originally from Taiwan, clearly loves Chicago and shared that with us all. I had been on a Chicago River tour with another company about eight years ago. It was fine, but I think the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s tour is more insightful.
Dick Clark, 2008
We have taken many of the lake and river tours, but this is the best one. Our guide was Dick Clark and he was fabulous. He was friendly, knowledgeable and kept a nice pace. This is the tour I would take my friends on.
Emily Clott, 2012
The River Cruise was worth every penny. We took the twilight tour. Our docent was Emily and she was terrific: knowledgeable, clear, friendly, with a wonderfully dry sense of humor. I would gladly repeat this and recommend it to all visitors to this great city.
Jill Dahlke, 2005
No matter how many times I come to Chicago the River Cruise tour is a must. But this time I experienced the best — Jill. Her perspective and knowledge was outstanding. How she could speak the full trip and capture everyone’s attention was amazing. Plus, it was from the designer and architectural firms’ viewpoints. Jill –thank you so much.
Sylvia Dunbeck, 1987
Super fun boat ride with an amazing tour guide, Sylvia, who was a wealth of knowledge and has a passion for architecture. Full exposure to all major Art Deco, contemporary and historic buildings that line the river. Enriching history behind each building with fun facts and stories that kids will enjoy! First Lady Cruises is top of the line with volunteer tour guides, who make the experience one of a kind!
Linda Ewing, 2003
I moved from Chicago many years ago and decided to take River Cruise when I came back to visit friends. First, I couldn’t believe how much Chicago has grown and improved since I had left. Linda, our guide, and with the exception of taking a few swallows of water, kept us informed and entertained for the entire 90-minute cruise. What a comfortable, educational and enjoyable experience.
Dan Fitzgerald, 1986
I took the Architectural Highlights by Bus tour. Our volunteer docent, Dan Fitzgerald, was relaxed, patient, and extremely knowledgeable. He spoke during the tour via a microphone so that everyone could hear him and answered questions at the various stops that we made. Wow. Chicago is really, really lucky to have a foundation like this
Susan Frost, 2015
Susan Frost did an excellent job on the River Cruise. She was able to provide architectural insights and interesting tidbits. We learned about design, composition and architects that shaped the Chicago riverfront and lakefront. A MUST for those who live the surrounding suburbs as well as visitors.
Delta Greene, 2008
Delta was a wonderful docent on the Discover Chicago’s Historic Neighborhoods tour. So knowledgeable! I like the fact that when she used architectural or sociological terms to describe various aspects of the tour, she defined them for everyone in concrete clear vernacular language. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and it was nice to be on the open upstairs of the double-decker Big Bus as it allowed for unique views.
Sandy Guettler, 2003
There are a number of vendors for cruises on the Chicago River, but this one has to be the best. Our volunteer guide (who refused tips!) from CAF, Sandy, knew the history of every building, the identities of its original architects and renovation architects, plus every detail of Chicago history you could think of. This is a must-do to get a full appreciation of Chicago
Siobhan Hartsell, 2015
Our family took a CAF River Cruise and we could not have been a more pleasant family celebration. Our docent, Siobhan, was amazing! She provided us with a wonderful amount of Chicago history and types of architecture used in the river front buildings, and incorporated stories and history that correlated with visitors’ hometowns. Our family gives Siobhan and CAF 5 stars!!
Lynne Hensel, 2010
We did the River Cruise architecture tour on a Thursday; we bought tickets online so that was easy. Friendly crew. The docent was great. Lynne gave a very interesting presentation. Well worth the time and money.
Mary Jo Hoag, 2007
The Women of Influence tour at Graceland Cemetery is fantastic! I took the tour with Mary Jo Hoag, These are the less familiar names than you’ll find on the regular Graceland tour (also fantastic), but the impact that these women had on Chicago still touches our lives today. Graceland is one of my favorite places in the city to explore and photograph, and this tour just made it even more fascinating.
Wayne Johnson, 2016
I have taken several of these River Cruises over the past years, but this occasion was by far the most enjoyable, thanks to the effort and talent of our guide, Wayne Johnson. It was clear that he both enjoyed his task and had put a lot of work into it. Johnson has a flair for reaching out and engaging his audience. He brought each building and feature into very human dimensions, citing the people, politics, physics, and often personal anecdotes to make the information meaningful. His delivery was personable, dramatic, balanced, and organized into sequences that were colorful and in the moment. We all enjoyed his presentation. Great job.
Judith Kaufman, 2009
Our tour guide volunteer, Judith, was phenomenal – by far the highlight of the River Cruise. She was so knowledgeable, funny, articulate, sweet, etc. I could go on forever. She said she doesn’t accept tips, but was open to hugs and stellar online reviews. LOL!
Sylvia Kete, 1998
I took the River Cruise on recommendation of a native. I was not disappointed. This was one of the best tours I have ever been on. The docent, Sylvia. was extremely knowledgeable. She had so much information she was struggling to tell us about all of the buildings while we could still see them. No complaints at all!
Bethany Lankin, 2017
A group of us went on the Historic Skyscrapers tour led by docent Bethany Lankin. who was a first-rate guide. She also has a degree in art history which added to the outstanding experience. She managed the group perfectly and answered all our questions. She gave us a wealth of architectural detail about every building we stopped at or went inside!
Alan Lessack, 1996
We took an amazingly informative River Cruise presented by an amazing docent from the CAF named Alan. The entire trip was packed full of interesting facts and figures of the history of Chi-town buildings. We went from historic times to modern day life and buildings in Chicago. Never a dull moment.
Adrienne Liebermann, 2010
Take this tour if you are visiting Chicago! It was so fun chillin’ on the top deck listening to our volunteer River Cruise docent Adrienne give us fun facts and stories about the different buildings we passed by at the Chicago Riverwalk. Adrianne was so energetic, passionate, and great! She said she did not accept tips, but instead, to spread the good word about this tour, which is exactly what I’m doing.
Mike McMains, 2005
My boyfriend and I were in Chicago for the first time and took the Elevated Architecture tour because the price was a bit easier to swing than the river tours. We had a wonderful time and learned so much! Our guide, who developed the tour himself, has a clear passion for history and his enthusiasm really made the tour outstanding. We got in a good amount of Chicago sightseeing and also learned the surprisingly juicy backstory of the Loop. Now we’re just biding our time until a question about Charles Yerkes comes up on Jeopardy or bar trivia.
Susan Osborne, 2003
My wife and I took the River Cruise on a Saturday in mid-June; the weather was perfect. Our docent Susan was quite knowledgeable and interesting. Our cruise lasted a bit longer than usual as there was filming for a movie that shut down traffic on the river a couple of times. Our 9 am cruise gave us an opportunity to experience the city before the hustle and bustle takes over. Great day!
Constance Rajala, 2008
Constance was an amazing River Cruise guide with a wealth of knowledge. What a wonderful way to see the city. I would do this again and highly recommend it to anyone visiting Chicago.
Susan Robertson, 2009
My daughter and I went on the Art Deco Skyscrapers tour led by Susan Robertson. Outstanding experience and value. She is a first-rate guide. She managed the group perfectly and her information and presentation were world-class. Plenty of time for questions and photographs. I could write about this for six more paragraphs but stop reading and take your tour soon as possible.
Corinne Rohr, 2010
The First Lady Cruise has docents from the Chicago Architecture Foundation who narrate the tour. Corinne, the woman who was our docent, was amazing! Very informative about all the buildings along the river tour route. Pretty sure she knew the date each building was built, as well as, the architecture firm commissioned to build it. Wonderful.
Alison Schlickman, 2015
What a very well-organized Treasures of Culture and Commerce tour, and fabulous tour guide. Alison was a great storyteller and historian, full of interesting information, lively and funny. Loved the headsets!
Cindy Schneider 2010
This River Cruise along the river of Chicago was an experience you have to do when visiting. Cindy, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable with an obvious passion for her job of teaching about the architecture and history of Chicago. Definitely worth it!
David Smith, 2006
I was in Chicago in May for fun–a girlfriend’s trip! Our guide on the Architectural Highlights by Bus tour was David Smith, who was simply delightful. He is very knowledgeable, and passionate about Chicago architecture. The tour included the FLW Robie House, a walk-through part of Mies’ IIT campus, a peek at the Rookery, churches and synagogues in Hyde Park, and past beautiful homes in the Gold Coast area, and so much more. I highly recommend it.
Lindy Trigg, 2003
Lindy was wonderful. She was funny and knowledgeable and it was the best River Cruise we’ve ever had. – David Barlow (member)
Michael Weiland, 1984
The CAF River Cruise is a notch above. Our docent, Michael, was a real professional who provided the context so one could appreciate the city’s history and its embrace of architecture and the river. Commentary streams perfectly for 1.5 hours. What a difference it makes to cruise with CAF.
Mary Willer, 2009
I would just like to compliment Mary Willer for such an informative and fun River Cruise. We are native Chicagoans and have never taken this tour before. Mary pointed out all the high points of the buildings and gave us so much more information that we could have even expected. She spoke nonstop for 90 minutes…I was amazed that she could remember so many details and we learned so much about our city that we will definitely do this trip again, but only with Mary Willer. -Sara Crome