Cynthia Bates, 2016
I recently took a River Cruise with my niece who was visiting from out of town. We were both so impressed with our guide, Cynthia Bates. The pacing of the tour, and the control over complicated content including architectural firms, dates, and individual architects and engineers, was truly impressive. And, it is always fun to hear the story of the reversal of the Chicago river. It was an amazing 90 minutes, and it flew by. The river tours are an amazing resource for the city, and it is clear that the docents have a real dedication to sharing their knowledge.
Kathleen Carpenter, 2006, and Ellen Shubart, 2006
Even if you live in Chicago, branch out, see a new neighborhood. Enjoy the wonderful city that has such diversity. I’ve done Pilsen, Evanston, Winnetka, Fort Sheridan, but the new Chinatown tour is so interesting. Don’t miss it!
Hau Chyi, 2015
This was the best tour we could have taken on our last evening in the Loop- what an amazing way to see this beautiful city! Our docent Hau Chyi was very well informed, fun, and entertaining as he guided us through the centuries of history on display through Chicago’s stunning and varied architecture- I’d recommend the River Cruise highly.
Emily Clott, 2012
I can’t say enough positive things about the CAF’s River Cruise. The docent, Emily, greeted all the guests before we boarded the boat, and she did a fabulous job the tour. The information and stories she shared were fascinating. This was a wonderful way to learn about the city and its history! Thank you, Emily, for volunteering your time and giving us such a great experience.
Sylvia Dunbeck, 1987
Great and informative tour! Sylvia Dunbeck, our tour guide, was the best! If you like Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, you will love this bus tour. – Micelle W.
Kent Foutty, 2009
As tall building aficionados we wanted to see the best of Chicago and this River Cruise tour really delivered. The commentary from Kent our docent was outstanding, informed and yet personal and engaging. 10 out of 10!
Carol Garner, 2016
We took the 730 twilight River Cruise. It was full of interesting information, great views and overall very relaxing. The biggest highlight of the cruise (out of many highlights) was the final turn around when you a get a fantastic view of Chicago lit up for the night. The docent doing the narration was Carol and she was one of the best I’ve encountered. Very knowledgeable and kept the touristy jokes to a minimum. This is the official CAF tour, so it is informational not a joke fest led by people with suspect credentials!
Georgia Goldberg, 2012
We had a tremendous tour guide for the River Cruise . Her name was Ms. Georgia Goldberg. We were very impressed by her wealth of knowledge and her ability to express all of the information in such an interesting and entertaining way. Worth every penny and more!
Gloria Hinrichs-Nelson, 2016
This is an excellent tour. We did it a few years ago and did it again yesterday. It was even more amazing this time. The guide, Gloria, is a volunteer from the CAF. She was incredibly knowledgeable. The River Cruise was full of history and information about the origin of its magnificent buildings. Well worth the money.
Dan Johnson, 2016
Dan J. was our River Cruise guide, and he was outstanding! His knowledge of the history of this city, and his story-telling abilities made the tour most interesting on a sweltering summer day. The route of the tour was out and back through the canals in the city. Michigan. Worth all of the wonderful ratings left by others!!
Wayne Johnson, 2016
What a tour! Highly recommended. Our docent Wayne did an excellent job during the 90-minute River Cruise trip. A must do when visiting Chicago.
Kelly Jones, 2016
I was visiting Chicago this last weekend with my friend. We both decided it would be fun to go on the River Cruise tour, and wow! It was worth it. Or tour guide, Kelly, was knowledgeable and funny (!) He had great little stories about history and architecture of the city. I learned so much more about Chicago than I expected. This tour is well worth the money, and I hope you get Kelly as your tour guide. He was amazing. – Kelsey D., Portland, OR
Judith Kaufman, 2010
This was the highlight of our visit to Chicago! The river tour was fabulous, our guide Judith, so knowledgeable and passionate about the city. The boat was very comfortable and had rest rooms and a full working bar What a truly wonderful way to spend a couple of hours, and some of the facts we learnt about Chicago were amazing!
Alan Lessack, 1996
I took the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise earlier today. The captain, Jennifer, was courteous and very helpful. The docent, Alan Lessack, was exceptional! They both share a great passion for the architecture of Chicago. I needed to tell you about their service. Thank you. – James Quinn
Leslie Clark Lewis, 2009
Before I totally forget, I am passing along to you a big “Thank You” from some San Francisco-based friends of mine who were recently visiting Chicago for a family wedding. Their family thoroughly enjoyed the River Cruise, and learned a lot from the most wonderful docent, ta da, YOU! After they returned to SF, they sent me a note saying that they were now raving to all their local friends about their wonderful Chicago visit, and urging them to also come here (preferably in cooler weather). Way to go, Leslie! – Kitty Lorenz, 2011
Adrienne Lieberman, 2010
This was the best River Cruise!!! Our tour guide, Adrienne, had so much knowledge about the buildings. Not only did she share information about the buildings, but it was also a history lesson about how Chicago was built. Highly recommend this cruise!
Pris Mims, 2000
As a suburban resident, I don’t always take advantage of the opportunities available to explore Chicago…so glad I did the River Cruise! The views of the buildings from the river were phenomenal. Context had so much to do with more recent architecture, again, seeing it from the river, you get prospective you won’t experience from the shore. Our docent, Priscilla, was knowledgeable and entertaining. Definitely recommend this to local residents and visitors, too!
Roy Slowinski, 2009
We met between State and Wabash, on the Riverwalk. The tour was led by decent Roy. Great guide, nice pace, easy to keep up with. We learned SO much about the development of the Riverwalk, the design, the intent, the future plans etc. It helped that the weather was fantastic. Small group of 5 women. Plenty of opportunities to take photos and look around. Beautiful spot.
David Smith, 2006
We loved the Frank Lloyd Wright by Bus tour. Having visited a number of FLW projects over our various travels, we were eager to see the home and studio that launched it all. They did not disappoint and the foundation guide that took us around was great! We are so happy we did this tour! Don’t miss it if you like architecture or are interested in FLW and his designs.
Lisa Tallman, 2015
Our docent Lisa Tallman spoke quite clearly and captivated everyone on board as she expounded beautifully on the history and reasoning behind the incredible Chicago skyline. The views from the ship were phenomenal! Thanks to the entire staff for providing such a marvelous River Cruise experience!
Mitzi Walchak, 2003
We really enjoyed this 90-minute River Cruise. Our guide, Mitzi, was superb. It’s great that locals like her take such pride in their city that they volunteer as guides. She had such a depth and breadth of knowledge about the architecture. We learned a great deal, and would highly recommend this activity
Barbara Weiner, 2011
I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed my Evolution of the Skyscraper tour with docent Barbara Weiner. Last Sunday was a beautiful day in Chicago, and perfect for the walking tour. Our docent really tied all the information together well, and we could tell she really had a passion for what she was doing. I particularly enjoyed getting inside the Marquette and Field buildings. What a special treat! Thank you so very much! – Bill Birdsall