Editor’s note: Joyce and Don Wiberg, Team Wiberg, Class of 1996, immediately became active and involved at CAF after becoming docents. They gave 39 different tours. Because they won the weekly Trivia Contest so many times, Hy Speck named them “Team Wiberg” and presented them with a special trophy on the steps of the Art Institute. Enjoy their story.
Shortly after we retired
from 35 years of teaching, Joyce suggested that it might be fun volunteering as docents for CAF. We had been members for some time so it seemed natural to look into the docent program. Our applications were accepted and we were on our way. We found the docent class to be challenging but not above anything we had encountered in college. We made friends in our class and among the CAF staff. Our “instructor” Barb Hrbek, now Barbara Gordon, is still a close friend to this day.
Becoming a docent gave us a purpose in our retirement, the ability to give back and share our knowledge with others. Although we were retired, we were still in our late 50’s/early 60’s, interacting with docents who were much younger helped to keep us young.
Changes
When “Team Wiberg” first became docents, the Historic tour began at the CAF tour center and headed south toward the Auditorium and finished at the Marquette Building. One day I overheard someone say it would be better to have the tour end where it began, at the Santa Fe building, so guests would have an opportunity to shop at the CAF gift shop. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that by reversing the tour route by heading north on Michigan Avenue, west on Adams toward the Marquette building and then south on Dearborn to Congress, east toward the Auditorium building, and then north back to the Santa Fe and ultimately the gift shop; mission accomplished.
Eventually, the tour change worked and was accepted. I think this led to the Wibergs becoming tour directors for the Historic Tour. Another contribution we made was monthly Tour Tips that appeared in the Docent News. Joyce and I would research unknown facts or bits of trivia about the buildings on the Historic Tour. These tips provided little known facts about the buildings which added to the enjoyment of the guests on our tours.
Highlights
We’ve had so many highlights over the years it would be difficult to single out any one in particular. We once did the Rise of the Skyscrapers slide show presentation for a delegation from China. The delegation was made up of government officials, city planners, and other dignitaries. They were touring the U.S. and spent time in Chicago as they knew it was one of the most important cities, architecturally, in the U.S.
Another highlight that I had was conducting a special River Cruise for a couple from Greece and their two sons. While I don’t remember their names, they were booked to take a tour on the Lady Grebe, the Agra’s private yacht. The gentleman was one of Greece’s shipping magnates on a scale of Aristotle Onassis. His wife was the president of the Greek Olympic Committee and a candidate to become president of Greece. . . . I did my best to give an interesting tour but soon sensed this was more of an outing just to enjoy the sunshine and beautiful view along the river. Their teenage sons were less interested than their parents so I deviated from my commentary to perform some magic tricks for the group. This got their attention and my efforts got high praise from the family.
Another celebrity tour that I conducted was for Dream Works, a Hollywood movie production company. They were shooting Road to Perdition featuring Tom Hanks. The company had chartered Chicago’s First Lady with a lavish food buffet. I was advised by Holly Agra that the woman in charge was “very high maintenance.” I was further advised to “be on my toes” and to do the best tour ever. After the tour, the woman in charge thanked me profusely and presented me with several souvenirs related to the company.
Among the tours we became certified for was the Lakefront by Segway. We attended a trade show at McCormick Place where we first saw a Segway, human transporter. We had an opportunity to ride one in a trade show booth. It was a challenge that we readily took to. One day while talking with one of the CAF staff, we suggested that if the CAF was looking for something different for a tour we’d like to be involved. Shortly after, we got a call that a Segway store was opening in the Santa Fe building around the corner from the CAF. We met with the owner and the partnership was established. We were already the tour directors for Bike the Lakefront so it was easy to adapt that tour to the new Segway tour. Thus began what became a most unusual experience for us and those who chose to take the Segway tour.
Going the Extra Mile
Years ago, the CAF offered a Movie Palaces by Bus slide show and tour. The two docents who originated the tour were ready to step aside and suggested that the Wibergs might be interested. We were already doing a walking tour of the theater district lobbies so it was an easy decision. We readily attacked the project and made a few changes.
On the bus ride to the Tivoli Theater in Downers Grove, we played movie trivia games. . . . There was a time in movie theater history when theater owners would have various incentives to attract movie fans. One of these incentives was “Dish Night.” Patrons would be given a piece of dinnerware with every ticket purchased. We purchased miscellaneous cups, saucers, and plates at a Good Will store and wrapped them as fancy gifts. The dinnerware, along with movie candy, was awarded to winners of the trivia games. Those on the bus were thrilled.
Upon entering the Tivoli Theater, the sounds of the Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ could be heard. . . . Other movie palaces that were visited that day were the original Balaban and Katz movie theater on Chicago’s west side, the Oriental Theater, and the iconic Chicago Theater on State Street.
We volunteered for several years at the CAF Gala. We also contributed to a textbook – Schoolyards to Skylines by Jen Masengarb.
One day, after a heavy rainfall, the river was too high for the boats to fit under the bridges on the river. As a result we were forced to improvise a tour along the lakefront. We then co-wrote the original Emergency River Cruise, a permanent document that was kept in the captain’s wheelhouse for future emergencies.
So you think you’re a busy CAC docent or volunteer? Here’s the list of the tours the Wibergs have given over the years.
- Auditorium Theater Tour
- Basement Tour – Special one time tour for business executives
- Berghoff Restaurant Tour – One time tour
- Bike the Lakefront Tour
- Chicago Old and New Tour
- Chicago Theater District Tour
- Children’s Loop Tour
- Combination Historic and Modern Tour
- Devil in the White City – Power Point presentation and Bus Tour
- Downtown Deco Tour
- Harrington School of Design Tour
- Holiday Hop Tour
- Loop and Near North by Bus Tour
- Elevated Train Tour
- Elevated Train with Geoffrey Baer – One time special tour for realtors
- Frank Lloyd Wright/Oak Park Walking Tour
- Frank Lloyd Wright Bus on Tuesday and Thursday Tour
- From Log Cabin to Trump Tower Tour (River Walk I)
- Historic Skyscraper Tour
- Loop Sculpture Tour
- Modern Skyscraper Tour
- Movie Palaces by Bus Tour
- Museum Campus Tour
- Palmer House Tour
- Pedway/Skyline Tour
- Printers Row Tour
- Peggy Notebart Nature Museum Tour
- River Cruise
- Rise of the Skyscraper Power Point Presentation
- (Responsible for the Conversion of old slides to Power Point)
- River Walk II
- River Walk III
- River Walk IV
- Segway on the Lakefront Tour
- Skyscraper Express Bus/Trolley Tour
- Skyscraper Walk Through Time
- Structures: The Secret of the Skyscraper Tour
- Theater District Lobby Tour
- Tiffany on Wednesday
Always love Team Wiberg. Generous and fun. Young, young, young beyond their years.
Such a bonus to have Joyce as my certifier.
What a fascinating article, and how cool to have both husband and wife equally enthused about architecture! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful experiences as docents with us. You’re truly an inspiration!
Joyce was my mentor or coach or something when I was in training. I’ve always enjoyed seeing and hearing from both her and Don, and reading this was a fun check-in.
Superhuman! You two are certainly a power couple and great promoters of Chicago and CAC!
Remarkable story of two very charming people who gave their all to CAF, as it was known then. Thanks for the lively told story of the “career” the two of you had together.