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Kathy Baker, 2016
Amazing River Cruise tour. Can’t imagine a better experience! Our docent Kathy B was INCREDIBLE. Knowledgeable and thorough and had her explanations timed out beautifully. I was never struggling to figure out which building she was speaking about. This is a MUST for your Chicago visit. – Reece S. Los Angeles, CA

Cynthia Bates, 2016
I am writing to share how impressed I was with Cynthia Bates and the incredible Chicago River Cruise tour she gave on Monday, June 27th at 12pm. It was one of the best tours I have ever received. I will certainly recommend the tour (with Cynthia as a guide!) to anyone I know who plans to visit Chicago! As someone who works in the real estate industry the added level of knowledge provided on the tour made it stand out amongst the others. I shared a lot of what I learned with my colleagues. With appreciation, – Lori Huneke

Jane Cahill, 2005
As a visitor from the UK, this was my first time in Chicago, and I could not recommend more highly the Chicago Architecture Foundation Centre’s River Cruise. We took our cruise on the First Lady on our third day in the city, although in hindsight this should have been a first-day activity given the amount that we learned. Our guide, Jane, was incredibly knowledgeable, personable and truly made the past come to life as we cruised through the heart of this visually breathtaking city. The tour was a fully packed 90 minutes with an added bonus of your ticket also allowing a significantly reduced fee into the architecture centre museum itself. Don’t miss out on this experience! – Sophia_Canters

Dick Clark, 2008
The River Cruise is a must-do Chicago activity. The best view of the city’s astounding architecture is from the river. A very comprehensive tour, with just enough history without being overbearing – the Chicago Architecture Center’s cruise is the one to take. Dick, our well-spoken, knowledgeable docent was great. Very impressive. Worth every dollar. – Jason P San Francisco, California

Leslie Clark Lewis, 2009
Our River Cruise docent Leslie was amazing. She was so passionate about the architecture and explained everything very well. – Julia H

Bill Coffin, 2004
Bill was a fantastic docent and the Art Deco Skyscrapers: The Loop tour was exactly what I hoped for! It was a great mix of education, appreciation, and fun facts. Looking forward to doing more CAC tours!

Alice Daniele, 2019
Despite heavy rain, our River Cruise tour was a fascinating look at the history of Chicago’s architecture and it’s role in the life of the city. Alice, our guide, was highly knowledgeable, clearly passionate about the subject and highly experienced. The only place in the US where they don’t accept gratuities – a nice change from people expecting to be paid extra for doing their jobs. – Matthew A Xpu-Ha, Mexico

Rebecca Dixon, 2003
We took the Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise and we highly, highly recommend it. The docent, Rebecca, was great and we learned so much about all the famous architects who have designed buildings here. I am blown away with how many beautiful new buildings have gone up since I moved to Portland 35 years ago, the repurposing of old warehouse buildings, and all the nice restaurants and spaces next to the Chicago River. – Jan & Ray, Auburn California

Georgia Goldberg, 2012
Went on the River Cruise tour this morning with Georgia as our docent and she was phenomenal! As first-time visitors to Chicago, we could not have hoped for a better introduction to the city’s history. She was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging and stayed on the dock after the tour to answer our questions. On top of it all, she gave us the tour in the rain with no issues at all! We grabbed our umbrellas and had a great time there with her. Highly recommend this tour and thank you again to Georgia! – Ellen R

Patricia Grund, 2001
Great River Cruise! Pat was our tour guide and she was awesome. Super interesting to learn about the city and the cruise is beautiful! Lots of drink options and good seating. Highly recommend.-  amandagrace h.,WA

Tim Harris, 2019
We went on the River Cruise yesterday with our 8 years old son. Was amazing. Tim was our architectural guide, so full of knowledge and nice and funny. We did not loose our attention for 1 second. Thank you I Tim. –  Yardena S

Gloria Hinrichs-Nelson, 2016
There are many choices for Chicago river tours, but since I wanted architectural history, I had to choose the one conducted by the non-profit Chicago Architecture Center. We were not disappointed. The guide was wonderful (7:30 launch, 8/19), interspersing architectural styles with stories of the masters behind them, historical events that shaped the city, and her personal love and pride of Chicago. A most satisfying experience. When I return, I will take more of the many tours CAC gives throughout Chicago. – Aviarian Cedar Park, TX

Mary Jo Hoag, 2007
The What’s New walking tour with Mary Jo was amazing! Her passion and enthusiasm made this one stand out. The tour was well designed, informative and thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks Mary Jo! – Joe E Wellington, Florida6

Judith Kaufman, 2010
The Chicago’s First Lady Architecture River Cruise tour was nothing less than phenomenal! Our guide, Judith, was extremely knowledgeable, educating us on the history of over 60 different Chicago buildings. Unfortunately, it started to rain but that did not detract from the experience. Judith kept things fun and lively. This tour is a must for both locals and visitors alike! – William H

Bill Lee, 2005
Our River Cruise docent, Bill, was exceptional. We have been on this tour at least 3 times and were wowed at the new info we learned. He was exceptional. This was the first time on this particular tour. – Sleitch st. Pete Beach, FL

Bill Lipsman, 2009
Our First Lady River Cruse tour was outstanding!!! Bill–the retired lawyer turned docent–was knowledgeable and made the 90 minutes fly by. The thought and care in the design of the Chicago skyline came to life in his stories and perspective. – H H Scottsdale, Arizona

Doris Lucas, 2016
Excellent Walk Through Time tour of historic buildings within Chicago’s Loop. The volunteer docent, Doris, was very knowledgeable, articulate with just the right touch of humor. We highly recommend this and other tours offered by the Chicago Architecture Center. – Mark Rochefort

Betsy Mahon, 2016
I took the River Cruise last Thursday with Betsy! She was great. Everyone in our large group had such a wonderful time as she was so entertaining! I have taken this tour a number of times and have never had such fun. I have out of towners coming again and I am going to ask when she is giving another tour. – Extraordinary745268

Kelly Manteck, 2020
The Walk Through Time tour was super enjoyable, our guide Kelly was very knowledgeable about the architecture and the city and walked us through time in a very fun way! I’ve learned a lot and enjoyed the tour even more! – Alexandre L

Burt Michaels, 2019
Burt’s Historic Treasures tour was absolutely wonderful!! So full of knowledge and kindness. Learned a lot about Chicago and the architecture. – Esther M

Janet Nelson, 2009
Have to say I was recommended this River Cruise tour by the Concierge at Fairmont Hotel Millennium Park, and I am glad he did so because it was a lot of fun. I learned a lot about the history of Chicago and the buildings. The docent was very knowledgeable (I believe her name was Janice, hopefully I got that right if not I apologize). She was great! I loved her trivia questions and the little facts she would throw in. It was great and would do it again definitely with friends. – Kelser M

Lori Nelson, 2020
We took a 5:30 Sunday evening River Cruise on 8/16 with docent guide, Lori. The boat was lovely. Outdoor top deck seating that allowed great visibility to the myriad sites Lori pointed out and detailed for us. So much I didn’t know about our own city. Lori’s tour talk was a great mix of history and current information. The boat took us through the loop and up the North branch and down South to River City. As we went Lori pointed out new and old buildings. We loved learning about the styles, details and architects who helped build Chicago! – Patricia C. Elmhurst, IL

Patricia O’Connor, 2020
I have lived in Chicago for 60 plus years, and love to be a tourist in my beautiful, world class city. I take an architectural tour every year, and I know from experience that CAC is the premier choice. We had the pleasure of touring with Patricia, and she was just amazing. So articulate, knowledgeable and interesting … she just made the River Cruise so very enjoyable! It was a highlight of my summer. Support this organization! Their docents are volunteers, very well trained, love what they do, and do not accept tips! Support this fine nonprofit organization. You will be glad you did! – Mary C Yorba Linda, CA

Chris Pausch, 2019
I took a 5:30 pm River Cruise on a Saturday. It was such a lovely experience. The crew was great, but the guide was fantastic. I think his name was Chris. (Thanks, Chris!) I enjoyed learning about all the different types of buildings, the men and women behind them and how to identify them. I’ve enjoyed walking around downtown since then and being able to identify the different styles of architecture. This is a must-do activity. – Harper C San Francisco, CA

Mark Purdome, 2019
Our River Cruise guide, Mark, was very knowledgeable and gave us a great tour! There is always something to look at, and the 90 minutes goes by FAST. Our only complaint is that we wish we could have tipped our volunteer docent, Mark! He was so wonderful and created an unforgettable memory for us. Ryan G

Steve Redfield, 2019 
The River Cruise is a fantastic way to see and learn about Chicago. Guide (Steve) was very knowledgeable and engaging. – Taylor

Mitch Rosenfeld, 2016
Chicago Architect Center Tours are the BEST! Recently, my friend and I took a walking tour of Northwestern University in Evanston with Mitch from the Chicago Architect Center. We learned about the history and architecture of the east side of the campus. Due to his personal connections to NU, Mitch shared and was able to answer our questions. I have done many CAC walking tours in the suburbs and city, which have been thoroughly enjoyable and informative. Highly recommend! – Jill H Libertyville, Illinois

Marcia Ross, 1994
The CAC River Cruise – best thing to do in Chicago. Period. The docents/guides are so informative and entertaining. I have done this tour four times, and each time is different. Our docent on this voyage was Marcia, and she was absolutely terrific. The fascinating history of Chicago’s downtown is rich and comes alive through this tour. It is genuinely a fabulous time. – amkmell Phoenixville, PA

Russ Seward, 2005
The River Cruise tour was amazing. I have lived in Chicago for about 10 months now and this is the first time that I went on the architecture tour and it was absolutely wonderful. Our docent, Russ, was amazing and so funny and knowledgeable about everything. I learned so much about the city and architecture in just 90 minutes, it was incredible. It is certainly worth the money and the time, I can’t think of another way that I would have liked to spend my time. – Jake F

Matt Sheffer, 2019
This Must-See Chicago was a great tour through some of the iconic buildings in downtown Chicago. We are learning so much about this city, and though we have been downtown several times, saw some new things that were amazing. Matt, our tour guide, knew so much! This was a fun way to learn the back story to what is in the city. – Vicki A

Lisa Tallman, 2015
Lisa T is amazing. We have done this River Cruise tour before but she is by far the best I’ve seen and can’t imagine someone better than her 🙂 – Brian W Cocoa Beach, FL

Janet Volk, 2019
We had a fantastic Historic Treasures  tour with Janet. The tour took us to some of the architecture “treasures” that you might not necessarily know to look for. Janet had the perfect balance of information and storytelling that made the tour memorable for our small group. Highly recommended! – Islington185 Vancouver, Canada

Mitzi Walchak, 2003
Our River Cruise docent Mitzi was a real gem. Very knowledgeable and clearly cares about the city and it’s unique architectural history. The top deck is definitely the spot to be, even in a drizzle I refused to go below deck. I barely knew anything about Chicago in advance so it was a lovely kick start to our trip. Danielle P New York City, – NR Written August 9, 2022

Barbara Weiner, 2011
Wonderful knowledgeable Historic Treasures tour guide, Barbara Weiner, took us in and out of iconic Chicago buildings while pointing out different styles prominent through out Chicago’s history from the great Chicago Fire, up until the present. – Ineedtoknow Glencoe, IL

Claudia Winkler, 2007
What an amazing River Cruise! Claudia was a firework of information, entertaining and was able to embark everyone on the learning journey, for all level of knowledge! Phenomenal! – Jonathan B Montreal, Canada

Joan Winstein, 2012
Joan from Denver was a delight!! We live locally and take family/friends on tours when they visit and this River Cruise was one of the best. Very informative and entertaining (and the drinks on board are solid). – Theyachtsman

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