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Jim Bartholomew 2008
Fantastic and educational River Cruise tour! A MUST when visiting Chicago. If you’ll do one thing in Chicago, this is it. Jim was a great and nerdy (in a good way :)) guide! Thank you, Jim. Sganarelle_V

Cynthia Bates 2016
I had a wonderful time on a recent River Cruise with the Chicago Architecture Center, something I hadn’t done in years. I especially want to commend the docent, Cynthia, on her knowledge and presentation. The tour was packed with content, and I was deeply impressed by how much information was at Cynthia’s fingertips. I remember my first architecture cruise with CAC many years ago, and I did not learn nearly as much as now. This cruise was packed not only with architectural detail, but also the more personal details of the firms, architects, and engineers who developed Chicago’s impressive skyline. Cynthia’s delivery was excellent with the more academic details mixed expertly with the human story of how the city has come to be.  – Deborah

Ron Becker 2019
Nothing but compliments galore for this organization! I booked our tickets for the Historic Treasures tour for the next day and we got blessed with having Ron as our guide! Wow, the knowledge this super friendly man can share about a-ny-thing Chicago related is so much! I actually thought he was a history teacher in another life, lol. We learned so much that day, it was so impressive what he was able to show and tell us in only 2 hours. Ron was very patient and very kind. So go find out about those hidden treasures if you visit Chicago; I am happy we didn’t miss out! Thanks so much Ron and CAC!! – DutchNellieNel Toronto, Canada

Mary Jane Beechen 2016
We had a very interesting tour of Art Deco Skyscrapers – Loop buildings. Mary Ann, our guide, was very knowledgeable and clearly explained the features of the buildings and history. –  Andrew_G

Tom Carmichael 2007
Very informative -Chicago Icons tour – a visit inside and outside of buildings I would not normally have noticed. Concise yet thorough. I learned a lot! Tom was an insightful and knowledgeable guide.

Rebecca Dixon 2003
Amazing! Rebecca was our Magnificent Mile tour guide and she was absolutely fabulous! We learned so much about Chicago architecture and history. Rebecca was very engaging and extremely informative- we highly recommend the Magnificent Mile tour for anyone visiting or residing in Chicago. You’ll have a great time and learn a lot! – Matthew Z

David Ferguson 2020
On the cusp of a winter storm, our amazing Walk Thru Time tour guide, David, carried on with a top notch walking tour of key historical architectural developments of the city. Though we’re from the area and been to the city many times, we learned so much new information to enrich our experience in Chicago. – Allison_M

Delta Greene 2008
We really enjoyed the Elevated Architecture: Downtown ‘L’ Train tour route and learning about the architecture from an elevated train viewpoint. Our tour guide Delta was just the cutest and very knowledgeable. The 2 hours of walking and sitting on the trains go very fast. Overall, an EXCELLENT TOUR! I highly recommend. Great job Delta!! – T.Michelle

Joni Hirsch Blackman 2013
This River Cruise was extraordinary. Our docent, Joni, was a third-generation Chicagoan and clearly loved talking about her city and describing its evolving architecture. She spoke eloquently and clearly for 90 minutes without pausing and without referring to any notes. The cruise broadened immensely my cultural horizons.  – Rich B

Mary Jo Hoag 2007
This River Cruise was an outstanding experience. Our guide on the ship (Mary Jo Hoag) is one of a large number of special-trained volunteers from the Chicago Architectural Society. She knew a lot and knew how to communicate it. She was full of enthusiasm and the talk was full of humor. Unlike professional guides on cruises run by other companies, she was doing it for the love of it. Since there were many volunteers, all of whom wanted to do the job, she only did it once every week, instead of having to do it five times a day. (Professional guides have to do their talks so often that they usually get bored with them.). You see many wonderful buildings, learn about Chicago and its architecture and have a wonderful time. This is a great thing to do, a lot of fun and a good way to learn about Chicago.  – William O

Tom Lenz 2020
The Chicago Icons tour was with the Chicago Architecture Centre and our guide was Tom. Outstanding experience and Tom was the reason. His knowledge was excellent and it was clear he had extensive understanding of the past architects and their work. Picked great position’s to stop and compare buildings. Flexible and great at making conversation. Highly recommended. Great value for money and I will definitely do another tour on my next visit.  – Gerry M Acton, UK

Amanda Lewis 2019
This Elevated Architecture: Downtown ‘L’ Train tour was fabulous. It was a cold rainy day but Amanda gave me a wonderful one on one experience, regaling me with stories of Charles Tyson Yerkes, the schemer behind the creation and unification of the elevated train. We admired the varied architecture from the platforms, from 1870 to present, as well as the transformation over the years. This was my second tour this week (Treasure of the Golden Age). If you like to know the history and how the city grew, the CAC offers you the best information and lots of humorous stories. I highly recommend any of the tours with the knowledgeable docents!  – wanderingspirit2016 Ontario, Canada

Kelly Manteck 2020
Kelly, our River Cruise tour guide, explained Chicago’s architecture and history in a memorable way. It would be great, however, for cold and windy days especially, to have a video camera that displays in the bottom part of the boat. Since Kelly’s also an architecture photographer, I’m sure she could film the tour herself as well. Go Kelly! – Ryogi

Burt Michaels 2019
Burt was an awesome Historic Treasures guide. I’ve lived in Chicago 15 years and saw things I’ve never noticed before. We’ll worth the time. – Liz F

Mark Purdome 2019
Great experience, our River Cruise tour guide Mark was beyond knowledgeable. Provided lots of information, not only about architecture but City’s history as well. Mark, the building I made reference to Riverview condominiums is called portofino south pointe. – Cesar S

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