Cynthia Bates, 2016
Incredible River Cruise tour led by Cynthia Bates today. Highly recommend for anyone visiting Chicago!
Rebecca Dixon, 2003
Rebecca was an awesome River Cruise guide! She truly knows the architecture of Chicago. I highly recommend Chicago’s First Lady. – R H
Debra Campbell, 2011
This was one of the best narrated River Cruises I have ever purchased. Simply excellent. The narrator – Debra is a passionate lover of architecture. I honestly signed up to accommodate my son who mentioned the cruise. I have new eyes now to identify architectural styles as well as the motivation to even pay attention. Well done!!! – Natalie M
Kathleen Carpenter, 2006
Kacey was a great River Cruise guide and very informative. The cruise was very relaxing and the architect was beautiful. The weather was perfect. – Shawn Lynn Kansas City, Missouri
Dick Clark, 2008
It was an excellent River Cruise experience that I truly recommend for visitors and natives to learn about Chicago history. Our guide was Dick, who had a wealth of knowledge about the city, the architecture and the reasons for the designs. I could have spoken with him for hours. The city and the buildings sell themselves without any comment. The tour is great for people who are familiar with Chicago because it provided history and context for some many sites that we take for granted. For example, I finally understood how the Chicago River was reversed and the size of the 1871 Chicago fire. It also exposed places that are not easily seen from the road, such as riverside residences. – Walter A. Washington, DC
Emily Clott, 2012
Great River Cruise tour! Fantastic views of the city! The architecture is beautiful. Emily, our tour guide, was full of fun facts and super friendly! Would highly recommend doing this 90 minute tour! Kara S
Bill Coffin, 2004
Bill gave us a great tour of Chicago’s Art Deco offerings! Very informative and pleasant to chat with. – Steven B
Alice Daniele, 2019
The boat tour was very cool and fun. You got to learn about a lot of buildings. You got to learn about a lot of architecture. It is a very cool experience. I liked how you got to learn about how the buildings stood the wind. Our tour guide Alice explained everything so well. The boat itself was very nice. The boat tour was very cool. Review by Caroline (10 years old) – Mobile, Alabama
Wayne Galasek, 2005
Fabulous River Cruise tour–I cannot believe how many buildings were highlighted during our tour! We had perfect weather, which made for a delightful morning. Our docent Wayne was incredible–he educated us on the history and architectural significance on an incredible number of buildings and interjected the perfect amount of humor. I sat with rapt attention during the entire tour. I highly recommend! Paige F. Tuckahoe, VA
Steve Gersten, 2003
Wonderful River Cruise floating program, with riveting narration by docent Steve. Easy access, comfortable seating, great all the way around. Bring sunscreen and a hat! – KO2027 Phoenix, Arizona
Georgia Goldberg, 2012
This is a must DO!! We had Georgia as our River Cruise guide, and she was amazing!! The cruise was 90 minutes and she explained so much to us about the history of the buildings. When you see them up close you can really take it all in as she explains the different shapes and why they are that way! Fabulous time!! – Cosmopolitan696305
Delta Greene, 2008
I did a new tour called What’s New in Chicago. Great! The docent, Delta, was wonderful. I have also done almost all the tours, always 4 or 5 stars. -Wanderer713492
Tim Harris, 2019
Tim was our River Cruise our guide and he was fantastic! The boat was clean and the ride was smooth. We learned a bunch about architecture (as expected) and history of the area. It was rainy and cold, but still worth the experience. Rebecca B.Elite Nashua, NH
Mary Jo Hoag, 2007
The whole River Cruise experience was wonderful! Easy reservations…enjoyed on-board cocktails…we had a nice, smooth ride. Our guide, Mary Jo, was outstanding!! She shared a thorough overview of architecture and Chicago history, presented extremely well with knowledge and professionalism…and upbeat wit and humor! – Adele C
Brent Hoffmann, 2005
Excellent Tour for anyone on their first visit to the Windy City. Our Must-See Chicago guide, Brent, was very knowledgeable and entertaining. – Linda T Chevy Chase, MD
Betsy Jenkins, 2016
It was an extraordinary Art Deco Skyscrapers Riverfront tour and Betsy, our tour guide, gave us lots of Information about Art Deco, like what it’s about, and its character and unique style. We can highly recommend this tour. – sophathie Hamburg, Germany
Wayne Johnson, 2016
Wonderful River Cruise tour. Packed with clear, relevant, and interesting information, very ably and entertainingly presented by a tour guide named Wayne. He was a volunteer docent, but as good as, or even better than, most professional tour guides I’ve encountered. – Phil M
Judith Kaufman, 2010
Definitely do the evening River Cruise. The sun is down and you can see the buildings better. The docent, Judith, was extremely knowledgeable about the city and explained the history and the architectural designs. I would strongly suggest this tour. – Peter K Woodbury, Minnesota
Quentin Kossnar, 2019
Our Elevated Architecture: Downtown ‘L’ Train tour guide Quintin was awesome!! His passion and knowledge for architecture and Chicago history shined on this tour. – Melissa H
Amanda Lewis, 2019
Amanda was a very good leader with a lot of interesting information on the Historic Treasures of Chicago’s Golden Age tour. . She was well informed and very pleasant.
Leslie Clark Lewis, 2009
My mother, daughter and I went on the Gold Coast Dearborn Street walking tour with Leslie in July. She was great informative knowledgeable and adjusted the tour to make sure my mom who uses a walker would be walking easily safely and reduced the back and forth across the streets to make my mom and our experience so enjoyable. Can’t say enough good things about Leslie the tour and organization. Keep up the great work. – Michele E Chicago, Illinois
Bill Lipsman, 2009
The Historic Treasures of Chicago’s Golden Age tour was very enjoyable. Highly recommend it for anybody with an interest in architecture or Chicago history. The guide, Bill Lipsman, was wonderful. He’s a natural teacher: informative, funny, charming. – Margaret Fairfax, CA
Kelly Manteck, 2020
The Walk Through Time tour was a very enjoyable experience! A very interesting and informative tour, a great introduction to the city for a tourist. Our guide Kelly was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the buildings and architects. Would definitely recommend to everyone. – Eilís B
Burt Michaels,. 2019
on a walking tour of Astor Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast. Burt was very knowledgeable and entertaining. He answered all questions thoroughly! Would highly recommend. – Discover413206
Chris Pausch 2019
This was an impressive River Cruise tour. Our guide was a volunteer name Chris. Very interesting stories, great timeline, amazing sense of humor. Highly recommended! – Eugenevs San Bruno2
Liz Peterson Hall, 2019
Enjoyed this very interesting architecture walk through the beautiful Chicago suburb of Kenilworth. Our docent showed us many highlights of historic mansions and we learned a lot about the history of the town, the architects and wealthy families of its early days and of course the various styles of architecture. – Adventure00632118374 Wilmette, Illinois
Bob Pratt, 2019
We had Bob as our River Cruise guide and he was very knowledgeable and entertaining! The drinks on board were good, but not as fantastic as the tour itself. We had incredible weather and couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend an hour and a half in the city! Highly recommend! – Cindi Q. Monticello, IL
Mark Purdome, 2019
A great sunset River Cruise tour with Mark! So much information to go with the Great Lake views. This was our second architectural tour on trips to Chicago, and it remains some of the best money you can spend in the city. This and our tour of the FLW Robie house were the highlights of our trip.
Steve Redfield. 2019
This was an incredible experience. Steve, the docent who led our tour, was a very engaging speaker and so knowledgeable. I know nothing about architecture but left understanding a lot about the design of different buildings. It was a beautiful, relaxed 90 minute master course. – Megan M. Chatham-Kent, Canada
Mitch Rosenfeld, 2016
Mitch led the architecture walk through Evanston’s Northwestern University. Excellently led and very informative. I learned a lot!! Another wonderful CAC walking tour.- Roberta B Oswego, Illinois
Suzy Ruder, 2019
Suzy was an amazing and informative tour guide. We went on the What’s New walking tour. My daughter is an architecture student found the information very useful. I loved how the information given was in depth enough for her to learn, but accessible for me to grasp! This is our second year touring with the Chicago Architecture Center. Their descriptions of what to expect from the tour is spot on and the center itself is dynamic and always changing. – Dana R
Russ Seward, 2005
Beautiful sunny day – the breeze was wonderful. Russ was an exceptional River Cruse docent. So many interesting stories and facts. So much knowledge! Really appreciated that he was up to date on what’s coming. Our group of 6 had a great time. – FellowTraveler473788
Joan Stewart, 2010
On Thursday, July 21st, we took the Hotel Boom tour with Joan. It was an interesting tour focusing on adaptive re-use of historic buildings that have been re-purposed as hotels. Joan explained the history of each building and the creativity and expense that went into changing each into a beautiful hotel. Favorites were: the Hampton Inn in the former Chicago Motor Club, the Virgin Hotel in the former Old Dearborn Bank and Pendry in the Carbide & Carbon Building. – nancy s Woodstock, Illinois
Bob Sutter, 2019
I recently had one of your docents do a program for me. He wouldn’t take a fee but asked me to make a donation instead. Happy to do that. Thank you. Bob Sutter.
Janet Volk, 2019
Janet did an amazing job showing us the Historic Treasures of Chicago’s Golden Age. I would recommend this tour to anyone from or visiting Chicago! – 5/5 stars! Giacomo G
Mitzi Walchak, 2003
This River Cruise was fabulous. Our docent, Mitzi, was extremely knowledgeable and, easy to follow and understand. Her aesthetic comments enhanced the experience & she shared a great deal of interesting history plus a few great vignettes. This is the third or fourth time I’ve been on this river boat tour over the years and they’ve always been great. (Full disclosure-I am related to this docent by marriage.) – JMBerg
Barbara Weiner, 2011
What a wonderful day we had! The Uptown guide was terrific and paced everything perfectly for us. Saw so many things – some new, some seen before, but always learning new info and nuances of information not known before. The weather couldn’t have been more beautiful for the outdoor walking. Being back in Chicago after 3 years and sharing the morning/early afternoon with those who attended really brought back my love for being in Chicago – the energy, the beauty, the friendships, etc.
Jessica Williams, 2017
Fantastic experience of Chicago from the river. Jessica gave us a great architectural overview. I want to know so much more. – Trisha
Brendan Wilson, 2019
Wow! An incredible view of Chicago we had never seen before. Being on the River Cruise for an evening tour was a perfect ending to a busy day. And a special shout out to our guide, Brendan, for sharing information on a topic he clearly loves and is passionate about sharing with others. Highly recommended! – Connie Troy, Michigan
Claudia Winkler 2007
I had taken this River Cruise tour over 10 years ago on my first trip to Chicago. It was my favorite activity then and it was just as good this time around. Our docent, Claudia, was very informative and passionate about her city and the fantastic architecture. We had a perfect day for the cruise with sunny skies and cool breezes. The river provides fantastic views. We learned a lot and had fun! – Kristen S Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Can the kudos get any better? So fortunate to work along side such talented volunteers and many more who are not mentioned in this list! . Suzy Ruder