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Jim Bartholomew 2008 or Jim Javorcic 1999

River Cruise, July 2023

Jim, our tour guide gave us so much fabulous information about architecture and Chicago history! The 90 mile minute tour passed so quickly, and the service on the boat was exceptional. I highly recommend this tour. Kim B

Jim Bartholomew 2008 or Jim Javorcic 1999

River Cruise, July 2023

Not only is Chicago the best City in the world we were lucky enough to have the best architecture tour speaker Jim!! I absolutely recommend this tour, this city, and Jim!!! Thank you so much!! jadyn r

Betsy Berman 2013 or Betsy Mahon 2016

River Cruise, July 2023

The immense beauty and diversity of the Chicago architecture and the river was amazing! Also, our docent, Patsy (sic) was wonderful! Thanks so much for an all-in-all great time! Cynthia B G

Sandy Bredine 2001 or Sandy Guettler 2003

River Cruise, July 2023

Sandy was an exceptional tour guide, and this is coming from a local! The Chicago Architecture Center boat tour is known as being the best of the best, and even though I’ve lived in the city for more than 15 years, I always learn something new every time I take this tour. Experiencing the views of Chicago from the river is a MUST and nobody knows more about the architecture here than the CAC! The double-decker boats themselves are nice and also have bar service! Excellent all-around!! JamesandKatieAndrews Chicago, IL

Mark Campbell 2023, Mark Lenhart 2023, or Mark Purdome 2019

River Cruise, July 2023

The cruise is just amazing. If there is one thing you should do while visiting Chicago, this is it. We booked the 7:30pm tour which gave us both the day and night view of the buildings. Mark did an outstanding job explaining the architecture along the way. Highly recommended. Ronaldo A Miami, FL

Mark Campbell 2023, Mark Lenhart 2023, or Mark Purdome 2019

River Cruise, July 2023

Mark was amazing! Very friendly and informative! Highly recommend!! The night cruise is beautiful. I enjoyed it immensely. Er48

Mark Campbell 2023, Mark Lenhart 2023, or Mark Purdome 2019

River Cruise,July 2023

The views were amazing. Mark was great telling the history of these great architects buildings. Thank you for the history. Olga N

Tom Carmichael 2007, Tom Savick 2008, or Tom Stelmack 2017

River Cruise, July 2023

We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, such a nice vibe – it was super interesting to listen to Tom explain what makes Chicago unique. Ana T

Tom Carmichael 2007, Tom Savick 2008, or Tom Stelmack 2017

River Cruise, July 2023

My wife always wanted to take this tour. I thought it would be a very good idea. Having now done it, she saw it as the highlight of our trip to Chicago, and I now have an enormous interest in urban buildings. Our docent, Tom, was exceptionally knowledgeable about downtown Chicago and its buildings, and full of history about how the city developed. We recommend this tour highly. Jim O Tucson, AZ

Tom Carmichael 2007, Tom Savick 2008, or Tom Stelmack 2017

River Cruise, July 2023

Tom was an incredible guide. This is my third time doing this tour and I have never been more interested and captivated than I was this time. His into was like a preview to an action movie.

Well spoken, well thought out, and clearly educated on the matter. I couldn’t be more happy with my experience. Marc E

Steve Gersten 2003, Steve Haddad 2020, or Steve Redfield 2019

River Cruise, May 2023

I can’t recommend this tour highly enough. Our guide, Steve, was amazingly informative and told us so much about the buildings and about Chicago history. Even if you’re not very interested in architecture it’s a fun tour and a great way to see Chicago. Jean C Carmichael

Steve Gersten 2003, Steve Haddad 2020, or Steve Redfield 2019

River Cruise, May 2023

We loved this tour, very professional and informative yet fun! Our tour guide Steve was great, easy to hear, and understand, despite some of the loud noises traveling underneath the awesome bridges. We learned so much about Chicago history and the buildings that surround it. Jackie Dunkirk, MD

Steve Gersten 2003, Steve Haddad 2020, or Steve Redfield 2019

River Cruise, May 2023

Best tour of the bunch! This tour is led by volunteers who care about the history of the city and its marvelous buildings. Steve was very experienced and enthusiastic! Ginger F

Bill Hayden 2020, Bill Lee 2005, or Bill Lipsman 2009

River Cruise

July 2023

Our docent/tour guide was Bill. Highly recommend. His knowledge of architecture and his stories were fascinating. He even gave us a suggestion for after our tour – go see the Chicago Tribune building, whose exterior walls have historical artifacts from all 50 states and around the world, embedded in them. That was a great tip! RoadtripSeattle

Bob Levy 2023, Bob Pratt 2019, or Bob Sutter 2019

River Cruise, July 2023

Bob was amazing! You can tell the passion and love he has for Chicago! His storytelling was captivating and you could listen for hours! Do not miss this incredible time. Ana Claudia D

Kathy Baker 2016

River Cruise, June 2023

Great Tour. An hour and a half went by really quickly. Our docent Kathy was fascinating! She was so interesting- she knew so much about the architecture of the buildings and she kept our interest. The Chicago skyline is quite beautiful. We had booked the 4 pm tour and it was just perfect. I totally recommend this if you are in the Chicago area! Laura P Massapequa, NY

Cynthia Bates 2016

River Cruise, May 2023

We visited Boston from San Francisco. We did the Architecture River Tour on Thursday and Cynthia was our docent, she did a phenomenal job, we really enjoyed the knowledge she shared and the humor. Thank you Cynthia, we will be back! Carine

Cynthia Bates 2016

River Cruise, July 2023

The Chicago Architecture Center tours are renowned worldwide for their excellence and this tour was no exception. Cynthia, our guide for the cruise, was fantastic. She wore her enormous learning lightly! Comprehensive but entertaining, Cynthia made it a great experience! Road20551671303

Phil Bierman 2023

River Cruise, July 2023

Phil, our guide, was terrific..even this was his first trip. The sites in Chicago were magnificent. Great way to see city! ElayneLosGatos Santa Ynez, CA

Lauren Bobich, 2023

River Cruise, July 2023

This was my third time to take this tour and it’s been fun to see how it’s a little different each time depending on the guide. This time the guide was a structural engineer. We highly recommend this tour done by the Chicago Architecture Center – guides are volunteers (no tipping) who are doing it because they love the buildings and history and the ticket sales support the Center’s work. It’s fascinating to hear about the buildings, architecture, city history and it’s fun to understand/appreciate what you see as you look around. cfergTexas

Rene Cantu 2023

What’s New, June 2023

This tour exceeded all expectations! René was very informed on all of the history, architects and architectural styles of the area. Will definitely be coming back for more! Andrea P

Monica Caparosa 2023

River Cruise, July 2023

What a lovely, delightful and informative tour by Monica Caparosa! It was her second and her enthusiasm was unmatched! Must see your when you are in Chicago!!!!!! Adetolani O

Kathleen Carpenter 2006

River Cruise, June 2023

Casey’s Top 10 ROCKS! Casey was amazing! So much knowledge shared. I loved learning the history of each building and the area. Jill C

Hau Chyi 2015

River Cruise, July 2023

Hau was a great docent, humorous and knowledgeable. He did well, despite inclement weather during part of our trip. I learned a lot and really enjoyed it. Highly recommend! MarleneM Novato, CA

Emily Clott 2012

River Cruise, July 2023

A fun way for our group to learn about the river & buildings of Chicago. Loved our docent Emily, she was both passionate and knowledgeable! Claudine Mcnult Owings, MD

Alice Daniele 2019

River Cruise, June 2023

Great tour and Alice the docent was wonderful and full of information. We did the sunset cruise at 7:30 so we saw the sunset and the lights go on in Chicago. GEORGE K

Rebecca Dixon 2003

River Cruise, July 2023

Excellent!!!! Our guide was Rebecca. She was knowledgeable about all of Chicago’s architecture and history. Highly recommend for an educational or fun experience and unique way to see Chicago. Beth G

Sylvia Dunbeck 1987

River Cruise, July 2023

Silvia was a delightful tour guide. I loved the history surrounding the different buildings old and new. She had a great personality and you could tell she was very proud and passionate about telling the story of Chicago. Andy W. Southeast, Denver, CO

Anne Findlay 2023

River Cruise, July 2023

Our Tour Guide Ann (sic) was excellent! Very informative and amazing views! I would recommend doing this tour. Lois L

Kent Foutty 2009

River Cruise, May 2023

Loved this tour so much! I believe our guide was called Kent. So so fantastic, would absolutely recommend this to everyone visiting Chicago. We also had several locals tell us this is the best of all river cruises. Jessica F Montreal, Canada

Lance Friedmann 2015

River Cruise, July 2023

Lance was awesome and taught us so much during the tour. We had done the tour a few years back but Lance did a great job introducing new fun details- it is obvious how passionate he and the CAC are about Chicago’s history and proud of the eclectic architecture. I cannot recommend it more as it is a wonderful way to enjoy the city and energy. Rich M

Susan Frost 

CAC@Home – River Cruise Stories You May Not Hear, May 2023

John Ivory: Fantastic presentation–very interesting and great photos!

Mike Betzel: wow! awesome ending! chilling!

Desiree Tucker-Sorini: This is so fabulous!!!

Elisabeth Knipple: Love these stories!!!!!

Mike Betzel: thank you all for your awesome stories!

Daniel Jares: Thanks for the interesting presentations!

Kimberly Kanakes: all wonderful stories!

Justine Corday: A fabulous program!

Margaret Collins: Wonderfully fun and informative presentations!!! I hope CAC will continue to do these on-line seminars for members, like me, who do not live in the Chicago area.

Elizabeth Peterson Hall Household: Excellent stories! Thank you both for the research and digging you put into the stories and sharing them with us in such an engaging manner!

Priscilla Gil 2019

River Cruise, July 2023

There are lots of TOUR pretenders in Chicago. This is the REAL ARCHITECTURAL TOUR. This most recent tour was the second tour boat with this tour group (out of three tours over the past several years). The historical perspective is invaluable and most important. Our guide Priscilla spoke clearly, articulated well and used language that is easy to understand with passion and skill without any political nonsense too. I highly recommend this tour group. Robert S Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Delta Greene 2008

Historic Treasures, July 2023

Took the Historic Treasures of Chicago’s Golden Age tour the other day and it was great. It covers buildings and their indoor treasures from 1890 to 1930, and if you have the slightest interest in architecture and history this definitely is the tour for you, whether you are just visiting Chicago or living here. I went with my 22-yo daughter and we enjoyed every minute with our fantastic tour guide, Delta. So many fantastic buildings, in different styles, interesting facts and memorable stories, while walking along Michigan Avenue towards the loop. Highly recommended as all the other Architecture Center Tours I’ve taken. Tora L Naperville, IL

Steve Haddad 2020

River Cruise, July 2023

This is a must for out of town visitors…so as a Chicagoan I’ve taken it many times. The latest with Steve H was outstanding! He never missed a beat, and gave information I hadn’t heard before. Wow! Funny, informative, and interesting…many thanks! Bookslut Chicago, IL

Joni Hirsch Blackman 2013

River Cruise, July 2023

Fantastic tour that’s worth every penny. Joni was a great tour guide. We especially loved all of her journalism architecture information. Diamond was also wonderful. Will definitely do this tour again. Becky J

Mary Jo Hoag 2007

River Cruise, June 2023

A brilliant way to learn about the amazingly interesting g architecture of Chicago. A fabulously interesting and (not-for-profit so it benefits others) tour. Mary was a fantastic tour guide (docent) and shared her in-depth knowledge in an interactive and amusing way. Highly recommend this tour for anyone who is visiting Chicago and hoping to learn more about this amazing city. Shane K Dublin, Ireland

Brent Hoffmann 2005

Must-See Chicago, May 2023

Brent Hoffman was a great guide! Gave us a lot of great information and was quite humorous. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Jie L

John Ivory 2023

Historic Treasures, July 2023

John I was great. The tour includes a set of headphones which is great because you can look around and step a little further to admire the beautiful architecture. Emm730 Fort Lauderdale, FL

Dan Johnson 2016

River Cruise, July 2023

I have been on this tour several times but it is different every time. The tour guides are volunteer docents from the Architecture Center. This time we had Dan J. Excellent!! I learn something new every time because they compose their own lectures. We always take out of town friends for an interesting view and history of Chicago. Can’t recommend enough. ChicagoMlk Chicago

Judith Kaufman 2010

River Cruise, June 2023

Judith the docent was awesome! She loves the city and kept the tour interesting. Architecture was beautiful. S V

Sann Knipple 2023

River Cruise, June 2023

Sann was an amazing guide. The boat and crew was lovely too. Architecture and the views and experience was fantastic! Travis L

Amanda Lewis 2019

River Cruise July 2023

Amanda was amazing!!!! Such a beautiful tour!!!! She took my company’s picture as well right in front of the Chicago skyline… forever thankful. We will be back. Iris P

Terry Light 2023

Historic Treasures, July 2023

Terry gave us an exceptional tour experience. He moved at a casual pace and made sure group was comfortable on out hot day. Gloria D

Larry Mages 2011

Chicago Icons, July 2023

Great overview of buildings along the riverfront and in the Loop. We’ve taken several CAC walking tours, and really enjoyed this one with Larry, a docent who deeply knows his architecture and history. It is about 2 hours long. We enjoyed seeing many different styles of buildings, learning about their influences, and being able to walk inside a few of them. We are from Chicago and it’s very worth buying the annual membership to go on as many of these walking tours as possible. sshah17 Chicago, IL

Kelly Manteck 2020

River Cruise, June 2023

What an amazing tour! Kelly was a fabulous tour guide! I could take this tour over and over. Such incredible architecture and Kelly had so much knowledge! A+++ Scottie J

Janet Nelson 2009

River Cruise, July 2023

Eleanor and Sonja, 

Last night we took guests on the River Boat Cruise at 7:30. Although, we take the cruise every year, we always discover something new about our fine city, and how we can keep bragging about the architecture. Our guests from Bentonville loved it too! Jan, your docent, was superb. She even started singing Chicago, Chicago, My Kind of Town. The CAC truly helps put Chicago on the international travel map. Thank you. Sincerely, Connie Fairbanks Twiss

Patricia O’Connor 2020

River Cruise, June 2023

Excellent tour! Patricia was an amazing tour guide, very informative. We learned so much about Chicago’s history and its architecture. Highly recommend this tour company! Missy

Chris Pausch 2019

River Cruise, July 2023

The cruise was fun, informative, a perfect break from all the walking in Chicago. We enjoyed Chris’s knowledge as well as his humor. Great job! Very enjoyable and a definite must-do for visitors to the city. A great way to learn more about all the incredible architecture. Tammy M

Bob Pratt 2019

River Cruise, July 2023

Such a unique and informative way to tour beautiful Chicago. Shout out to guide Bob Pratt for an amazing experience. Timothy B

Mark Purdome 2019

River Cruise, June 2023

Great tour experience today with the crew of the First Lady. Our Captain Diamond gave us smooth sailing and our guide Mark was awesome. He seemed like the smartest person in Chicago. Thanks for a great trip for me and my guest! Expedition606234

Constance Rajala 2008

River Cruise, July 2023

My husband, 14-year-old nephew and I had a great time on the Chicago Architecture Center’s evening river cruise. We lucked into a fabulous guide named Constance, who kept everyone riveted. I have such an appreciation now for Chicago as a city, and plan to do as Constance suggested and learn about the architecture in my own city. Plus, watching the city lights come alive from a boat was pretty dazzling. Jen R Durango

Mitch Rosenfeld 2016

Northwestern University, May 2023

I went on the Northwestern University tour yesterday. The guide, Mitch, was very good. We saw quite a bit of a very large campus on a 2+ hour tour. Some of the areas of campus were unexpectedly closed for an event when we were there, and Mitch worked around the closings to include as much as he could of his normal tour. He provided us with a lot of interesting information about the architecture and history of the campus. I have been on several walking tours now with the Chicago Architecture Center, and they have been uniformly good. Very impressed with the knowledge and dedication of the docents who lead them. Cathy R. River Forest, IL

Marcia Ross 1994

River Cruise, July 2023

This boat tour was by far one of the best guided tours that I’ve ever taken. Our docent Marsha (sic) provided so much information about the history of Chicago and the architectural significance of the developments along the river. It was worth every penny and I would highly recommend it to friends and family. Marguerite L

Alison Schlickman 2015

River Cruise, May 2023

I am from Chicago born and raised this tour was fabulous. I learned so much from our tour guide Corky (sic) Alison. She kept me wanting more information about the buildings, architects and history. Maybe it was her personal touch or her corky jokes but I am planning bringing my whole family this summer! Sandy P

Nancy Schwab 2011

Must-See Chicago, July 2023

The walking tour was led by a very knowledgeable and helpful guide, Nancy. She answered any and all questions with enthusiasm and made it one of the best tours in Chicago. She added many tips and information that the average person would not know about architecture. It was an excellent choice guided by an expert who took time to explain minute details of the city’s interesting buildings and types of architecture through the years. A must for those interested in history, as well. Excellent! D L

Russ Seward 2005

River Cruise, June 2023

Great tour. It was so information packed that I could do it again. Great time with family and friends Thanks Russ. David J

Matt Sheffer 2019

Historic Treasures, July 2023

I lived in Chicago many years and am familiar with the buildings. On this tour I was happy to learn so much about the buildings’ architecture and history. Our tour guide Matt was fantastic. I will definitely do more tours with the Chicago Architecture Center. Sunshine786446

Ellen Shubart 2006

Riverwalk East, July 2023

Ellen, Thank you for your time and tour this past Saturday with the Park Tour 2023 group from Mexico. Your knowledge and enthusiasms, and custom crafted messaging and sharing of information for this group was superb. Thank you for the work you do in service to our City, and I look forward to running into you in the future on the Chicago Riverwalk! Tim

Ronnie Jo Sokol 2006

River Cruise, June 2023

This tour was on my to-do list for our one day in Chicago. Our docent, Ronnie Jo, was extremely knowledgeable about the history of all the buildings we passed along the river. Despite the chilly misty weather, it was still best to sit up top where she presented so as not to miss anything (except for the tops of a couple of buildings due to low hanging clouds). A great tour! elciep Cary, N

Paula Tironi 2023

What’s New, July 2023

Our docent, Paula, was extremely knowledgeable, and full of fun and interesting stories about the buildings and little parks we saw. I was especially interested in hearing about the sustainability of the buildings, what is being done to protect birds, and about the amazing amenities of some of the residential buildings. We got to see a part of the city we hadn’t spent much time in before and learned about other tours we want to take. The tour was an hour and a half, and the time flew by! Allison and Geo… W

Maureen Waller 2023

Historic Treasures, July 2023

Maureen was amazing. Very knowledgeable and we had a terrific time. The tour was well paced and the intercom devices really helped when we were out on the street. Rodic Davidson

Peter Weil 2015

Historic Skyscrapers, July 2023

WONDERFUL walking tour with Peter (Tour guide from CAC)!!! The tour was insightful and Peter was so pleasant, he was knowledgeable and had such a great sense of humour!! It was one of my Chicago visit highlights! Sara S

Mike Weiland 1984

River Cruise, July 2023

Wonderful Boat Trip. Mike the Map Maker was top notch in his knowledge of the city and the architecture. We took the 7:30 PM trip and it ends at sunset and is just spectacular. NathalieA123 New York City, NY 

Gary Wenzel 2016

River Cruise, May 2023

Gary, you were great! This boat tour is a do not miss Chicago experience. The architecture, the history WOW! Learned so much, saw even more. Deborah C

Written May 20, 2023

Claudia Winkler 2007

River Cruise, July 2023

I’ve taken the boat tour 4 times and loved each one…we always lucked out with perfect weather, which is important. The last one I took was the Chicago’s First Lady Cruise which is done by the fantastic Chicago Architecture Society. We boarded at the SE corner of the Michigan Ave Bridge at 112 E Wacker Dr. This tour was by far the best and our docent, Claudia, was amazing. She knew EVERYTHING and had so much interesting info. I totally recommend that people select this boat tour. Wendy from Bethlehem

Former Teacher (no name given, but you know who you are.)

River Cruise, July 2023

The trip covers very in depth details of the buildings and the person we had had incredible knowledge about the buildings on the tour. These people are volunteer workers hence not paid and are not allowed to accept tips, just unheard of in the US, so these people are incredibly dedicated to Chicago and it’s history. He had been a teacher, but was driven by the architecture of the city. We were recommended this trip by a young man we talked to on the train from the airport, to which he said these were the best tours and 90 mins long. I would agree that this was money well spent, if you are interested in the development of the city since the first people took up home here. David M

 

 

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