Kathy Baker, 2016
The River Cruise is is an excellent way to see Chicago and learn about the history. Our guide, Kathy, was so knowledgeable and easy to listen to. Would highly recommend. – LuckyFilly Louisville, KY
Jim Bartholomew, 2008
Great River Cruise tour! Loved Jim . He knows a lot – former teacher! Recommended for anyone who lives in or is visiting Chicago. – Peter J Chicago, IL
Rebecca Bathke, 2013
Incredible River Cruise. If you want to sit back and relax while you hear about all the fascinating architecture Chicago has to offer, this is the way to go. Rebecca was our guide, and I tell you, she really knew her stuff. She explained things in a way that really made you want to listen. It is only 1.5 hours. Highly recommend. Cheryl P. – Ormond Beach, FL
Mary Jane Beechen, 2016
Mary Jane was an amazing tour guide on our Art Deco Skyscrapers Loop tour. I would highly recommend the tour. Now I have to do the boat tour. – Patricia M.
Josh Brickman, 2017
Our Walk Through Time guide, Josh, is a structural engineer, and told us all sorts of interesting things about how skyscrapers are designed and built. He was interesting and knowledgeable and gives a great tour. I highly recommend the CAC, their walking tours, and Josh in particular.
Jane Cahill, 2005
I cannot imagine a better introduction to the city of Chicago than the River Cruise aboard the First Lady. These 90-minute tours are conducted by volunteer docents trained by the Chicago Architecture Foundation Center. Jane, the docent for our trip, was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging. Her talk combined insights about Chicago’s world-famous architecture with historical anecdotes, contextualizing the built environment and making the city’s stunning skyline accessible to those who, like me, have little understanding of architecture. The views from the river, coupled with the docent’s infectious passion for Chicago, made for a truly unique experience. Whether you’re in town for a couple of days or longer, this is not to be missed. – R B Kent
Debra Campbell, 2011
Debra was an inspired River Cruise tour guide for our 1.5 hour cruise on the downtown Chicago River. She clearly has a strong architectural background along with a very solid historical knowledge of the people who contributed to the evolving Chicago skyline. She is a gifted speaker who weaves an interesting tale about how the architectural elements of the various buildings pay tribute to their predecessors in the city and to the various styles over time. Very well presented. – DE-Simada Maine
Maurice Champagne, 2004
Great educational tour of downtown Chicago structures on the Historic Treasures tour. Maurice was an excellent tour guide. He very enthusiastic about the history of Chicago’s architecture and keeps your attention the whole time. – Jason K
Dick Clark, 2008
River Cruise Docent Dick (Clark?) was so knowledgeable, funny, genial, and professional. Weather was gorgeous, and the city sparkled like a jewel! Learned so much about history & architecture, which is what I wanted. – Michele B
Bill Coffin, 2004
The Art Deco Skyscrapers Loop tour is so interesting with brilliant examples of the Art Deco style. The buildings we entered were amazing. Good photo opportunities. Our guide Bill was funny and disingenuous. Totally recommend this tour. – Jane B Castle Hill, Australia
Alice Daniele, 2019
Wonderful River Cruise tour. Our guide Alice was very knowledgeable. Really loved it. My favorite so far in Chicago. – Beatriz A
Rebecca Dixon, 2003
We had an awesome experience on Chicago’s First Lady River Cruise. The architecture tour in Chicago River is a must go if you are in Chicago. It doesn’t matter if it is a short visit or long stay. The history and architectural engineering marvels made it a possibility of eye catching skyscrapers. Also that experience was multiplied by several numbers because of Rebecca who gave us a wonderful guide during the tour. We really appreciate her service. – Indika K
Cindy Everett, 2011
Fabulous experience on the Chicago Architecture Center tour of Beverly. Docent Cindy was knowledgeable, personable, and professional. She shared loads of info about architecture, Beverly, and Chicago. The tour was a lot of fun, and we learned so much. – Marcy T
Dan Fitzgerald, 1986
I have been on this tour with other companies in the past, but this time was above and beyond the others. The attention to detail and broad knowledge of our docent (kudos to Dan!) provided a rich experience to all. The 90 minutes was over all too quickly. And the rest of the day as we walked around Chicago, we continued to look at the city through the historical context and architectural lenses that Dan created for us. Highly recommend this tour! – NKW
Wayne Galasek, 2005
We learned so much from Wayne who was knowledgeable, passionate about Chicago and professional. Impressed that they volunteer to narrate and don’t accept tips so we will pay it forward. We would highly recommend this river cruise, definitely worthwhile! – Joseph P
Carol Garner, 2016
I love a boat. And I like architecture, but never expected to be totally captivated by this River Cruise tour. We had a great September afternoon, a pretty full boat, and a spectacular docent from the Chicago Architecture Center Foundation. She was a fountain of information about all the buildings we saw, how the Chicago River affected the city and its architecture, and pointed out some of the weirdness of the buildings—- like the one with 2 empty floors so the wind can blow thru and not shake the building. Our docent (I want to say her name was Carol, but not 100% sure) was so good, that when I asked, after the tour, about a building that is not on the river, she knew chapter and verse about that one. Absolutely great tour. I would have gone a second time if we’d had another ticket.
Georgia Goldberg, 2012
Georgia was the most fantastic River Cruise guide – very knowledgeable, great story-teller, and made our experience fantastic! Could not compliment enough about our tour!!! – Carly D. Pittsburgh, PA
Steve Haddad, 2020
On the Walk Through Time tour, Steve shared intricate details on the progression of building styles and construction techniques beginning with the iron columns at the Chick-fil-A and ending with the magnificent structure on the river by Jeanne Gang. This tour gave me an appreciation for the architectural geniuses who placed permanent marks on the city. Highly recommend!! – ipray2ok Dallas, TX
Liz Peterson Hall, 2019
The Kenilworth tour was lovely. Beautiful homes and interesting history. The tour guide, Liz, was very knowledgeable and personable. – Laurie G
Tim Harris, 2019
My wife and I took the Chicago’s First Lady River Cruise and thoroughly enjoyed it. Our volunteer docent (Tim) from the CAC was very knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the architecture along the river. The River Cruise was one of our favorite activities during our trip to Chicago. – Razorfish Little Rock, AR
Siobhan Hartsell ,2015
Siobhan is simply amazing! So knowledgeable and talented! This River Cruise activity is a must. Really deepened our appreciation of Chicago. – Robyn San Diego, CA
Bill Hayden, 2020
I was part of a small group that enjoyed the tour Chicago Icons: Connecting Past and Present with CAC docent Bill. Bill is a very well informed docent, who shared a lot of information with a lifelong ‘city girl and shared many facts I didn’t already know. We had a beautiful day in a beautiful city!- Fran F
Mary Jo Hoag ,2007
Excellent charismatic River Cruise tour guide that really enthused us to the architecture and history of Chicago and brought the city to life. Thank you, Mary Jo – dicky_dodd Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Jim Javorcic, 1999
We had a great time. Jim, our River Cruise docent, is outstanding. His knowledge and passion for the Chicago architecture structures and history shined through his educational presentation. We highly recommended this cruise. Totally worth it! Perfectly clear, sunny and breezy day. – Anthony
Dan Johnson, 2016
Great experience with Dan J. His knowledge of Chicago history and its architecture, architects, and architectural firms was amazing. He has a passion for the subject and we had fun while learning a lot!! – Mossrose13
Wayne Johnson, 2016
There are many architectural tour boats in Chicago but THIS is the one to do. Smart, informative, contextual, and entertaining. And if you can get Wayne as your tour guide, that’s about as good as it gets. He’s the best of the best. – goodwin22 Lake Bluff, Illinois
Judith Kaufman, 2010
Our family of 5 went on this wonderful River Cruise tour on a beautiful Friday afternoon. Judith was our host, and she was everything we could have wanted and more!! The information came to her so easily. Every fact was delivered just perfectly. She was kind, funny, and engaging. The views were magnificent from middle middle (where Judith suggested we sit!). – Maddie W
Brian Kelly, 2019
Our group of four really enjoyed this Historic Treasures walking tour of Chicago architecture. Our guide, Brian Kelly, was very knowledgeable about the history of the buildings we saw. He had several pictures to help with historical context. – TomB_528i Naperville, IL
Leslie Clark Lewis, 2009
River Cruise guide Leslie was awesome and the crew was great! Thanks for giving us a glimpse into Chicago’s history! – Amanda C
Mary Ludgin, 1989
Our River Cruise guide, Mary, was very informative and pleasant through our tour. The captain and staff were very efficient and friendly throughout the tour. – Gary B Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Kelly Manteck, 2020
I’ve lived in Chicago my whole life but this was my first River Cruise tour. Beautiful scenery and our tour guide Kelly was awesome! Very informative. I highly recommend this tour. – John D Midlothian, IL
Cyndi Martin, 2016
Friday, 9/23 1:30 PM was a cool, clear crisp afternoon to cruise with docent Cyndi from the Chicago Architecture Center. Although a lifetime resident of the area and someone who works downtown, I had not taken a river ride in a long time. I was stunned at the dramatic changes along both sides of the Chicago River, especially the north and south branches. My knowledge of the city’s history and architecture is plentiful, but pales in comparison to the extemporaneous lecture given by Cyndi. I could never speak that long and pace it so well as we cruised on the river. I learned a lot in a short time. I would recommend First Lady Cruises to both tourists and those of us who tend to forget what an architectural paradise we have the opportunity to enjoy. – Mary S
Burt Michaels, 2019
Our tour guide, Burt, gave an engaging and well-researched What’s New tour of new buildings and discussed new trends. These tours are always great and this did not disappoint. Short walk but lots of great information and wonderful city views. – L9734KSandreah
Lori Nelson, 2020
This River Cruise was one of the best things to do in Chicago. The tour was amazing we got lucky with the weather too. The tour guide Lori was so detailed and explained every building history perfectly. It was very engaging and informative. The boat amenities were really good too and we were able to quickly grab a snack. Overall an amazing experience, would highly recommend. – roohisaraff Lincoln, RI
Jonelle Niffenegger, 2003
Had a fantastic Art Deco Riverfront tour with Jonelle. I’m always blown away by how knowledgeable and awesome docents are. One of my favorite places in Chicago is the CAC thanks to them! – ChicagoChica90
Patricia O’Connor, 2020
A group of us went on this River Cruise and Patricia did not disappoint! Not only was she an amazing guide during the cruise she helped put my best friend who’s doesn’t like boats at ease. She made the whole experience more than educational. It was fun! She made our group want to visit Chicago again! Thank you Patricia, you are amazing. – Mary F Slippery Rock, PA
Mark Purdome, 2019
This was a wonderful River Cruise. Our volunteer docent, Mark, was very knowledgeable and entertaining for the entire 90 minutes. He did not once refer to any notes which was very impressive too. As first time visitors to Chicago, it was a great introduction to a wonderful city. – Leslie h Merrick, NY
Steve Redfield, 2019
We enjoyed the Chicago River tour on Sept 2 with Steve as our guide. I used to live in Chicago for many years and was an active member. Since moving to Milwaukee, I have always said we need to do the boat tour the next time we’re in Chicago. It was excellent! A big part of our enjoyment was Steve the guide. He was informed, interesting, always on top of which building to talk about, and able to connect with the audience on all levels. We told him so as we exited, but I would like you to know as well.
Suzy Ruder, 2019
Your docent Suzy is a gem!! With out-of-town guests in tow, we arrived at the CAC Saturday morning thinking we’d just walk in on a downtown walking tour—only to find out the tour we had targeted was completely sold out. Suzy, who was standing next to the ticket desk, observed our confusion/consternation upon learning our desired tour was sold out. When it became obvious there weren’t people showing up for Suzy’s planned tour, scheduled to depart a few minutes later, for Francophones, she volunteered to give our group of 4 a custom tour—combining both an architectural focus and highlighting Tiffany treasures. Suzy’s enthusiasm, good cheer and helpfulness were exceptional. Rather than going back home and enjoying a coffee and time to read the morning paper, she hiked around with us ending up in the Fields’/Macy’s lobby and observing the Tiffany ceiling which we never knew was there. Our group even ended up lunching in the Walnut Room on 7. Suzy is a CAC treasure.
Jean Schlinkmann, 2013
Fantastic Historic Treasures tour. Jean was an excellent tour guide! We learned so much . Highly recommend this tour! – Marie
Sydney Schuler, 1992
Sydney was a real champ while there was a mechanical failure on Friday’s 2:30 River Cruise. She managed to give a limited architecture tour while they were just stuck out on the water and was supportive of everything we had to do. – CFL Captain.
Nancy Schwab, 2011
I’ve never been to Chicago, and this was my very first walking tour ever! I learned so much about the city that I didn’t know, and now have a list of more places to explore. Nancy, our Must-See Chicago guide, was very interesting, full of information and her enthusiasm for this city was contagious. Highly recommend. – Dorothy G
Russ Seward, 2005
One of the best things we’ve done since moving to Chicago. Our River Cruise tour guide, Russ, was very knowledgeable and funny. It was definitely worth the admission fee. – Deniz M
Matt Sheffer, 2019
The Discover Chinatown walking tour with Matt was excellent! He was well versed in the history of the area and had great stories. – Patricia N
Ellen Shubart, 2006
We took the River Cruise architecture tour today. Ellen was our guide. She was amazing!!! (So knowledgeable!!) We went through the entire Chicago River and saw everything. She knew the history of the city, each of the buildings, and what was planned for the future. Highly recommend!!! – CarolAnn G Cincinnati, OH
Susan Tennant, 2015
Susan, thank you so much for the wonderful tour of Union Station on Thursday. It was charming and informative. I’m sure I’ll be back with family and friends in the future. All the best, Cecil
John Tielsch, 2015
This River Cruise was brilliant as it made its way down the main, north and south arms of the river. Our guide John was brilliant with so much information about the city and particularly its architecture and how it has developed. I highly recommend this cruise and with the ever changing skyline, I’m sure I’ll make a return visit. – Leon W
Mary Wacker, 2015
Mary had a wealth of information to share on the River Cruise, and shared it in a way that seemed natural, memorable and inspiring. The operators were professional & skilled; everything ran smoothly. Wonderful time! – Glassity
Michael Weiland, 1984
We had a fabulous time on the River Cruise architectural boat tour. We had Keith as our Captain and Mike the map maker as our tour guide. I have taken a lot of tours all over the country and Mike was by far the best guide I’ve ever had. Will definitely do this tour again when I’m in the city! – Kelly B
Gary Wenzel, 2016
Gary made the trip. That man deserves a raise!! So entertaining and personable. The River Cruise boat was great, bartenders? Absolutely amazing. But Gary… the best – Kassidie K
Mary Willer, 2009
It is my pleasure to write you with feedback on the Architectural River Cruise I took yesterday, September 20, 2022 at 1:00pm, with Docent Mary Willer. Although my family includes many architects and designers, I was very impressed by Ms. Willer’s broad knowledge of Chicago’s architectural history, prominence, and current buildings and projects. She was approachable and engaging, answering many questions from the group on my tour—they did not want to let her go when it ended. Whenever I learn something new, I credit the docent because, frankly, I thought I had heard everything over the years! I just wanted to write and thank you for securing such caring, well-versed and knowledgeable people, like Ms. Willer, who are willing to give their time and share their knowledge, guiding many old hands (as well as newcomers and tourists) through the pantheon of architecture and the prominence in the industry Chicago continues to hold.
Claudia Winkler, 2007
I have taken several tours River Cruise and walking tours with Claudia Winkler. Claudia is so knowledgeable about Chicago’s architecture. It is true enjoyment, as she conveys her passion. I would like to make a donation to the Center to honor Claudia’s dedication to her many causes and in particular to the architectural center.
Lori Yelvington, 2015
Laurie (sic) did a wonderful job explaining the significance of each building we visited as well as highlighting some of the complexities architects contended with 100 years ago. Some of those being where the railroad tracks were located, sinking buildings due to weight and land infills. My personal favorite was the old public library. If you are into architecture of the past, this Historic Treasures tour is for you!! – ipray2ok Dallas, TX
____________________________________________________________________________________________
CLICK HERE for more stories on The Bridge.