My family and I had such a wonderful time with Wendella Tours and Cruises! Even though the weather…read morewasn't perfect, it actually made our adventure even more special. The friendly and knowledgeable staff went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable, including cleaning the seats for us. Our tour guide was so well-informed and kept us dry, which was really impressive. They even had $5 rain ponchos for sale. The boat had two floors, and those who preferred a more private space could also buy drinks like free spirits and alcoholic beverages. Since this was my very first trip to Chicago, I definitely want to join the tour again. The price was fair, the staff was warm and welcoming, and the relaxed atmosphere made the whole experience even more enjoyable. Plus, I learned so much! Overall, my family had a fantastic time, and we wholeheartedly recommend it!

First time on the architecture boat tour on the recommendation of a bunch of friends who had…read morealready taken the tour in the past. Personally, I was pleasantly surprised. The words "architecture" and "boat tour" don't immediately spell a fun time in my mind. But this tour is 1) a pleasant way to see the center of Chicago from the water, 2) actually interestingly informational, as the tour guides are extremely on top of their game, 3) much more dense that you expect (these guys are talking non-stop), and 4) surprisingly good views, especially when you get all the way out into the edge of the harbor! Finding the place was a bit roundabout, but once we got there, staff were super friendly, and it was easy to get on the boat and off to our next stop afterwards. Parking suggestions on the site are solid too. I'm not sure whether I'd do it again, but I'd definitely recommend it as a must-do stop on any visit!

Definitely one of the must do while visiting Chicago!…read more Great boat tour with excellent docents. I ended up with a much great understanding of the Chicago buildings I was walking around or through.

My friends and I boarded the Chicago Architecture Center's River Cruise aboard the First Lady on…read moreThursday, July 23rd. We'd pre-purchased our tickets directly with the operator and paid for priority boarding. It took us a few more minutes to arrive than we'd anticipated, but it was easy to find the location the cruise departed from. Luckily, even though they'd already begun boarding the general admission folks, we were allowed to skip the line and our priority boarding was honored. Our guide's name was Russell and he's a volunteer docent. He was wonderful and his explanations were very interesting. It was a great way to get to know the stories behind the buildings and to see the city from a different angle. Highly recommend!

Eric was a very good speaker and staff war very nice, the entire thing was very informative thank…read moreyou guys so much!

This tour was on the top 10 list of our things to do in Chicago. I researched all the boat…read morecompanies that offered the Chicago architecture boat cruises and Shoreline Sightseeing came out hands down #1 for us in tour length, type of cruises, accessibility and in price for what you got. Best deal. Our tour guide was happy, energetic, and very knowledgeable about Chicago because he was born and raised there. We chose the 75 minute, 4pm Chicago River tour and it covered a lot! We never lost interest and learned about Chicago's history. It is well worth it! Our Architecture River Tour boat departed from the dock at Navy Pier. We learned that their boats are the most accessible at this location. Their boats can accommodate wheelchairs up to 30-inches wide. Your wheelchair must be able to navigate a ramp with a 2-inch step at one end. I needed one that was kind to my knees. Best to call them for more details. They were very helpful whenever we called them. Their boats are both double-decker and single-level boats, and there is generally no protection from the sun, rain, or wind. There is a small bar on the main level. Restrooms are located on the lower deck, which is accessible only via stairs from the upper deck. Enjoy! It's amazing!

A beautiful day on the Lake Michigan. Had a blast on Veteran-owned FIREBOAT-TOURS today! Such a fun…read moreafternoon soaking up Chicago's history and architecture from the water. The itself was comfy and solid, and it's pretty cool to think this fireboat served the city's fire department from 1937 to 1981. Lucky us, we caught a perfect day light winds and clear blue skies. Thank you to Cliff, our tour guide, who had serious knowledge of Chicago history and a fun vibe was fabulous. The bartender, magic manning, was a total character, bringing good energy and making sure everyone had a good time. In fact, the whole crew was super welcoming and made the experience even better. Next time we are going to try the sunset cruise and do this all over again.

This fireboat tour was spectacular! My friend and I both had a wonderful time and can't recommend…read moreit highly enough. The length of 2 hours was perfect so we didn't feel rushed. We motored around near Navy Pier and on the river. While I'm generally not into architecture, the buildings were beautiful and interesting to learn about. I expected that the tour would include a recording of the information about all the sights, but the person narrating the tour did so live. He came up and chatted with all the passengers a couple of times. We felt very well cared-for. Word to the wise though, it can get a bit chilly so wear layers if possible. Highest recommendation!

A neat small place to learn about Chicago architecture and it's development, with short…read more timelines on the walls and miniature model of the city and another ofWrigley Field. I bought a perfect, sturdy canvas bag labeled Chicago Architecture Center.

The museum has great models of Wrigley field and downtown. There is a video that discusses the…read moreevolution of the city. There are interactive displays that describe prominent buildings, architects , and architectural styles in Chicago. A good place to learn about Chicago architecture!

Such a great city for architecture, the very oldest building sitting next to the newest…read moreskyscrapers. I loved this tour...even though it rained and we had to spend part of the tour inside to stay dry without much of a view, it was still a great tour for the cost. We were warned to make a reservation cause the tours do fill up, and this was a holiday weekend. Do not leave Chicago without doing this!

There are many different boat tours out there with different prices and different lengths of time I…read morewould definitely recommend the architect boat river tour. I would say if you have 90 minutes this boat tour is a must do. I believe the option times that we had to choose from was anywhere from 10:00 a.m. for the first boat going out and the last boat was 4:00 p.m. but check the website for exact times. We booked our tour online to make sure that we got the time and date that we wanted to we preferred earlier in the day. We booked about 2 months out. These tours fill up quickly especially in the summer time. We started lining up about an hour before to make sure we got a seat up top so we could enjoy the view. If you prefer to sit inside you still will be able to hear the tour guy just you may not be able to see everything he is announcing it may be on the other side of the boat which you may not see if you're inside because of other people that are sitting. Our tour guide was wonderful explaining the different buildings and if you had any questions he would definitely answer those questions later on. This was my second time in Chicago I learned many new things by going on the tour I am glad that I did and I would recommend anyone else to do so as well.

Sam S. Was great today!!! Very knowledgeable and good humor as well. A+++++++ would love to do…read morethis tour again soon.

Quick take: Must do in Chicago…read more Definitely go on a river boat tour if you are visiting Downtown Chicago. The tour guide was awesome. The weather was so nice. Not too hot and not too cold. Very interesting history and stories about all the businesses and buildings along the river.

I was terrified of boats, so I was very scared to try the Sea Dog Speed Boat. Instantly, I was…read moregreeted with a friendly smile from Avery! She was so sweet and gave us a ton of facts! When she was talking, she was smiling and dancing to the music! 10/10, I will have to go again!!!

Great team and an amazing boat ride cannot complain one bit. The architecture tour is definitely…read moreworth the money.

Heath was most amazing and full of knowledge and presented a most memorable presentation. We loved…read morethe tour with so many facts about the river and seeing the buildings closed up was awesome! Highly recommend this tour!

Bought tickets from Groupon and it was not exactly a smooth transition unfortunately. Our family…read morewas visiting from CA and we purchased 5 tickets for the 2pm tour. When we arrived, we were told 1 of the 5 was for a later tour. Well that doesn't work. The ticket guy was trying to work out the error and another employee stepped in and was rude. He was stern and said, "it's sold out either part of your party goes and the other party can catch the next tour or you go on a wait list. We had tickets for 4 out of 5 people. I understand sellouts but we were there at 130pm and we were confused about what had happened. Well, the ticket person was nice and let my nephew go with the group. I thought the second person was rude. I'm glad the ticket person understood what happened and accommodated us. The tour was great, our guide was awesome. His name escapes me now and I am good about remembering! He was so knowledgeable! I would say they should consider the age because we had little kids who were not managed well by their parents and also a couple next to us talked the entire time. Our guide was polite but did say something to them but they kept talking. I would say the boat rules should be posted or something for folks to be quiet! Highly recommend it but if you do Groupon, it refers you to tours & boats website to book so triple check your tickets.

My grandmother and I were in Chicago for 3 days, and decided to do the walking prohibition tour on…read moreMonday. We were a bit apprehensive due to the weather - it was supposed to be very rainy with scattered thunderstorms. It ended up raining for only an hour, I'm so glad we did it! John, the tour guide is very knowledgeable in all things prohibition. We ended up being the only people who booked so it became more personable and conversational than a normal tour might go. We had a fabulous time overall! All 3 establishments had wonderful service and spectacular drinks! 100/10 would recommend this tour to anyone! You'll find it interesting regardless if you consider yourself a "history buff" or not.

Best tour I've ever been on. I recommend it to anyone going to Chicago. We learned so much and had…read morea great time.