I went on the September 5th at the 11:30 tour. Catherine, our tour guide, was exceptional in her…read morestorytelling skills. She accurately described "the best" of Chicago and lead us on an incredible tour through the Windy City. Catherine's quick wit and charm made the experience memorable and exciting. 10/10 recommend her and this tour to anyone visiting the city.

A river tour is a must when visiting Chicago! We decided to do Shoreline Sightseeing, and it was…read moresuch a great experience. We were nervous because my mom gets motion sickness easily, and we weren't sure she'd be able to enjoy the tour. Thankfully, the water was calm enough, and she absolutely loved it! The views were beautiful, and we learned so many fun facts about the city along the way. Definitely recommend adding this to your Chicago itinerary!

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.

Great boat tour showcasing all the beauty of the city! Each style was clearly explained by our tour…read moreguide. Highly recommend this specific tour which is run by a non profit .

We went on the architecture tour tonight. It was fun and informative. However, the amount of…read morespiders on the boat is ridiculous. When on the lower level you are hoping a spider isn't go to fall on you.

We bought tickets for a Sunday morning cruise (depart 10am) online and when we departed the boat…read morewas half full on the top level. We were blessed with perfect sunny skies and temps around 68-70 degrees the whole time. Our small group took up the one back corner of the boat and had a great time. The boat took us out through the lock into the harbor and then out around the breakwater into the open lake, around the lighthouse and then back through the lock (about an hour) to a nice cruise down river (30 mins). We turned around where the main branches come together at a Y. Along the way we learned about the history of the City, the great fire, why the lock exists, some local neighborhood history, reverse flow/pollution of the river, lots of building info/architecture new and old and about the lake. The lock and lake part of the trip was fun for the kids. I would recommend this type of tour if you have children so it keeps them a little entertained instead of hearing about buildings for 90 mins. The bathroom on board was clean. The bar area downstairs looked good, but we didn't drink or buy snacks. We walked from our hotel so I can't help you with parking. It's a couple flights of steps down to get to the loading area for the boat and the same steps back up to street level when you leave the boat. Last thing, when we got off our boat the lines for all the boat companies were long. If you hate lines, get the boat tour done early!! Thanks guys!

Such a fun boat ride just chilling riding going in and around all the buildings and learning about…read morethe architecture and history all while taking Chicago in The staff was great and it was a nice ride and break from walking Lovely time

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!

Booking an architecture boat tour is an absolute must when visiting Chicago!…read more We booked our tickets through Citypass which I recommend doing early as this tends to be popular and spots fill up very quickly. Our guide, Charlie was super knowledgeable and very entertaining which made the experience even better! He taught us about the history of Chicago and we got to learn so much about the city's iconic buildings. Highly recommend this tour!

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 extremely disappointed with my experience on the Odyssey Chicago River cruise. My group and I…read morewere racially profiled by an employee who approached us accusing us of not paying for our dinner. We had paid in full. The employee never apologized and instead continued to question us, even though it was actually an Asian group nearby who had not paid. Being singled out, embarrassed, and treated as if we didn't belong was hurtful and unprofessional. No guest should ever be made to feel disrespected or targeted because of their race. This experience overshadowed what should have been a relaxing evening, and it left a lasting negative impression. I hope the company takes this seriously, provides proper staff training, and ensures that no other guests have to go through this.

An unforgettable evening on the Chicago River! We had a…read morefantastic experience aboard the Odyssey River Cruise. The ship itself is clean, modern, and beautifully styled with an elegant feel. The highlights were easily the exceptional service--shoutout to our amazing bartender and attentive crew--delicious food, and breathtaking views of the city. It takes you right through the absolute best parts of the Chicago River. Highly recommend!

Our tour guide Spencer was terrific! He was very knowledgeable about the buildings we visited and…read morehe had lots of fun and interesting stories about Chicago history. We visited the Chicago Board of Trade, the Marquette Building, the Rookery, the Alexander Calder sculpture and buildings near it, the Palmer House Hotel and the Marshall Field Building. Tour was a solid two hours and we walked about one mile. Definitely a five star experience!

We just loved our guide, Heath. He was so knowledgeable about tour. Would definitely recommend this…read moretour to friends.

I did the Birth of a Skyscraper tour with Mitch, and it was incredible!! I gained a deeper…read moreappreciation for Chicago's buildings. My partner even said that even though he passes by some of these buildings everyday, he didn't realize things until Mitch pointed them out! Mitch was engaging and friendly. He answered all of our questions as well, and I enjoyed his "storytelling format" of the tour. He also communicated with us about when and where we should meet. I highly recommend Free Tours by Foot for anyone visiting Chicago!

Bruce was a great guide on our Lincoln Park tour! Lots of info about Chicago's gangsters. Thank you…read moreBruce!!

We were in Chicago only for a weekend. We wanted to see Chicago in a quick, up-close and personal…read moreway. Noma was our Tour Guide and made everything possible. She showed us the magical parts of the Magnificent Mile and took pictures of us as we marveled at the points of interest and places that make this city unique. She gave us the history and facts about the places we were passing. We learned so much more than we had anticipated. We loved our experience thanks to Noma and the City Running Tours.

The Marquette Building is a beautiful example of the Chicago School of architecture. The early…read moresteel framed sixteen story skyscraper was built in 1895. The steel frame is what allowed long "Chicago windows" due to less pressure of the masonry. It was designed by Holabird and Roche. The skyscraper was named for Father Jacques Marquette, the first European settler who explored Chicago in 1674-1675. Mosaics, sculptures and bronzes honor this expedition in the Marquette's entry and lobby. The bronzes and sculptures show the trip and important historic figures that were met along the journey. The railing around the atrium features beautiful Tiffany designed mosaics. Louis Comfort Tiffany was commissioned to create a mosaic frieze to detail the story of Marquette's life, the exploration of Chicago and the Native Americans that he met. Art panels are made of lustered Tiffany glass, mother-of-Pearl and semi-precious stones. It is stunning! The building is free and open to explore. Ask the security guard for a brochure or if you are lucky, he may even share some history about the building. There is also a small exhibit behind the lobby that discusses Chicago skyscrapers and architecture.

Chicago September 2019…read more Walked into the Marquette Building in downtown Chicago to view the beautiful artwork in the lobby. No admission fee. Just walk in and enjoy the view. The lobby is not too big but filled with stain glass art work that is eye catching. One can view the art from the first or second floor. Many Yelpers have already posted photos with great historical commentary. I'll just add a #metoo. No where to park around here unless you want to spend $30.00 ... I just jump on the CTA and pay $2.50 one way (or $5.00 round trip). Many of the buildings in downtown Chicago have fantastic art work in their lobbies. Most are free to explore. Welcome to Chicago !