Just as the other reviews promised, this was a perfect experience on the river. Our guide, a docent from the Architectural society, knew his stuff and presented it like a pro. Yeah, his jokes were kinda corny, but we got a great overview and appreciation for the skyscrapers and history of Chicago. Well worth the price. read more

When I finally went on my CAF architectural boat tour, it's on a Chicago's First Lady. I totally geeked out and wanted to sit on the top with the plastic chairs. I didn't care if it was mildly chilly. I wanted a true Chicago boat tour experience. The staff was pleasant and friendly. Going through the safety announcements, the captain et al. were informative as well as humorous in mentioning that they served alcohol on the boat. Our tour guide was awesome and I'm so glad that I finally went on a boat tour. I'd definitely recommend the tour as well as the boat company to anyone. read more

I've lived in Chicago for all of my life and so I've seen most of the city but never like this. I bought tickets for the 'rents, my cousin, myself and my husband. It was his birthday and I always surprise him with something and for his 33rd year on this planet it was this boat ride and it did not disappoint. We went early on a Sunday morning and for an hour and a half we were treated to the best architecture had to offer. We saw views of this beautiful city that are impossible to see without getting on a boat. But the docent that we had made the tour what it was by being so knowledgeable. Not only did she know modern from post modern etc etc but the history behind each building that she was able to talk about made it even more impressive. The tour is 90 minutes but make sure to bring your camera, there are plenty of wonderful shots. At one point there is a view of the Sears Tower that you just cannot take your eyes off. It's as if all of the buildings were strategically placed to make this tour what it is and actually if you take this tour you'll find out that it's kinda true. I cannot wait to go back but this time I'd like to go back in the evening. So make a checklist: camera, sunscreen and sunglasses and you will have one of the best 90 minutes of your life! read more

I was super hungover and it started raining 10 minutes in so we moved below deck. People down there were talking so much that it was hard to hear the tour guide at some points which was annoying. The staff, the great trivia facts and the awesome views of the city made it worth it. Don't get a Bloody Mary; they aren't good. read more

An awesome way to experience the city. The tour guides are volunteers who are very passionate about Chicago architecture and very knowledgeable. read more

Took this tour yesterday and our docent Sylvia was super informative. Highly recommended to both visitors and residents!

This is a must when visiting Chicago - our guide was knowledgable, funny, and gave us a great history lesson on the city. The boat ride offers a great vantage point of seeing the city. Very fun tour - would highly recommend. read more

I really enjoyed the architectural tour. I was surprised about how much I learned and how many really cool buildings there are in Chicago. The staff was nice and the whole thing went smoothly. I got a lot of great photos. Then, as I was walking around the city, I found myself seeking out the buildings they pointed out from the boat, and interacted with them in a completely different way. It was money well spent. read more

Amazing architecture river tour! The tour guide/docent was incredibly knowledgeable about Chicago, history, and architecture. She made the whole thing. The views from the river are unparallelled. Totally worth the price and the time. Dress in layers though, it gets cold on the water in the morning! read more

This past early summer, June I think it was, I went on this boat cruise with a friend for a radio station. Since I grew up just outside the city and go to school in it, where I took a history of Chicago class, I don't really do any touristy stuff. But this cruise was fun, they have two bars on it (one up stairs on the deck and one in the cabin). We had great weather and it was fun finally getting to cruise down the Chicago river, and than into the lake. I haven't been on the lake since i was a little kid so it was a great experience for me. Even if you grew up in Chicago and know everything that it has to offer, if you don't go out on the lake much I suggest you go on this cruise! It is well worth the time, took about an hour, and the captains are very knowledgeable about Chicago and it's architecture! read more

Very informative cruise. The architecture in Chicago is something that must be seen. You can bring your own food on this cruise and they provide drinks for purchase at their bar. There's a downstairs area that is heated for those 45 degree days. The cruise takes 90 minutes so isn't too much out if your day. read more

The Chicago Architecture Foundation put on this tour of the city. Lindy was our tour guide and was fabulous. Very well spoken and knowledgable about the subject. You could tell how passionate she was about the city. Our tour was packed on a Sunday and it got really chilly on the river at the end of May- definitely bring a jacket! This was a great way to relax and see the city from the water! read more

Fantastic tour. Incredibly knowledgeable guide, non-stop views, good bar, comfortable open air seats and all in all 90 mins and $45 very very well spent. Fascinating experience and made us love this great city even more. read more

The tour was great! We had Georgia and she gave an amazing presentation. Very insightful tour and the boat ride was good. Accommodated a lot of people but did not feel crowded. Would highly recommend this tour group if you want to learn about the architecture and see some amazing buildings a views! read more

Great tour yesterday! Fantastic views of the city and we learned a lot - I would highly recommend this tour! Our docent was great!

DO NOT USE THE FIRST LADY BOAT TOUR SERVICE!!! Terrible Experience. Wish I could rate lower Customer Service is nonexistent! After going through the hassle of prepurchasing tickets through Ticketmaster, we ended up in the middle of a torrential downpour AND thunderstorm (someone was struck by lightning in the city the same day!). Upon arriving at the will call ticket booth and politely requesting to reschedule or for a refund due to the dangerous weather and severe storm warnings, I was abrasively told that the boat will go out in absolutely any conditions! Any conditions, really? If I take my kids off the football field during a lightning storm, I sure as hell am not about to put them on a boat in the middle of one! End result: poorly managed company would not offer a refund OR to EVEN RESCHEDULE!!! I was astonished when this was confirmed by several employees. My Advice: I live in the city and have been on the architectural tours before, which have been an amazing experience. I recommend it!! JUST DO NOT USE THE FIRST LADY TOURS!!! There are other architectural tours available that are less expensive and are much easier to purchase tickets. Just do a quick Google search and you will find several alternatives. Food tours are great as well! I'm sure 75% of the time you will have no problems with this company, bit if there is a hiccup you will be offered no assistance in terms of customer service. Definitely do not buy your tickets in advance or you will be out $40+ per ticket like me. read more

What a beautiful day for the boat tour. Breezy 75 degrees on the top deck. The Docent was from Taiwan and was knowledgeable. It was his first time. The way he presented his speech, you would never know it. Highly recommended. Bring your camera. read more

Don't Miss This as a Private Party Venue! read more

First Lady - Chicago's First Lady Cruising Chicago's Waterways - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I highly recommend taking a boat tour to see the Chicago skyline, especially at night. But, I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS LINE. There are plenty of others to chose from. Why? On 7/21/2011, when we took this tour, after lining up early along with several other people, we waited for 20 mins to begging boarding at 7:15. At 7:30, the time of departure, there was no boat in sight. We waited in the sweltering heat, WITH NO WORD FOR THE REASON OF THE DELAY. But the DELAY was made that much more MISERABLE because for this line you have to WAIT in an area full of HORSEFLIES that WILL BITE YOU. As miserable as we were, I felt worse for the OLDER people and KIDS being subjected to this. Unbelievably, when someone went to ask how much longer the boat would be, they were told that they had no communication with the boat. Imagine that in this day and age? 20 mins after scheduled departure, boat arrived, docked,& disembarked, it wasn't till about 8:00 when we finally boarded. Everyone's enthusiasm diminished, there was never any mention of the delay by staff. One thing I observed while waiting was several boats of other lines passing by. HIGHLY RECOMMEND NIGHT TOUR, BUT, NOT ON THIS LINE! read more

Great tour. Our docent Linda really knew her stuff and was funny too. Perfect way to spend the morning on the river. We will definitely do it again. read more

I've done this boat tour twice now and loved it both times. How can you not? You get to sit on a boat through the gorgeous city and listen to your guide talk about famous architecture. There's always something new to learn on one of these cruises! read more

i cannot comment on the tour guide, since my friends and i completely ignored him. i can comment on the beautiful weather, skyline, and fireworks, which i know the boat company was in no way responsible for, however, which made for a truly breathtaking experience. the kool-aide-like vodka drinks didn't hurt neither. my one suggestion: for the night cruises, get rid of some of the chairs on the bow; we were all mingling and moving around and kept tripping over them. but other than that, seriously this was an amazingly perfect idea for a bachelor/bachelorette party. i totally recommend it. read more

Amazing tour. All volunteer staff. They truly love what they do & it's very contagious!

Mary Jo Hoag is the best tour guide I have ever met. She knows everything about the Chicago, and she loves it. BTW, she is a volunteer, meaning she does not give tours for tip. Such a fun tour! Thank you Mary! read more

If you are looking for a great experience on our beautiful lake or the Chicago river, you need to have the First Lady experience! A first class, professional, knowledgeable crew will meet all of your needs. The boat is lovely and so well manicured and maintained. I recently held a group event with dinner (great food and service provided by Entertaining Company) on the Little Lady and it was memorable. From the time we were greeted to the time we left, we were made to feel so welcome. Can't say enough about the experiece, really. Thanks to all who contributed!! KB read more

I had two visitors to town so bought 3 tickets for the First Lady online through ticketmaster. The line was already building when we first arrived (well before boarding), but there were seat numbers on our tickets so we weren't concerned. However, when we finally climbed onto the boat, we found that it was free seating. OK, after seeing the seats were plastic chairs, part of me expected this. Not a problem, we thought, we'll just grab three seats and pull them together. However, as we wandered around the boat, we found that there wasn't even two seats left together, let alone three. Other small groups were clearly in the same predicament. As such, we spent most of the 1.5 hour cruise standing on the side up by the bow - able to see only the right side of the river. For a company that charges $45/ticket for a 90 minute cruise, it shouldn't be unreasonable to expect that they don't oversell the boat so much that a group as small as three can't acquire a seat. If they have 200 seats, for example, they should view their capacity at 175 people, so as to help eliminate these issues - part of the cost of running a premium product. At the very least, have ushers which can help manage the seat usage. The reason this gets 1 star (and not 2) is because I reached out to CFL to explain my issue, and no one contacted me back (it has been over two weeks). My advice - if you are going with a group of greater than 2 people, look at some of the less popular cruises so you can actually sit together and see the whole river. read more

This tour was awesome! Our tour guide was Adrienne and she was a volunteer with an abundance of knowledge on the architecture of Chicago buildings. The weather report showed that there may be some rain and thunderstorms, which made me a little nervous because the tour would be go on despite poor weather. However, we were lucky enough to get some sunshine! It was really cool to learn about the history of various buildings while cruising up and down the river. The tour takes about 45 minutes, which felt like the perfect amount of time. If it were any longer, I would have wanted to get off the boat and if it were any shorter, I would have been wanting more. Another plus is that we didn't need to have our tickets printed out after buying them online. We just needed to show the barcode on our phones to get on the boat. This cruise is one that I would recommend to any visitors to Chicago and even locals who want to see their city from a different point of view! read more

Second time on this tour. My friend who's a local told me about it. You get a full history of Chicago from before the first ridge or building went up... all the way through who built what, history of who built it, and meaning behind why it looks the way it does. Even to a laymen like myself ‍ I really enjoyed the tour. Cocktails below deck are not too shabby either! read more

This was the best river cruise we have been on!! Shelby our tour guide was amazing!! She was very knowledgeable, energetic and entertaining.

Great tour. 90 minutes of historical architecture. The tour guide is very knowledgeable! I would recommend.

Overall great experience! Everyone who was working the ship couldn't have been more nice and we learned so much! Dropped it down 1 star because of the price!....a bit pricy for a 1.5 hour boat ride. read more

We took this tour and it was amazing. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, very informative and knowledgeable. She did a great job filling in the history and sharing each buildings history along the river. read more

If you're an architecture buff, definitely take this tour, since it IS the official boat tour of the Chicago Architectural Foundation. But if you're looking for a less lecture-y tour, you might be better off with Shoreline or one of the other, less "official," companies. The parents, bf, and I all really enjoyed this tour, but it was a LOT of names and technical terms, so it seemed a little dry at times (no pun intended). The Shoreline tour is probably not as knowledgeable, but a little more fun. So it all depends on what you're looking for out of your touristy summer activity! read more

Wonderful volunteer tour guide! Very informative! I would totally recommend the 7:30 time because you can see the architecture and buildings in the daylight and at night! Great way to see the city on one of your first nights! read more

Seems extremely touristy to do one of these but we left feeling rewarded. These run pretty frequently and last for about 1.5 hours. Try to get a seat on the upper deck along the left side since most of the sightseeing and talking will be directed to the buildings along the left side. The boat runs at a slow and steady pace and gives you ample time to listen in on the history behind each of the relevant landmarks around the city. If you're not really interested in architecture, then this tour isn't for you. If you love having the small details pointed out, you'll walk away with a few tidbits which will help you greater appreciate the amount of detail and effort that goes into each structure, both in Chicago and everywhere else you go. read more

Well this was not a bad tour you really can not go wrong with any boat tour...I mean the city is beautiful to see especially at night. The only problem I had was our tour guy just sounded like he would rather be doing something else; really did not seem in to it. I have been on a Shoreline & Sea Dog tour and it seemed like the guides were more excited and had more info and cool little facts about the city. The crew was nice but it was like they were all half asleep no one was extremely friendly. But, hey after being on a boat full of tourist all day I may not be that friendly either. If you choose this tour not bad at all I may have just caught them on a bad night. read more

This was a wonderful way to explore Chicago! I've heard from EVERYONE, and I mean everyone (including my uber drivers) that the best thing to do in Chicago is the Architecture Tour. My parents were in town visiting so we had to do this. The tour is 90minutes long and takes you up and down the Chicago river, explaining the buildings and history along the way. The tour was very pleasant and informative. There is a lot of interesting history which kept us entertained. Our tour guide was wonderful, she was a volunteer and made a point to tell us that she does not accept tips since she does this out of the love of her city. I thought that was very noble as she could be making quite a bit with commission from the company and tips from happy customers. I would recommend this tour to anyone coming to visit Chicago. Save this for a warm summer day when you can enjoy the river and being outdoors. This tour is expensive, we bought tickets on ticketmaster well in advance for about $50/person. I recommend booking in advance since tours usually book up 3-4 days before, especially on weekends. Wonderful way to appreciate the city and learn about Chicago. read more

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Fantastic architectural tour on the Chicago River. I wish I did this tour in the beginning of my visit so I could have used my new-found architectural knowledge... Oh well. Here's a tip for your first-time visitors to Chicago: check out Chicago's First Lady in the BEGINNING of your visit! read more

A really neat boat to be cruising down the Chicago River in. A little dingy, but what do you expect. If you really want a full experience, sit on the top deck outside and brave the elements -- heat or cold! Otherwise, there's an indoor parlor downstairs (with a bar!) where you can sit and enjoy your tour. read more

What a great way to explore Chicago's history through its architecture!!! The docent was great!