One of the best and biggest art museums I've ever been to…read more I brought my 11-year-old son with me on a Monday morning in August. The only downsides were just how insanely packed it was, and the price of admission - $32 for adults (but free for my son at least). But it's worth it to fork over the cash and brave the crowds. The collections are stunning and expansive and truly breathtaking. The paintings are well spaced out with ample descriptions and information. Like most museums of this size and prestige, the building and the people watching are just as interesting as the art. Definitely hope to return someday as I've barely scratched the surface!

What a fabulous place for various artists and artwork! It was great to see all the different pieces…read moreand styles in this collection. The art institute is huge and covers a wide variety of different styles. It's a big place so expect to spend some time here. Map shows different levels and different stairs and elevators leading to different places. They even have a cafe in the 3rd floor. Really cool place to check out in Chicago while you're here. They do have free lockers for large backpacks and items near the front.

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!

Statue Stories is a unique opportunity to learn more about the various public art on display in…read moreChicago via your cellular telephone. It was initiated in 2015 throughout the City of Chicago to engage the public in learning about all of the "public art" displayed throughout the city. Look for the sign(s) associated with the piece of public art then use your cellular telephone to scan the QR code which is a square box shaped black code...then answer your telephone when it rings and you can listen to the history and interesting and fun facts about the piece of public art on display....in this case statues! See the web site for the map and all of the public art with this audio tour... http://www.statuestorieschicago.com/statues.php FYI-other cities such as Philadelphia utilize this tool for the public as well.

From the owner: Using drama, humor and location technology, Statue Stories Chicago breathes new life into the…read morecity's marvelous public art collection. Swipe your smartphone on a nearby tag and get a 'call back' from the likes of Abe Lincoln, Paul Laurence Dunbar or a regal bronze lion.

I LOVE taking the subway. Easy to use. Helps with getting around town. You can take subway into…read moretown if you wish. Was a great time!

My boyfriend's company gets a lot of fancy fringe benefits and one of those is special tickets to…read moreshows, tours, and other fun things. On Friday we got to experience this fun tour with Margaret as our guide. The tour was about 90 minutes long as we weaved throughout the pedway system of Chicago covering about 1.5 miles. Everyone on our tour was local, some of us knew of the pedway, some had never been on it before others were quite familiar but wanted to know more, while still others had no idea about it! I was happy to venture down into the undergrounds of the city with some a well educated tour guide. I am a Chicago history mini-buff and she definitely knew her stuff about a lot of the famous architects of our town which pleased me. Our tour guide Margaret was full of energy and very enthusiastic in telling us all about the pedway. Once she told us she was a theater major, ah yes, it all clicked into place! She was a very thorough and clear guide though giving me a bit of information I haven't had prior. Once the tour is done, you'll know a bit about the paths under the city that connect some important government buildings to fancy department stores (and more!) and feel totally comfortable walking & navigating them yourself. There is virtually no crime on the Chicago pedway!!! Yay Chi Town! You will also come away loving the pedway for what it is! Nothing more, nothing less than an interesting walkway than can be beautiful at times - smelly at others - but like Margaret says, is it's own little Chicago neighborhood!

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.

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 !

Art Deco elements you'll find in both the interior and exterior of buildings on this tour:…read more Sleek design Symmetry Layered shapes Intricate line art Geometric ornamentation Aerodynamic curves And metallic colors like gold and chrome Art Deco represents a celebration of progress. It's known for rich colors, bold geometric shapes and lavish ornamentation. The United States has a bad habit of knocking the old things down and building new, but several of these grand skyscrapers have been preserved in Chicago's loop. I've passed these buildings on La Salle countless times but had never gone inside. Never mind the fact that it was November and only 30° outside. I wanted to do it. Architectural boat tours are one of the top tourist activities in Chicago. Locals love them too. The views are undoubtedly amazing from the water, but boat tours don't take you inside. You're missing out on the amazing designs within. This tour lasts about 1.5 hrs and cost $30 a person. It's a very slow pace and we took zero stairs. We also only walked a couple of blocks at most. Anybody of any ability could do this tour. Our docent was well informed and offered great insight into the history of design and the city of Chicago. I loved it. I can't say I'd do that again on a cold day though.

I love eating. What's even better? Trying global street foods from 6 different spots in 2.5 hours…read more Phyllis is the founder & lead tour guide of Chicago food ways since 2014. She's a french-trained chef that showed me everything about the ingredients, argyle's history, music halls, restaurants. She knows every family business owner. Ive had some of these restaurants on my list and some I've never heard of before but WOW were they AMAZING Will be bringing my friends & family & coworkers on this nice & easy walking tour. Arepas @elrincondefabiollc Char Siu Pork Bun @lapatisseriep (imo better than Chiu Quon) Ba La Lot @haiyen_chicago Sambussa @demerachicago * Birria @birrieriazaragoza Mango Sticky Rice @immmchicago & It's Fridays at 5pm and Saturdays at 4:00pm only summers Price $75 per person. Private tours available for 6 or more people & @

I did the Argyle/Uptown/Andersonville tour with a huge group (around 100 people). They divided us…read moreup into 4 groups and all had a fabulous time! Our group leader Mandy was so fun and knew a lot about the area. The very best part was the food! Every stop was amazing. I highly recommend!

My husband and I as well as a friend had the pleasure to take Wendy's 1950s Nightlife in the Loop…read moretour this past week. Despite the rain Wendy maintains a sunny disposition and seems to have a genuine interest in learning about her guests. She is also open about her journey to how she started this tour company. Her knowledge and enthusiasm is maintained throughout the entire tour. The two stops during this tour were fascinating. My fav part is how she ends her tour.. A fun game if you will. Two things strictly coming from our recommendations and not at all from Wendy herself. First, offer to buy her a drink she may or may not accept but with all the talking and hosting a cocktail is well earned though I know she wouldn't be offended if you didn't . Also if you've never been on a city tour.. It's always customary to tip the guide at the end of a tour. She is worth every penny and more. So much so that this is the only tour (in addition to the river tours) you'll need to take bc we learned so much and much of the same info was repeated on other tours, yet this is the most affordable.

If you want to get to know Chicago better, Wendy is your girl! What a great way to bring the city…read moreyou love to live with great stories and visuals of the places and people that made Chicago what it is today! Wendy had us engaged throughout the tour with her knowledge and enthusiasm about the city. Next time you are in the city take a Wendy City tour, you'll love the experience!

Terrible do not recommend!! 1st we had to changed our departure time from 9am to 11 am because the…read morecompany over booked! When we arrived at our 1st location to catch the tour....the bus had left! No call, no warning. With 25 people on the initial bus!! This was a birthday,celebration that was ruined!

We did not experience anything. The guy in charge, named Ty, canceled the tour in the middle of…read moremeeting at Quinn chapel to switch buses to begin the tour. He told me that he would take the hit from the bad reviews that he was going to receive from people on this bus. The goal now is to SHUT THIS ENTIRE COMPANY DOWN!!! This was a birthday celebration by the way.