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    Shoreline Sightseeing

    4.7 (1.9k reviews)
    Open 9:30 am - 9:15 pm

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    We had an amazing experience on the Chicago Architecture Tour, and a big part of that was our tour guide, Eric. Eric was exceptionally energetic, enthusiastic, and genuinely funny, which made the entire tour engaging from start to finish. Before joining the tour, I knew very little about Chicago, but Eric did an outstanding job of explaining the city's history from the ground up in a way that was easy to understand and enjoyable to follow. He seamlessly connected historical events with the evolution of Chicago's skyline, making the city come alive through his storytelling. The architectural details he shared were informative, relevant, and presented at just the right level of depth--not overwhelming, but enough to help us truly appreciate the buildings and their significance. I would highly recommend this tour, especially if you're visiting Chicago for the first time. Thanks to Eric, we left with a much deeper appreciation for the city's rich history and incredible architecture.

    Grace R.

    My ultimate core memory of Chicago aside from the food, historic landmarks, shopping and beautiful open spaces is this Chicago River Boat Architecture tour. Do not miss this! Our tour guide Kathryn was absolutely the best in educating us in the most fun and informative way. She brought every single history behind all the architecture to life as she spoke about the relevance and trivia during our 75 min sunset cruise. It was just sooo awesome. Bought our tickets thru Go City

    Ann R.

    We live in Los Angeles, and adore visiting Chicago. We have done other architectural boat tours in Chicago--our daughter lives here and as she is getting married we have extra folks coming to Chi-town for the first time. Eric (our guide) was so exceptional. You cannot fake passion and enthusiasm like that. So much information clearly shared, so much knowledge (truly impressive for such a young man), and his clarity of speech such a profound bonus. Best of all when he sang to the opera house. shoreline--you have a gem with Eric. Take good care of him. We absolutely LOVED our experience!

    Beautiful summer day
    Aimee A.

    This is the second time I have done an architecture cruise in Chicago. Different company, but just as great. Took family this time. Our tour guide, Joe, was outstanding. Covered a lot of history and explained the relevance of the architecture. Would go again with this company. Took the 10:45am tour - great views and good weather. Utilized the tickets through the C3 pass. These photos had auto-captions - enjoy!

    Regina C.

    Visited Chicago three times and I've done the Architecture Boat Cruise twice. If you are visiting Chicago, this is MUST to be added to your itinerary. To give some details and not spoil the whole experience, the tour guide describes the different architectural facts that surround the Chicago river. It was truly the experience that markets Chicago as a great city.

    Nick G.

    Took the Shoreline Sightseeing architecture tour at noon on a clear, sunny day. The boat was comfortable with plenty of seating and good views no matter where you sat. Cruising along the river with the sun out made the city feel alive, and the skyline looked even better from the water. The guide Mary Rose was knowledgeable and mixed history with fun details about the buildings, which kept it engaging without feeling like a lecture. The tour moved at a relaxed pace, long enough to take everything in without dragging. Being out on the water in perfect weather made it even better. The tour itself was about 1 hour 15 minutes. If you're visiting Chicago, this is one of the best ways to see the city and get a sense of its architecture. Highly highly recommend.

    Boat

    I was visiting my boyfriend (I'm from Arizona and he's a Chicago native) and was looking for something fun for us to do together, so I ended up buying the CityPASS. He's a bit of an architecture nerd, so I immediately knew we had to do the architecture tour, and I'm SO glad we did. Jim was our tour guide, and it was immediately clear how much he loves both his job and the city itself. As soon as everyone got on the boat, he was greeting people individually and even trying to use their native languages, which I thought was such a beautiful and thoughtful touch. He asked everyone where they were from, if they had any questions, and if there was anything specific they wanted to learn during the tour. The entire environment felt so friendly, welcoming, and genuinely engaging from the very beginning. His explanations and history lessons were incredibly in-depth and interesting, and even my boyfriend, who has lived in Chicago his entire life, learned new things. Jim was also absolutely hilarious, and I loved his energy the whole time. You can tell he truly enjoys sharing the history and architecture of the city with people. Overall, he gave us a priceless experience and honestly made the tour one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommend!

    View
    Thembi S.

    This was an awesome architecture tour suggested to me by my niece, and she also accompanied me. We arrived around 12:20 for the 12:30 tour. I'd recommend getting there early to get a covered spot. My niece and I were in full sunlight on a 75 degree day. Initially I felt like u was going to melt into a puddle, but cooled off considerably once we got moving - things for sweaty people to keep in mind, lol. The tour was awesome and I learned so much about architecture in general, but Chicago specifically. Idk they had so much art deco. The tour guide was great, had good personality and energy and even handled some overexuberant children very well. Highly recommend this tour!

    Brad G.

    During our sunset cruise on night one(different company), we saw a smaller boat and noted the name of the company. That company was Shoreline. As it turns out, before we left we were checking and our Citypass still had entry to one place left. One of those places was a Shoreline cruise so we booked our time and started off walking to the area. Our Shoreline cruise was an architecture cruise. It was hot on this day so we ended up on the lower deck to hide from the sun. I caught most of the tour guides voice, stories, and dad jokes but this was more of a relaxing sail on the river. I did like that we got to see the river/buildings west of the main downtown area. Much like the Riverwalk, if you can squeeze in more than one cruise... definitely do one during the day and one during the evening. The bar is also downstairs and we needed some water. I assumed the prices would be higher. I was surprised that water and drinks were priced reasonably. Shoreline is worth your time whether you're looking to learn something or just cruise along.

    Skyline
    Danae G.

    Booked both a skyline tour and an architectural boat tour through shoreline sightseeing. The booking was very quick and straightforward, guided by attentive staff. They helped us get our tickets so we could quickly get onto the boat and find out seata. The tour itself was very quality. For the architecture tour, our guide was very knowledgeable, charismatic, and funny. He made several jokes and puns making it a fun time. I ordered a wine from a delightful bartender and it was a gorgeous day. The architecture boat tour was one of the biggest highlights from the trip. The skyline tour is also enjoyable BUT there is not a live guide. The tour plays an audio recording about the history and facts about the lake, navy pier, and surrounding areas. Still absolutely gorgeous to view the city from the water. Would recommend this company and the tour but if you have to choose one, choose the architecture one!

    07.03.25 Lake Michigan Skyline Cruise in Chicago
    May A.

    Lake Michigan Skyline Cruise in Chicago We had a 4:00p reservation for a boat tour with the Shoreline Sightseeing Lake Tour. Meeting place was at Shoreline's dock on the west end of Navy Pier. There are benches and shade trees available while you wait to board. Prior to boarding they take your photo which is available for purchase after the tour. This tour did not include a live tour guide. It is a 45-min, pre-recorded narration boat tour that was presented in two sections. The route took us out to Lake Michigan, heading both north and south on the lake. We saw many of Chicago's famous landmarks and skyscrapers and, of course, Chicago's classic skyline views. It was a nice relaxing experience. We did take another boat tour the next day with another company that had a live tour guide. Review #3817

    Shayla M.

    I did the architecture boat tour with shoreline sightseeing. The tour is about 75 minutes long. There are two levels on the boat. The upper level does have a small shaded section but there are not many seats there. We ended up going downstairs. You could still see but I think upstairs would be better so you can have a complete view. Our tour guide Jim was amazing. You can tell he really enjoys explaining the history of Chicago.

    Sights form our seat
    Meena P.

    Great experience doing the architectural boat tour. Highly recommend it if in the Windy City. Booked through viator ... great deal for a 90 min tour. Our guide was great and very knowledgeable about the buildings, architects and the history. Gave us time to take our pics and soak in the sights. I loved all the unique stories that accompanied each building. Chicago has some great history. Easy to navigate this tour. We picked this tour up at Michigan ave. There is indoor and outdoor seating and a restroom and bar with snacks inside. If picky about seating get there early. They also take souvenir pics if you want to buy when you get off the boat. Great time exploring Chicago and loved doing it on the river green !!

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

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    Shoreline Sightseeing Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Shoreline Sightseeing

    Are there restrooms provided on the boat?

    Yes

    Are dogs allowed?

    Contact info Phone: 312.222.9328 ext. 1… Read more

    Where did you all park?

    Try ParkWhiz app to locate parking. There are a bunch of garages around.

    Did any one have a hard time redeeming their Groupon for the date they picked at the dock the day of the tour? Did they charge additional fees?

    I had no problem. They scan your barcode before you board. The Groupon was slightly cheaper than a regular ticket.

    Someone's review said that this is narrated by a recording? That would SUCK. Is it true?

    We did a tour a few weeks ago and had an awesome guide who narrated our tour. Definitely not a recording but I can't speak to all of their cruises. When in doubt, it would probably be a good idea to give them a call and check the specific cruise… Read more

    How long is the water taxi trip from navy pier to the museum campus?

    The water taxi trip is about 15-20 minutes long.

    Where does the boat tour depart from? It says 401 N. Michigan ave. Is there a landmark I can look for?

    There is an Apple store and their booth right in front of it. If you go down the steps by the Apple store you will see where you can line up for the tour.

    Is it necessary to buy tickets in advance or are there plenty of tickets available for walk up buyer?

    We didnt need to buy in advanced. But it was in the morning on a week day.

    For those in need of wheelchair accessibility, was shoreline a good fit?

    There are accessible tours available. Contact them in advance for times.

    View All 11 Questions

    Review Highlights - Shoreline Sightseeing

    Did the Architecture tour with Brooke and it was truly a great way to see Chicago for an architecture nerd!

    Mentioned in 199 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Family Secrets Tour - Frank Jr

    Family Secrets Tour

    5.0(66 reviews)
    1.0 miNear North Side

    Just went on the tour today. Frank is a really nice man and the tour is Great fun. Entertaining and…read moreI was totally captivated by the stories. There's other "Mob" tours but this is one where the guy giving the tour was actually there. He grew up with all these people around him and his family. Along with his book which I also highly recommend, I would say the entire tale is fascinating and I cannot wait for it to be a movie. After the tour you really feel empathy for what this guy and his family was put through as a result of the mafia street life. If you're visiting the city, or if you are a local, take this tour, you'll love it!

    This was probably one of the best tours I've been on, and my fiancé (who has very high standards…read moreabout these things) agrees. We booked a tour for Saturday at 2 pm. There were some technical difficulties and the TV system on the bus ended up not working. Mr. Frank Calabrese Jr was very professional and good-humored about the situation. He offered everyone on the bus the opportunity to come back free of charge so that we may have the full experience with the photos he had been intending to show us. He proceeded to do the tour without the presentation, which honestly was great in itself. He is a very good story-teller, and had a great narrative. He had notes with him but only referenced them a few times to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything. Everything was super authentic and off the cuff. I loved that we went around Chicago and we were able to get glimpses of how the city was like in the 60s-90s. What made this tour so great was that these stories were first-hand. It didn't come from someone who spent hours studying the history; this was his real life. He was very genuine about his experiences, and his anecdote about his kids at the very end of the tour made me tear up a bit. He even invited us to stay for happy hour at the Chop House to have a drink with him to talk. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone, regardless of whether you know the mob history or not. I personally didn't know too much, and still was captivated by his stories. He does have a book (which I definitely intend to read) and a movie in the works!

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    Family Secrets Tour - Tina Cruz and Liz Cote with Frank!!

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    Chicago Architecture Center

    Chicago Architecture Center

    4.8(812 reviews)
    0.7 miThe Loop

    chicago architecture center boat tour on the "the first lady" was well done. very rainy day but a…read morechoice of remaining upstairs out in the open, where we were given a big umbrella which was nice, or some of our group went downstairs out of the rain. liz our docent was so knowledgable and informing, 11 out of 10 for her.

    If you're in Chiago you have to do the Architecture tour at least once. If you're in Chicago…read moreduring the Summer as I was you can seek sanctuary in the air conditioned lower level. I wish the audio was a little bit louder on that level due to the sound of the fans and people talking. If you like my reviews, consider "following" my profile for reviews all across the SF Bay Area . Why "follow" someone? It causes the person you follow's reviews to tier to top when you pull up a business. I find this very handy when researching venues. Rod's Review grading scale explained. Essentially I personally base it on the likelihood of a return visit and I try to be stingy with 5 star reviews since they should be "special" in my eyes. Price/Value also play a role obviously but there are $ and $$$$ littered across my grading scale. 5 stars - "I'll go out of my way" (approx 6 % of my reviews) 4 stars- "If I was in the area I'd go here and would recommend", (approx 38% of my reviews) 3 stars "Maybe if was nearby", (approx 37% of my reviews) 2 stars -"Would likely not return, Only if you want to go", (approx 16% of my reviews) 1 star -"No thanks, even if I was hungry", (approx. 3 % of my reviews)

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    Chicago Architecture Center
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    Amazing right?

    Chicago River Boat Architecture Tours - Our boat

    Chicago River Boat Architecture Tours

    4.7(285 reviews)
    0.3 miNear North Side

    Highly recommend!…read more Easy to book online. Came in early June, 12:00pm reservation. I had booked a tour a year before but had to cancel last minute due to illness and they refunded me 100% the day before. Line started 30 minutes before the departure time so get there early if you want a specific spot. Chairs on top as well as some benches on the side. Seating area downstairs, bar, and complimentary water, lemonade, coffee/ tea. Nice bathrooms on board. Ed was an amazing tour guide, very knowledgeable and Chicago local who knows his history of the city!! Informative and funny! *Note: This is the only tour I've been on so I have nothing to compare it too. Some of the other tours looked bigger, I would probably try another one next time just to compare.

    Chicago riverboat architectural historical tour on main branch of river. Time to cruise…read more Nonstop 90 minutes. Talk about the architectural sky scraper wonders. foremost. Mind blowing enormously tall. Alot of humor and details on rental price @$400,000 a year. Famous people like Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey lived here. Willis seats tower 100 stories tall 1,052 in the Windy City Sky! It's the tallest! there are 37 drawbridges on the main branch river. That's all the facts in my head could remember. The river is alive! The buildings taller than Sequoia redwood trees or Oregon Douglas Fir. Glass, concrete and steel in assorted shapes - seemingly alive like a living tree. I feel the energy of the river and the buildings standing tall. Worth the moolah.

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    Chicago River Boat Architecture Tours - Boat top floor

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    Charnley-Persky House

    Charnley-Persky House

    3.3(6 reviews)
    1.4 miGold Coast, Near North Side

    One of the many Frank Lloyd Wright houses on our list, we bought tickets while in town…read more I will say apart from the house being somewhat contradictory to many attributes that make up a Wright design, the house was very nice. The tour however was probably one of the weakest I have been to. Our guide was forgetful and really didn't go over the basics with the house as we are accustomed to with Wright tours: commission of the home, Wright himself, change of hands with home, and while walking thru it- design aspects chosen inside the home. There's three levels - you only get to see two, and the second floor is currently an office so it is hard to get a real feel for the place. Easily the weakest tour we have been on

    I love the work of Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, so touring this house made perfect since…read moreas both were involved in its design. The mansion is located in a gorgeous corner of the Gold Coast and represents an important part of the city's architectural story. That being said, it's not the most impressive historic house I've ever been in. In fact, it wasn't the most impressive one I went in on that day. For me, the things that made this tour worth doing were the small details like the windows, doors, wood screen in the hallway, and the fireplace surround. There aren't many rooms and the furnishings are not original. The textured walls seem odd and the lighting has been altered in several places (like he sconces). The tour guide was very knowledgeable, but they don't know much about the original owners due to their private nature. The building is now used as offices, so the upstairs bedrooms contain desks and bookshelves rather than being set as they were intended. It takes some imagination when you walk though them. The house is only open two days a week - Wed and Sat. I bought tickets I advance, but you can probably get them in person most times. I'm glad I went, it the friend who accompanied me thought it wasn't as impressive as the other houses we toured that afternoon.

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    Shoreline Sightseeing - architecturaltours - Updated June 2026

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