Chicago River Cruise
Last fall I had the opportunity to take an Architecture Tour aboard Chicago’s First Lady Cruises and I am so excited to share my experience with you because this weekend their 2015 season launches and this is one tour you don’t want to miss! My mom and I took the cruise on an unseasonably warm late October afternoon and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience!
Our tour took us along the Chicago River which has 57 bridges (37 of them are movable) and is lined with building after building of architectural significance. The famous Clock Tower used to be the headquarters for the Chicago Cubs and is modeled after a building in Seville and features a 22-foot diameter clock. The Montgomery Ward building was the largest building in the world when it was originally built and has now been converted to an office building anchored by GroupOn. The Merchandise Mart is enormous and has 5,500 windows and houses a retail hall of fame.
Enjoy a few pictures from our tour and I don’t think I can say enough good things about this tour and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Chicago from April-November! I’d love to hear, what is your favorite thing to do in Chicago?
Disclaimer: In exchange for my honest review of this venue, I was provided free entry as well as additional tickets for my family.
12 Comments
Eden
Great review. I have been to Chicago a few times and haven’t done this tour yet, looks like fun!
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Seana Turner
That looks so fun, and something different to do. Chicago really has a lot of terrific architecture, and watching from the water while cruising along sounds so fun. I think I’m adding this to my list…
Bev
I went on an architectural river cruise in Chicago years ago and it was so interesting! Definitely one of the highlights of that trip. The history of and architecture in Chicago is so interesting!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
I didn’t know I was going to enjoy learning about the history and architecture as much as I did, but it was amazing!
Samantha Angell
This looks like such a fun trip! I haven’t been to Chicago in years, but used to go every winter with my mom and aunt as a girls trip. I think my favorite part about visiting Chicago (or any city, really!) is the people watching. There are always os many great people to watch and observe!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
The people watching in Chicago is excellent…especially if you head over to the Bean and surrounding areas!
Lux Ganzon
Cruising looks so much fun and refreshing compared to usual transit. I wish there’s one around our city.
jmdenouden@gmail.com
It was definitely a unique way to visit the city!
Kirsten
The architectural tour is one of the best ways to see our city, especially if you get a day of nice weather. Unfortunately we got rain half way through our journey so we only enjoyed about half the tour, but I would love to take it again and would highly recommend it! Tons of information about the history of Chicago!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
I would definitely recommend this tour for anyone visiting Chicago…it was just amazing!
Josi @ The American Mama
57 bridges!? That’s a lot! I can’t believe I lived in the midwest for 17 years and never, ever roadtripped my way up to Chicago. I have some family there, so maybe I should take a trip. I am living vicariously through your cruise photos – haha totally different kind of cruise than I am used to! Chicago seems beautiful.
jmdenouden@gmail.com
The number of bridges is crazy and when we there there it happened to be one of the few days a year when they raise all the bridges…quite a sight to see! Chicago is hands down one of my top three favorite cities in the U.S….you should definitely visit!