CAC River Cruise aboard First Lady
The cruise that puts Architecture First. Voted one of the ten best boat tours in the United States by USA Today, as well as Chicago Reader's Best Tour for over ten years!
Lakeshore Living: Steel and Stone
See the evolution of deluxe residential buildings in and around Streeterville, from stately stone mansions to sleek glass high-rises.
This walking tour peels back the layers of luxury residential architecture that shape this neighborhood along the lakefront near Chicago's Magnificent Mile retail district, from Revival-style mansions to bold Art Deco apartments and supertall Modernist towers.
Architects and Styles
This tour explores the architectural evolution of the Streeterville neighborhood and the stories behind its most notable buildings. Along East Lake Shore Drive, see how gilded apartments by Marshall and Fox reflect turn-of-the-century grandeur and how high-end residential design evolved through the streamlined geometry of Art Deco to the structurally-innovative 875 North Michigan (formerly Hancock Center). Learn how architects including Fugard & Knapp, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill contributed to a changing skyline and how their work mirrors broader cultural and aesthetic shifts.
Know before you go:
This is an accessible tour, mostly on sidewalks with limited street crossings through the neighborhood. All walking is done on flat surfaces.
Accessibility
Terrain
Fully accessible and the majority is even flat surfaces, no alternate routes required.
Noise level
Somewhat noisy but listening devices offered
Accessibility
See all the options for accesibility here
Tour reviews
The Drake Hotel.
875 N. Michigan Ave.
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- Boat • our most popular tour!
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Lakeshore Living: Steel and Stone
See the evolution of deluxe residential buildings in and around Streeterville, from stately stone mansions to sleek glass high-rises.
- Walking
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Free Center Entry with Your Ticket
Ticket price includes entrance to the Chicago Architecture Center within 7 days of your walking or bus tour.
