First Lady

Reviews

• JH

  Joe Herrschaft

  Feb 28, 2026
  5.0
  Really , really, really impressive experience. We learned a lot, while enjoying the sites all at once. Docent was well informed and interesting. Full bar downstairs. Fantastic views up top. Definitely a MUST DO in Chicago.
• JE

  Josh E.

  Feb 22, 2026
  5.0
  Great way to see Chi-town!
• KS

  Kristen Sohacki

  Dec 15, 2025
  5.0
  I have lived in Chicagoland my whole life but never took any of the architecture tours. I had a fantastic time and learned so much. The tour was well organized and easy to get to. Our tour guide John was amazing. He was very knowledgeable and an excellent speaker. I highly recommend this tour.
• SS

  Scott Smith

  Dec 14, 2025
  5.0
  You get to ride in a boat, you get to learn things, and you get to see amazing stuff. What's not to like? There are a number of businesses that run these tours but to my knowledge this is the only one run by a non-profit, the CAC. The CAC's mission is to celebrate and promote Chicago as a center or architectural innovation, to promote the building of vibrant communities, and to inspire all (especially youth) to unlock their hidden talents and vision in making our city a better place. The tour is what you would expect - a ride down the river and then back out onto the lake before returning to the dock. A very well-informed docent leads the tour. I'm not sure about their entire fleet, but the boat we were on had a completely open-air top level. This was great for us because the weather was nice but be aware that there's the possibility of being exposed to the elements (not just rain, but also hot/cold temps). There are obviously lots of tourists from all over the world on the boat, but there are also native Chicagoans who simply want to remind themselves of what a spectacular place we live in. Hearing adults ooh and aah over the grace and beauty that is our skyline is simply wonderful. None of the boat tours are cheap, but remember that in this particular case, your ticket cost is helping to support an organization that is not seeking profits but rather seeking to promote a better understanding of Chicago itself. For my money, that's a win. Amazing experience!
• KS

  Ken Sellers

  Dec 11, 2025
  5.0
  Best architecture tour I've ever taken. Cynthia narrated practically non-stop, always perfectly in time with the widely varying buildings we were passing. I was especially impressed that her cadre of tour guides doesn't accept tips; they do it for the best of reasons. And I must say, I came away liking Chicago a lot more. The only thing that detracted was a jerk behind us that felt the need to boo a certain tower and make periodic political comments. I mean, c'mon man - he's not here. Chill.