First Lady

Reviews

• SW

  Steve Weagant

  4 days ago
  1.0
  This company does not provide accommodations for people with mobility issues. The only way to get to the dock areas is by descending several flights of stairs. I wrote a similar review about this company not addressing these concerns a couple of years ago. Today, when I voiced frustration to employees, they blamed the city of Chicago. Regardless of who is at fault, people with disabilities avoid this company and purchase tickets from Wendella. They have elevators.
• LS

  Lisa Sensmeier

  4 days ago
  5.0
  We enjoyed Wayne’s detailed explanations. I enjoyed it more than I expected because I learned more than I thought about the history and why buildings are built the way they are. Really amazing designs and the reasons behind building them that way, that only Chicago requires because of wind, space, and laws . Would recommend!
• RS

  Rares Andrei Sandru

  May 13, 2026
  5.0
  We had an excellent experience on the Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise aboard First Lady. The tour starts from a very convenient location and everything was well organized and punctual from the beginning. Our guide, Harry, was very knowledgeable, funny, and shared lots of interesting information about Chicago’s architecture in a very engaging way. The staff was also friendly and professional. We took the 10:00 AM cruise, which was less than half full, making it perfect for getting good spots for pictures and enjoying a more relaxed atmosphere. We definitely recommend arriving 15–20 minutes early for the best photo opportunities. The sound quality on the boat was also very good, making it easy to follow the explanations during the entire tour. Even though the price is on the higher side, it is definitely worth it for the 90-minute experience. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Chicago!
• KF

  Kathleen Frain

  May 13, 2026
  5.0
  An architectural boat tour through the Chicago Architecture Center, First Lady. Seven of us chose to spend a day in downtown Chicago exploring the architecture of some of the buildings and finishing with this boat tour. It was fantastic! Russell was the narrator for our tour and his depth of knowledge was remarkable. For 90 minutes he kept up a non-stop description of most every building we could see as we traveled up and down the Chicago River and its branches. His knowledge of the history added to the appreciation of the buildings. We sat outside on the top of the boat which was almost full with visitors from around the world. For 90 minutes we all were riveted to what he was saying and what we were seeing. The admission fee was reasonable for the amount of information we received. Even the weather cooperated with the sun popping out for the bulk of the tour. There are beverages and snacks available for purchase. There are also restrooms on the boat. I would recommend anyone, whether you are a native illinoisan or a visitor to the beautiful city of Chicago, to take this tour.
• BL

  Brendan Lash

  May 9, 2026
  5.0
  We loved the tour. The boat was fun, the views were beautiful, and the horn was very cute. Anthony was our guide and we loved him. He was so nice and funny, and you can tell he really loves architecture. Lisa, be proud. You raised a river king. The Tribune Building was the obvious star. The other buildings were cute, but she was there to win. 10/10. Would boat again.