First Lady

Reviews

• PI

  Pía Iezzi

  3 days ago
  1.0
  SCAMMERS. AVOID FIRST LADY CHICAGO. This was one of the worst customer service experiences I’ve ever had. First Lady oversells their boats, and if you don’t arrive at least 30 minutes early, you risk losing your spot—even if your confirmation email says otherwise. We arrived 10 minutes before departure, exactly as instructed in the email, and were told the boat was already full because they had oversold the tour. They simply refused to let us board. The only two “solutions” they offered were: * Take a later boat (which was impossible because we already had a lunch reservation). * Get a refund that will take up to 10 days to be credited back to my credit card. That’s not a solution. That’s unacceptable. I had also paid for a taxi to get there, and they didn’t even attempt to compensate us or take any responsibility for the extra costs their mistake caused. No apology, no alternative, no effort to help. To make matters even worse, the so-called “manager” was incredibly unprofessional and dismissive. If this is their standard of customer service, they seriously need to rethink who they put in front of customers. For a company that claims to be the best architecture cruise in Chicago, this was by far the worst experience I’ve had. Save yourself the frustration and book with one of the many other cruise companies in Chicago that actually respect their customers. I would never recommend First Lady to anyone.
• AA

  Andy

  6 days ago
  5.0
  This is THE architecture boat tour. The tour guide is a volunteer from the Chicago architecture center. We were lucky enough to have Alice as our guide today and she made the whole 90 minutes incredibly fascinating to someone who has honestly no interest whatsoever in architecture and was just looking for something to kill time. Can't recommend highly enough and will probably do this tour again the next time I'm back.
• CA

  Carla Arnette

  Jun 30, 2026
  5.0
  Harry was the best docent/historian I’ve ever encountered anywhere! And I’ve visited all 50 states and toured overseas. His knowledge (and humor) was unprecedented! He must have a photographic memory, because he told about every building we encountered—the architect, address, name, who it housed, how many stories, what year it was built, history, etc etc! We went under about 30 bridges and he knew the height and history of those too. Absolutely incredible!!!
• AA

  AYDIN

  Jun 28, 2026
  5.0
  We had a wonderful experience on the First Lady Architecture Boat Tour! The cruise along both the Chicago River and Lake Michigan offered breathtaking views of the city’s skyline. The scenery was absolutely stunning from start to finish. Our guide was knowledgeable, engaging, and very informative. He shared fascinating stories about Chicago’s iconic buildings, architecture, and history, making the tour both entertaining and educational. The boat was clean, comfortable, and well organized. Overall, it was a relaxing and memorable experience. If you’re visiting Chicago, this tour is definitely worth taking!
• AK

  Andre Kochetov

  Jun 21, 2026
  5.0
  The best way to see Chicago fireworks is from the boat. Nothing is more important to enjoy it fully than an intention to have good time, the curiosity about architecture, and eyes wide open to see all splender of big bangs. The good selection of seats will make a good experience perfect. Though the position of the boat depends on many factors, it follows the same pattern. Likely the left side when facing the front will enjoy direct unabstructed view of the fireworks. The show happens in the direction of the open Lake Michigan. The right side have the preference for the Chicago skyline. The stern (the vary back) has a good view for both but it is limited just to 5-7 people. To get the best seats it is best to pay a little extra for advance boarding. Still arriving within the last 10 minutes would put you to the very end of the special advance boarding line. If you cannot get advance boarding, it is best to come 35-40 minutes earlier. The biggest crown come at about 20 minutes before the barding. Then go first straight to the ipper deck to take your seats. Drinks and snack will be there for you any time. Enjoy! Even imperfect seating is worth the big city lights.