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Chicago Walking Tour: Historic Skyscrapers

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Chicago, United States
Chicago Walking Tour: Historic Skyscrapers
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Chicago Walking Tour: Historic Skyscrapers
Auditorium Building
Marquette Building. Photo by Eric Allix Rogers.
The Rookery. Photo by Eric Allix Rogers.
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From $30.00

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Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn more
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Safety measures
icon1 hour 30 minutes  (approx.)
Mobile ticket
iconOffered in: English

Overview

Explore the Loop's famous architecture during this 2-hour walking tour with an expert guide from the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Discover the beginnings of the Chicago School of Architecture through visits to some of the city's oldest skyscrapers, dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This sophisticated, informative tour is a must-do for history and architecture buffs.
  • Historic Chicago Loop Skyscrapers
  • See Chicago architecture
  • Guided walking tour through historic Chicago - see the earliest skyscrapers, built between the 1870s and the 1930s
  • Learn about the architects who influenced the city's architecture
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From $30.00

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Narration by a professional and certified Guide
Historic walking tour of Chicago's architecture
Admission to the Galleries of the Chicago Architecture Center
Food and drinks
Coat check
Storage for luggage and strollers
410 S Michigan Ave , 410 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
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This tour meets at 410 S. Michigan Ave., outside the Fine Arts Building.

Monadnock Building , 53 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604, USA
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Monadnock Building. Actual ending location may vary.

Meet your expert guide at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, located on Michigan Avenue across from the Art Institute. (See Itinerary section below for detailed directions). Stroll through the Loop area, stopping at multiple buildings and listening to engaging commentary from your guide. You'll see some of the city's earliest skyscrapers, dating from the 1870s to the 1930s. Learn about the architects who influenced the city's aesthetics and how the buildings shaped the city's culture. 
Visit the following buildings, among others:
• The Rookery, a National Historic Landmark
• The Auditorium Building, a Louis Sullivan masterpiece
• Chicago Board of Trade Building, one of the city's finest examples of Art Deco architectureYour tour ends back at its departure point after 2 hours.
Itinerary
Stop At:  
Fine Arts Building
Meet here to start the tour.
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Duration: 10 minutes
Admission Ticket Free
Stop At:  
Auditorium Building
View the building from the outside
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Duration: 10 minutes
Admission Ticket Free
Stop At:  
The Rookery Building
View the building from the outside
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Duration: 10 minutes
Admission Ticket Free
Stop At:  
Chicago Board of Trade Building
View the exterior of the building
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Duration: 5 minutes
Admission Ticket Free
Stop At:  
Marquette Building
View the building from the outside
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Duration: 5 minutes
Admission Ticket Free
Stop At:  
Monadnock Building
View the exterior of the building
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Duration: 5 minutes
Admission Ticket Free
Stop At:  
Chicago Architecture Center
This building is not directly part of the tour, however, the tour ticket includes admission to the galleries at the Chicago Architecture Center
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Duration: 1 minute
Admission Ticket Included
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • This tour will depart from the Fine Arts Building, 410 S Michigan Ave.
  • Tour Guides are trained and certified by the CAC. As volunteers, they are exceptionally motivated, enthusiastic, and capable interpreters of Chicago's world-class architectural legacy. CAC tours are the real deal - narrated, but not scripted, led by Chicago enthusiasts.
  • Not recommended for young children.
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
  • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • The Chicago Architecture Center or CAC (formerly the Chicago Architecture Foundation, CAF) is at the south end of the Magnificent Mile near the intersection of Michigan and Wacker.
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
  • OPERATED BY Chicago Architecture Center
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Learn more about cancellations.

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Q:
What is the policy on face masks and attendee health during Chicago Walking Tour: Historic Skyscrapers?
A:The policies on face masks and attendee health are:

  • Face masks required for travelers in public areas
  • Face masks required for guides in public areas
See all safety measures taken by Chicago Walking Tour: Historic Skyscrapers.

Traveler Photos

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Reviews

4.5
star-4.5
50 Reviews
5 stars
42
4 stars
6
3 stars
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2 stars
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1 star
2

Reviews by Viator travelers

Showing 1-10 of 50 reviews
star-5
Great experience!
Brian_C
, May 2022
My wife and I learned a lot! Deborah was very passionate about the living history of the skyscraper. One-of-a-kind tour!
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star-5
Wonderful
Theresa_S
, Sep 2021
Chicago is a beautiful city - but walking and listening to the history and the builders and designs make Chicago even more beautiful! Our guide was very knowledgeable and wonderful.
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star-5
amazing city and amazing architecture...
Liza D
, Apr 2018
amazing city and amazing architecture. Did this tour on sunday, and some buildings were closed.
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star-5
If you are in any way interested in...
Martin K
, Sep 2017
If you are in any way interested in architecture and particularly Art Deco, this is a must do tour. Our guide was passionate about the subject, and showed us some absolute masterpieces. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
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star-4
A little disappointing in the boring...
Stefan John W
, Sep 2017
A little disappointing in the boring facts -- and or lack of Modern Chicago far mire interesting ----
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star-5
WOW!! What a wonderful tour.. The...
Carolyn N
, Aug 2017
WOW!! What a wonderful tour.. The Guide was outstanding and kept us all so interested!! So worth the money...
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star-5
The docent was great. Highly suggest...
Elizabeth M
, Aug 2017
The docent was great. Highly suggest this tour if you have a limited time in chicago like I did (
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star-5
Audrey was a fantastic tour guide! She...
Jennifer P
, Apr 2017
Audrey was a fantastic tour guide! She really had insight into the buildings and was knowledgeable about Chicago architecture in general. This tour was definitely worth the time and money.
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star-5
Excellent! Our tour guide, Angela...
Betsy W
, Apr 2017
Excellent! Our tour guide, Angela Platt, was wonderful. She had a lot of knowledge about all of the buildings. We learned things about the different styles of architecture and she took us in the buildings and pointed out the inside and the styles inside. I would highly recommend this tour.
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star-5
Wonderful! Learned a lot. The Chicago...
enlin P
, Nov 2016
Wonderful! Learned a lot. The Chicago Architectural Foundation's volunteer docents are amazing! Go for it!!
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star-5
This was an amazing tour. Our guide was...
Desiree W
, Oct 2016
This was an amazing tour. Our guide was so knowledgeable and shared so much information that we could not have gotten from a book. It was a happy end to my Chicago conference! Desiree Woodland, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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star-4
Hotel is in very nice position, nice...
Lamberti F
, Aug 2016
Hotel is in very nice position, nice rooms with great view. Personnel extremely kind and available. Only issue is Internet : not for business purposes , it gets disconnected all the time.
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star-5
Fantastically knowledgeable guide. Very...
Klemensberg A
, Aug 2016
Fantastically knowledgeable guide. Very informative and entertaining. Highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in architecture and/or Chicago history.
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star-5
À wonderful tour with à very...
E.G. K
, Jul 2016
À wonderful tour with à very knowledgable guide. I would recommand this tour to anyone looking for in-depth information.
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star-5
Very good tour. Guide was extremely...
AMY H
, Jun 2016
Very good tour. Guide was extremely knowledgeable.
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star-1
Our guide rushed us through a bit, but...
MGho
, Apr 2016
Our guide rushed us through a bit, but he had a large group to manage. Overall, a good tour.
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star-4
The tour felt slightly rushed, but our...
MGho
, Apr 2016
The tour felt slightly rushed, but our guide had a large group to manage. Overall it was very informative and enlightening.
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star-5
Very good tour, very interesting and...
Mathilde B
, Dec 2015
Very good tour, very interesting and the tour guide did a perfect job explaining everything !
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star-5
This was without a doubt my favourite...
Amy J
, Oct 2015
This was without a doubt my favourite tour in Chicago. As an architect I found our guide very informative and the buildings themselves awe inspiring. I would definitely recommend this tour for those looking for an incredible insight into the designs of the Chicago School architects.
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star-5
Terrific! Our tour Gide was fabulous...
Tiny
, May 2015
Terrific! Our tour Gide was fabulous and we learned tons!
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