Chicago is one of our favorite weekend getaway destinations. In the city of skyscrapers, we’ve always wanted to take an architecture tour.
On a hot August weekend, we easily decided a tour by boat on the river was the “coolest” way to learn more about Chicago’s architecture.
Our tour began from Navy Pier, departing near the iconic Lake Point Tower condo building, the only condo building on the East side of Lake Shore Drive in downtown Chicago, we learned on our 75 minute tour.
As we sailed on the Chicago River, our guide shared tidbits about the buildings, architecture, engineering, and politics that made Chicago famous as the birthplace of the skyscraper.
The perspective from river level offers a unique view of Chicago landmarks such as Marina City, which has always been one of our favorites.
Chicago’s architecture spans many decades and design inspirations. Ground was broke for the Wrigley Building in 1920.
The tour was most interesting to us as we sailed south on the Chicago River. We were previously unaware of Pin Tom Park that flanks Chinatown along the river.
This distinctive bridge is the turn-around point for the tour. The bridge does rise for larger boats but on fewer occasions than the other bridges on the Chicago River throughout the city.
If you take the architectural boat tour, you will learn the reason for the holes in the concrete weights on this bridge.
Sailing back into downtown Chicago, we got a good view of River City, another mixed-use building designed by Bertrand Goldberg, the same architect famous for Marina City. River City was completed more than two decades later in 1986.
Of course we got a good view of the Willis Tower, once the world’s tallest and formerly known as the Sear’s Tower. Look closely at the photo above and you can see The Ledge. Yes, I’ve stepped in those little boxes before and looked down. Have you?
The Chicago Architecture River Tour costs $32 per person for adults. We thought it was a fun and informative tour.
Have you visited Chicago or lived there? What’s your favorite skyscraper?
Other Chicago posts:
- A Look Inside the Wit Hotel, Chicago
- A Look Inside the Hotel Chicago Downtown, Autograph Collection
- Fabulous Thin Crust Pizza in Chicago
- Walking and Eating With Chicago Food Planet Tours
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