Chicago Fireboat Tour: Historic River Cruise

Explore Chicago’s history on a retired fireboat, Fred A Busse. Discover architecture and fire stories on this unique river tour.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Chicago Riverwalk - Explore Chicago aboard the historic Fireboat, the Fred A Busse, Engine 41, navigating the same waterways where it once battled fires and provided emergency services. Our knowledgeable tour guides will lead you along the Chicago River, showcasing the city’s architecture, history, and the boat’s significant role with the Chicago…
What's Included
  • Cruise on a piece of Chicago history
  • Expert narration of Chicago’s history & architecture
  • On-board restrooms
What's Not Included
  • Snacks
  • Carbonated beverages
  • Alcoholic beverages
Additional Information

Embark on a historical journey, exploring the history of the Chicago Fire and its architecture! Cruise along the Chicago River and take in the sights. Ideal for fire enthusiasts, families, and everyone in between! Our flagship vessel, the Fred A. Busse, Engine 41, is a retired Chicago fire boat that served the city from 1937 to 1981. The cabin walls are…

Location
Chicago Fireboat Tours
North DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Dusable Harbor. River side.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(9 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
244patriciaa244
Sep 25, 2025
A great tour - We thoroughly enjoyed our small group tour on the Fireboat. Our guide was very knowledgeable and witty. Very relaxed adventure. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F1278rzsaral
Aug 7, 2025
Fireboat Tour August 2025 - I went on this tour with my husband and we loved it. It was really cool to see the retired fireboat and all the memorabilia. Getting some of the history of the boat along with history and architecture of the city was unique. Going out on the lake and river was very cool as well. Cliff was our guide and he was great!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sjstak
Jul 20, 2025
OUTSTANDING EXPERIENCE FOR ENTIRE FAMILY - What a great way to spend a Saturday in Chicago by being part of a historic boat! The crew was so amazing. I have mobility issues and the entire crew looked after me to ensure I was taken care of. The tour guide was so very knowledgeable. It astounded me how much he knew and how he rattled off facts without notes for 2 hours. Would recommend this tour for everyone who wants to learn about architecture and about Chicago history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Exceldream
Jul 9, 2025
Fabulous, entertaining cruise - The trip was lovely and interesting. Chicago history and buildings were described. It was just the right amount of information. I’d recommend it highly - my favorite part of my Chicago visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A8555iledithm
Jul 2, 2025
The best tour I've had in years! - We were running a little late because the taxi dropped us in the wrong place. I'm disabled and don't walk fast. We sent our daughter ahead to let the boat know we were coming, but then the boat called us to let us know they'd wait for us and not to hurry too much. Then and there, this tour earned five stars. And it only got better. Two things were really great besides the views themselves (it was a lovely sunny afternoon with low humidity, which was great in itself): (1) Cliff the tour guide was excellent -- funny, knowledgeable, entertaining. He taught us so much about the history of Chicago. (2) The sound system was excellent. Both my husband and I are hearing-impaired, and we could understand every word. That's rare on guided tours, in our experience. The fireboat tour is an outstanding way to see downtown Chicago!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aneu714
Jun 22, 2025
Why take a boring boat when you can take a fireboat? - Great tour for the whole family. Sunny spots and shaded available. There was room to move around to be comfortable. No risk of motion sickness (that's something we are very sensitive to). Why take a boring boat when you can take a fireboat? Very cool.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janpc8848zw
Apr 26, 2025
Best guided tour of my life. - This was the best guided tour we have ever taken. Picture this: it’s windy, cold, and raining and my wife and I are the only takers for the Noon Fireboat tour. I’m figuring they will offer to give us our money back and send us on our way. Not at all. Captain and co-owner, Ray, assured us that the tour was on. We were then introduced to the entire crew and then storyteller extraordinaire and tour guide, Cliff, sat down at our table. With hot coffee to warm us up we sat on the wind-protected aft deck and listened to the fascinating history of the Chicago waterfront. Cliff is a native Chicagoan who has a love for Chicago and a deep knowledge of its history and architecture. Well worth it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anna_v
Apr 14, 2025
Amazing! - Great experience, great tour guide, very knowledgeable and funny and great historical boat. 100% better than bigger more commercial boats! Definitely recommend!!!
Review provided by Viator
Eg4309
Apr 13, 2025
Terrific! - Wonderful tour on a terrific little vessel with great history. It was a real plus to have small crowd on this tour - some of the other boat tours were PACKED and this had such an easy going vibe and top notch narration.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $47
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).