Chicago Walking Tour: Art Deco Skyscrapers

Step back in time and explore the opulent Art Deco skyscrapers of Chicago’s Roaring ‘20s. Discover the origins of Art Deco and admire iconic buildings on this engaging tour.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Chicago River - Discuss buildings built in the Art Deco style along the riverfront
  • 333 Michigan Ave - View the exterior of the building
  • Carbide and Carbon Building - View the Carbide and Carbon Building
  • 66 E Wacker Pl - Visit the former Chicago Motor Club Building, 66 E Wacker Place
  • 182 W Lake St - Visit the Trustees System…
What's Included
  • Admission to the Chicago Architecture Center Galleries
  • Professional, certified guide narration
What's Not Included
  • Coat check
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off
  • Storage for luggage or strollers
Additional Information

Explore the foyers of five lavish Art Deco towers constructed near the Chicago River’s shores during the commercial surge of the Roaring ‘20s. Understand how Art Deco embodied the period’s spirited optimism through its use of sumptuous materials and geometric adornment. Uncover the roots of Art Deco whilst appreciating edifices like the Carbide and…

Location
Chicago Architecture Center
East Wacker Drive
Meet inside the Chicago Architecture Center at 111 E Wacker Drive. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour departure time.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(51 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Kristenwd4182zf
Apr 19, 2025
An experience to remember! - The river cruise exceeded our expectations. It was beautiful and spectacular! Our tour guide Chris was very knowledgeable and his knowledge was expansive. Clearly, he has done his homework on every building and loves what he does. It was a highlight of our first trip to Chicago! Thank you for making it so memorable!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
E1288snmaureenw
Mar 7, 2025
Art Deco: The Riverfront---a great tour! - I took the Art Deco Riverfront tour with Russ S today, and it was outstanding. He gave great details about the art deco characteristics of each building, and had very engaging stories at many of the stops. So knowledgeable! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michaelbv1373us
Feb 18, 2025
CAC Art Deco Lobbies - CAC provides some of the best tours with very informed and passionate docents. The tour guide was very friendly, and had many connections with staff of the buildings we toured inside to give us some great inside scoop. Will definitely book again in the future!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michaelhr7467vu
Dec 14, 2024
Fun and informative - Very fun and informative tour. The buildings were beautiful and the docent, Marcia provided great context. I loved going into the lobbies and noticing the recurring themes.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
X6353xhkimh
Dec 12, 2024
Fantastic tour in spite of freezing cold!! - Mitch (our tour guide) was excellent!! Very knowledgeable, friendly, mindful of the fact it was 9 degrees when we started so asked us several times if we were ok or needed to step into another building to warm up. Just a fantastic tour of these beautiful historic buildings. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Luizinr
Oct 22, 2024
First Lady tour is perfect by all means - Amazing tour. Amazing guide with so much knowledge. We took a lot of pictures. Learnt so much about the city, all the stories about the architecture were amazing
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Travelsara13
Oct 22, 2024
A fantastic way to experience the City of Architecture - Definitely a great way to learn about Chicago's stunning architecture! You'll see spaces and details you might not otherwise have noticed, and learn all sorts of interesting facts. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Seahorse1340
Oct 17, 2024
Chicago art deco buildings - Our guide was Rebecca, who was wonderful. She was very knowledgeable about the subject, which made the tour interesting. The group had various questions and she answered them with great details. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ar123456_13
Oct 16, 2024
Amazing buildings and great lobbies - Amazing buildings and great lobbies. Good insights into the historic city and a fascinating tour. Jill C was a very knowledgeable and friendly guide!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessefl8895bc
Oct 10, 2024
Knowledgeable and excellent - I loved this tour – our guide Mitch was very knowledgeable and had a quick wit, to boot! It was great to see some classic Art Deco interiors (which I would not have known about otherwise) and learn what separates the style from Art Nouveau.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $35
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).