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
4.9
(71 Ratings)
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Odyssey782120
Oct 3, 2025
Educative and Fun Experience in Downtown Chicago - Rose was our guide and she did an excellent job of showing us Art Deco lobbies of buildings along the riverfront. A very enjoyable couple of hours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paulhq6619no
Oct 2, 2025
Good introduction to Art Deco - wary Ann was excellent guide and very knowledgeable. She Was able to provide just the right level of details about the Art Deco buildings along the river. The tour was the right length where we saw several buildings but was not overly long at 90 minutes. It helped me better understand the key elements of the Art Deco style.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
388ricc
Sep 28, 2025
See Chicago from Another Vantage Point - What a great addition to any trip to Chicago. Beautiful buildings that you marveled at from afar can now be seen from inside and out and you learn a great deal about the amazing history. Sandy was a great tour guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
432carolr
Sep 27, 2025
Highly recommend the Art Deco walking tour - Thoroughly enjoyed the Art Deco Skyscrapers - Riverfront walking tour with Ron Roman. The buildings are, of course, magnificent and Ron was an excellent guide, full of interesting information not often found in general guides.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fireresq39
Sep 20, 2025
Tourist in My Own City - I had a really enjoyable time on the Art Deco tour. I live in a Chicago but I love being a tourist in my own city and learning the history here. These tours are perfect for those two things! John I. was an excellent tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and funny. I will definitely book another tour soon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susan_l
Sep 20, 2025
Highly recommend - The buildings you see are gorgeous. Bob, our guide, was very knowledgeable, funny and enthusiastic. The walking is easy.
Review provided by Viator
113jimenap
Sep 14, 2025
Excellent tour - Very complete and explanatory of the time when these buildings were built. There were also descriptions of each of the buildings with their history and gossip
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jack
Sep 3, 2025
A wonderful “deep cuts” tour with amazing lobby visits… - Mary Ann was a wonderful guide to some of the more hidden Art Deco treasures in the loop. We saw some old favorites and some brand-new-to-us spaces. Mary Ann was smart, thoughtful, engaging and knowledgeable. A great tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
12chat
Aug 31, 2025
Great Tour - Fantastic tour and our guide, Mary Anne, was excellent. We learned a lot of interesting history of the art deco era in Chicago and how to recognize some of the key features on the buildings. The lobbies were gorgeous.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C8401meadamf
Aug 30, 2025
Can’t Miss - Mary Ann S. was a joy. You could feel her love for both Chicago and art-deco emanating from her. We were able to pass the art-deco test at the end of the tour. Like all CAC tours, you cannot go wrong… just be sure to wear your most comfortable walkers.
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).