Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fame”). The cruise points out both landmark buildings, such as the Gothic
1925 Tribune Tower, and contemporary ones, including the late-1980s NBC
Tower, constructed in wedding-cake style in homage to the city's old zoning
codes mandating that sunlight reach down to the street.
The docents generally do a good job of making the cruise enjoyable for visi-
tors with all levels of architectural knowledge. In addition to pointing out
famous buildings—Marina City, the Civic Opera House, the Sears Tower, to
name a few—they approach the sites thematically, explaining, for example, how
Chicagoans' use of and attitudes toward the river have changed over time.
Tours are $23 per person weekdays, $25 on weekends and holidays, and are
scheduled hourly every day June through October from 11am to 3pm (week-
ends only May and Nov). The trips are extremely popular, so purchase tickets
in advance through
Ticketmaster
(
&
312/902-1500;
www.ticketmaster.com/
Illinois), or avoid the service charge and buy your tickets at one of the founda-
tion's tour centers, 224 S. Michigan Ave. or the John Hancock Center, or from
the boat launch on the southeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive.
BY BUS
Reservations are required for all bus tours, although walk-ins are wel-
come if there's space.
Highlights by Bus
is a 3
1
⁄
2
-hour overview tour that covers the Loop, Hyde
Park—including a visit to the interior of Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House—and
the Gold Coast, plus several other historic districts. Tours are offered at 9:30am
Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays (Apr-Nov). Tickets are $30 per person;
tours depart from the Chicago Architecture Center at 224 S. Michigan Ave.
A 4-hour bus tour of Frank Lloyd Wright sights in
Oak Park
is offered on the
first Saturday of the month from May to October ($35). The tour includes
walks through three neighborhoods and commentary on more than 25 houses—
but does not take visitors inside Wright's home and studio. A separate 4-hour
bus tour offered on Tuesdays at 9:30am (July-Sept) takes Wright fans inside the
master's home and Oak Park's Unity Temple ($40). Both tours leave from the
Chicago Architecture Center.
The foundation also offers special theme bus tours periodically throughout
the year (recent subjects included Chicago movie palaces and historic churches).
ON FOOT
If you prefer exploring on your own two feet, the CAF offers a
variety of guided walking tours. For first-time visitors, I highly recommend two
tours that give an excellent introduction to the dramatic architecture of the
Loop:
Historic Skyscrapers,
which covers buildings built between 1880 and
1940, including the Rookery and the Chicago Board of Trade, and
Modern
Skyscrapers,
which includes modern masterpieces by Mies van der Rohe and
postmodern works by contemporary architects. The 2-hour tours cost $12 each
($20 for both) for adults and $9 each ($15 for both) for seniors and students.
The tours are offered daily and depart from the Chicago Architecture Center at
224 S. Michigan Ave. Call
&
312/922-TOUR
for exact tour times.
The CAF also offers more than 50
neighborhood tours,
visiting the Gold
Coast, River North, Grant Park, Old Town, the Jackson Boulevard Historic Dis-
trict, and even the Lincoln Park Zoo. Most cost $5 to $10 and last a couple of
hours. Call
&
312/922-TOUR
for details.
Every summer the
Chicago Historical Society
offers walking tours of the
neighborhoods surrounding the museum: the
Gold Coast, Old Town,
and
Lin-
coln Park.
Led by CHS docents, they average about four per month June
through August. Day and evening tours are available, and a few specialty walking
tours usually are offered as well. Tours are $10 per tour or $25 for a combination
