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Finds The Wright Stuff in the Gold Coast
Architecture junkies also might want to inquire about house tours of the Charn-
ley-Persky House ( & 312/915-0105 or 312/573-1365), designed by Frank Lloyd
Wright and Louis Sullivan in 1891. The house is located in the Gold Coast at 1365
N. Astor St. and would make a nice highlight to an informal walking tour of the
area. One-hour tours are given on Wednesday at noon (free) and Saturday from
April to November at 10am and 1pm ($5); reservations are not accepted.
The docents generally do a good job of making the cr uise enjoyable for visitors with all
levels of ar chitectural knowledge. In addition to pointing out buildings—M arina City,
the Civic Opera House, the Sears Tower—they approach the sites thematically, explain-
ing, for example, ho w Chicagoans' use of and attitudes to ward the riv er have changed
over time.
Tours are $28 per person weekdays, $30 on weekends and holidays, and begin hourly
every day June through October from 11am to 3pm (with more limited schedules in May
and Nov). The trips are extremely popular, so purchase tickets in advance through Tick-
etmaster ( & 312/902-1500; www.ticketmaster.com), or av oid the ser vice charge and
buy tickets at one of the foundation's tour centers or from the boat launch on the south-
east corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive.
If you want to squeeze a lot of sightseeing into a limited time, try Highlights by Bus,
a 3 1 / 2 -hour o verview tour that co vers the Loop , H yde Park—including a visit to the
interior of Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House—and the Gold Coast, plus sev eral other
historic districts. Tours start at 9:30am on Wednesday and Saturday from December to
March, from April to N ovember on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and S unday. Tickets
are $40 for adults and $35 for students and seniors.
A 4-hour Frank Lloyd Wright by Bus tour, which visits Frank Lloyd Wright sights in
Oak Park ($52 adults; $48 seniors and students), is av ailable on Tuesdays from May to
October. Also av ailable is the Frank Lloyd Wright Neighborhoods by Bus tour ($40
adults; $35 seniors and students), which goes through three neighborhoods and provides
commentary on more than 25 houses—but does not take visitors inside Wright's home
and studio. Some of the tours are pretty long and involved for younger kids (such as the
4-hr. bus tour of Frank Lloyd Wright sites in Oak Park), but check the website or call for
the latest and gr eatest offerings. F or example, a one-time summer tour called “ A View
from the R oad” offer ed a tour of Chicago 's r oadside attractions. The tour included a
lunch stop at the famed Superdawg drive-in with commentary by its owner and designer,
and visits to the original Ray Kr oc McDonald's in D es Plaines and the Leaning Tower
YMCA in Niles (yes, it's a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa!). Other special theme bus
tours have included Chicago movie palaces and historic churches. Like I said, you never
know, so give them a call.
If you prefer exploring on your own, the CAF offers a variety of guided walking tours.
For first-time visitors, I highly recommend two tours for an excellent introduction to the
dramatic architecture of the Loop. Historic Skyscrapers (10am-3pm Wed-Tues) covers
buildings built between 1880 and 1940, including the R ookery and the Chicago Boar d
of Trade; Modern Skyscrapers (1pm daily; additional tour at 5:30pm on F ri) includes
modern masterpieces b y Mies van der R ohe and postmodern wor ks by contemporar y
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