Chicago Architecture Foundation and Architecture Boat Tour

- Chicago River, Wolf Point, Sears Tower, Wrigley Building, Loop, Downtown, Navy Pier, 333 Wacker Drive, Aqua, Illinois Center, Bridges

 

Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF), is a nonprofit cultural organisation, that helps people to discover the architecture of Chicago. They are famous for their boat tours, walking tours, bus tours (totally 85 tours!) and for their headquarters at 224 S Michigan Avenue. The HQ is situated in the Santa Fe Building (also called Railway Exchange Bldg) just opposite Grant Park right in downtown Chicago, and is famous for its large white scale model of Chicago, including all famous landmarks, that is situated in its beautiful atrium. It is updated annually with the latest structures. In the building there is a souvenir shops that sells architecture themed products and tickets to the tours and a LEGO architecture studio. The Santa Fe Bldg is a beautiful white building from 1904, designed by Daniel Burnham and FP Dinkelberg.

CAF was founded in 1966 to save the Glessner house, one of Chicago's oldest residences, built in prairie house style. Every year in October, the world's largest architecture tour is held, Open House Chicago. It is free and gives access to buildlings interiors that you normally cannot visit.

Chicago River is a river flowing through the north part of downtown Chicago, to the west of downtown, and continues far to the North in the outskirts and far to the Southwest of Chicago. Lots of different ships passes, many of them guide boats and private boats, and all bridges can be open when larger ships have to pass, causing traffic chaos on the roads. The confluence of the main, South and North branches of Chicago River, is called the Wolf Point, is situated in downtown and surrounded by skyscrapers.

The architecture river cruise is highly recommended, even if you are not into architecture, it is ranked among the top 10 Tripadvisor tours in the US! The boat takes you along the central parts of Chicago River and passes famous landmarks, while the guide speaks about them, and tells interesting facts that are hard to find. The tour lasts about one hour and departs from the Chicago Riverwalk, just beneath Magnificent Mile. Some of the most famous landmarks it passes is Sears Tower (world's tallest building for 25 years, 108 floors), Tribune Tower (famous gothic vintage skyscraper), Trump Tower (98 floors), 333 Wacker Drive (prominent glass scraper situated where three brances of the river crosses), Illinois Center (new skyscraper development), Reid and Murdock Bldg, Merchandise Mart (largest building in the world upon completion), the Civic Opear Building, Boeing's HQ, River City Condominiums, Marina City (these two are designed by the same architect) and Navy Pier. At the end of the tour, that takes 1.5 hours, you will see skyline views from the Eastern end of Chicago River.

We made the tour in the late summer evening (in June), not to recommend though, since the sunlight is very low and dazzling.

 

Architecture River Cruise:

Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 01 -start point at Magnificent Mile Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 02 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 03 - Michigan Avenue Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 04 - Chicago River Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 05 - Wrigley Bldg and Tribune Tower Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 06  - Chicago River Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 07 - Wrigley mirroring in Trump Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 08 - Trump Tower Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 09 - London house, Mather Bldg, Wyndham hotel Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 10 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 11 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 12 - Marina City Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 13 - Marina City Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 14 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 15 - Reid Murdoch Building Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 16  - Reid Murdoch Building Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 17 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 18 - Merchandise Mart Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 19 - Merchandise Mart Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 20 - 333 Wacker Drive Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 21  - Merchandise Mart Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 22 - Chicago Sun Times Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 23 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 24 - Chicago River Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 25 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 26 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 27 - Chicago and Northwestern Railway Bridge Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 28 - Fulton House Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 29 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 30 - Kinzie St Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 31 - Hubbard Place Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 32 - Northwest end of downtown Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 33 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 34 - Looking East Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 35 - Wolf Point, the confluence of Chicago River's branches Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 36 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 37 - Boeing HQ Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 38  - Boeing HQ Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 39 - Civic Opera Bldg Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 40 - Civic Opera Bldg Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 41 - Madison St Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 42 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 43 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 44 - Adams St Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 45 - Sears Tower from the river Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 46 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 47  - Sears Tower from the river Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 48 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 49 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 50 - Sears Tower and 311 South Wacker Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 51  - River City Condominiums Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 52 - River City Condominiums Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 53 - Sears Tower from the south Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 54 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 55 - Sears Tower Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 56 - Sears Tower and 311 South Wacker Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 57 - Chicago Board of Trade Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 58 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 59- Sears Tower and 311 South Wacker Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 60 - Sears Tower Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 61 - Sears Tower with the Ledge Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 62 - Madison St Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 63 - Civic Opera Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 64 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 65 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 66 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 67 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 68 - 333 Wacker Drive Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 69 - L train above Wells St Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 70 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 71 - Chicago Riverwalk Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 72 - Chicago Riverwalk Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 73 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 74 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 75 - Aon Center, Hard Rock Hotel, 2 Prudential Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 76 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 77 - Aqua Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 78 - NBC Bldg Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 79 - Illinois Center Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 80 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 81 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 82 - Lake Point Tower Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 83 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 84  - Lake Point Tower Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 85 - Navy Pier Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 86 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 87 - Skyline from the East Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 88  - Skyline from the East Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 89  - Skyline from the East Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 90  - Skyline from the East Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 91  - Lake Point Tower Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 92  - Lake Point Tower Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 93 - Fire boat in front of South Loop Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 94 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 95 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 96 - Swissotel, Aqua Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 97 Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 98 - the boat Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Tour 99 - the boat Chicago Riverfront skyline

 

 

Chicago Architecture Foundation, office and shop at S Michigan Avenue:

Chicago Architecture Foundation 01 Chicago Architecture Foundation 02 Chicago Architecture Foundation 03 Chicago Architecture Foundation 04 Chicago Architecture Foundation 05 Chicago Architecture Foundation 06 Chicago Architecture Foundation 07 Chicago Architecture Foundation 08 Chicago Architecture Foundation 09 Chicago Architecture Foundation 10 Chicago Architecture Foundation 11 Chicago Architecture Foundation 12 Chicago Architecture Foundation 13 Chicago Architecture Foundation 14 Chicago Architecture Foundation 15Chicago Architecture Foundation inside Santa Fe Building (left)