Chicago Architecture Center's River Cruises return

Recognized two years in a row as one of the best boat tours in North America, the official Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady kicks off its 2023 season today, Friday, March 31. This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the tour, operated in partnership by Chicago’s First Lady Cruises and the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC). The CAC River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady is the only cruise narrated by CAC-certified volunteer docents who thrill guests with their wealth of knowledge about Chicago’s “canyon of architecture.”

Lauded as a “must-do” activity by locals and tourists alike, the 90-minute CAC River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady glides down all three branches of the Chicago River, providing guests with an unobstructed, open-air, 360-degree view of the city’s wide variety of architectural styles, including art deco, neoclassicism, mid-century modernism and postmodernism. CAC-certified volunteer docents share the fascinating stories of more than 50 buildings and 13 bascule bridges along the river, and backstories of some the iconic figures responsible for them.

To further enhance accessibility for guests, the CAC River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady will provide complimentary language translation services for the first time—making it the only Chicago architecture River Cruise to offer this service. Guests will have the opportunity to listen to a pre-recorded tour narration on their smartphone in four different languages, including Spanish, French, Japanese and Korean. The translation service is accessible by downloading a free app that connects directly to a special wi-fi network onboard. The narration is triggered based on the location of the vessel at that time in the tour’s route, which will help ensure those who use the technology have the same experience as others listening to live narration.  

A portion of proceeds from each CAC River Cruise ticket supports the CAC’s nonprofit educational mission. In pursuit of the CAC’s mission to inspire people to discover why design matters, the CAC produces programs for children, students, teens and families. Teen Saturday Studio and Girls Build! programs proactively advance diversity, inclusion and representation in STEM fields and ACED careers, while field trips, award-winning publications and online tools expand the CAC’s reach into communities across and beyond Chicagoland.

As a fourth-generation family-owned and operated company, Chicago’s First Lady Cruises celebrates other local businesses by offering guests the opportunity to purchase locally-based food and drinks aboard its tours, from Revolution Brewing, Silverland Bakery and Open Water.

Boarding and Ticket Information

The CAC River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady departs from the Michigan Avenue Bridge at Wacker Drive on Chicago's Riverwalk just three blocks north of Millennium Park. Daily tours of the CAC River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady begin Friday, March 31.

Tickets start at $53.85 and can be purchased online or in-person at the ticket booth located on the Riverwalk. Passengers can take advantage of visiting the award-winning Chicago Architecture Center for an additional $5 and have seven days to visit the Center after their cruise date. Priority boarding tickets are also available and include an exclusive early boarding period, the option to skip the queue during general boarding, and CAC admission.

For additional information on the 2023 season, tickets, boarding location, parking and other details, visit CruiseChicago.com.

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