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
5.0
(46 Ratings)
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Andrewda8247xt
Oct 6, 2024
A new look into the old art deco skyscrapers of Chicago - An excellent walking tour throughout the north loop and near north side. We probably walked 1.5 total miles in 2 hours so bring a good pair of walking shoes! Some of the tour goes into the lobbies of the buildings providing a unique and new look at many of the buildings you may have seen from the outside. Our tour guide Joelle (I think it was Joelle!) was excellent at helping us understand the nuances of the art deco style.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R5217hxhelenp
Oct 5, 2024
Excellent, informative tour. Highly recommend! - Our docent was knowledgeable and showed and explained the history of Art Deco as it applies to architecture but also to other arts. Very informative and enjoyable.
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Wobwifeofbath
Sep 15, 2024
Engaging view of Chicago lovely Art Deco architecture and interiors! - I took the Art Deco Riverwalk tour with Betsy yesterday. My friend, was visiting from out of the country, was quite engaged with the tour. I have often seen the buildings we toured but I learned a lot of new things about the them (especially the interiors). We went into a section of the Merchandise Mart that I hadn't previously seen and I had a question about the murals and Betsy did some research and emailed me afterwards in response to my question.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R4994fdjills
Sep 14, 2024
Art Deco Hidden Gems Along the River - We really enjoyed the Art Deco tour with Mitch, who was fantastic guide. He packed a lot of great historical information in the two hour tour. We visited gems along the river including many gorgeous lobbies that are packed with beautiful engravings, metal work and unique marble from the time. I took my 84 year old dad and he was able to manage the walking just fine. Highly recommend!
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L9178vuteresas
Sep 12, 2024
Great Art Deco walking tour. - Had a great walking tour today seeing Art Deco buildings. Mitch was a very informative guide and shared lots of stories. He also made sure that foreign tourists could understand him. I liked that we got to go into several buildings to see the beautiful lobbies. A really nice tour. Mitch is a wonderful guide!
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Kimme7665em
Sep 8, 2024
Amazing Sunday Walking Tour Led by John - John I. led my friend Terra and me on an incredible tour about the art deco buildings. He shared so much fascinating information about each of the buildings. We especially enjoyed seeing and hearing about Marshall Fields and the Chicago Library. John really shows a deep appreciation and knowledge of the architecture in Chicago. We highly recommend John as a tour guide as he does Chicago proud. Kim
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Frankrt4087th
Aug 16, 2024
Fabulous Buildings and Lobbies - Fascinating tour. These buildings and their interiors are amazing. Our guide Cynthia was terrific, entertaining and easy to listen to. Very knowledgeable about the architecture of course and also all the social and economic trends
Review provided by Tripadvisor
258katherinelb
Jun 26, 2024
Great day learning about art deco - Our guide Bill was extremely knowledgeable and Interesting. Learned a lot about art deco style, the specific buildings, and fun tidbits from Chicago history. I highly recommend the Art deco riverfront tour.
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977maryseg
Jun 23, 2024
We loved this tour - Great tour, thanks to our guide Mary Jane! We learned a lot about art deco architecture and how it appeared in the city. She answered our questions and we had many.
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Arlenel976
Jun 15, 2024
Fascinating and fun. Terrific guide made it a delight. - We enjoyed this tremendously. We were able to get into the lobbies and appreciate these Art Deco masterpieces in way that we never would have, if we hadn't had such an excellent tour guide. It really wets our appetite for going on some of your other tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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