Chicago Walking Tour: Historic Skyscrapers
Overview
Chicago is home to some of the world’s earliest skyscrapers. Get an up-close look at these 19th Century marvels, learn about innovations used to build them and discover how they transformed Chicago into a center of skyscraper design and engineering.
Highlights on this walking tour include Burnham and Root’s Rookery (1888), a transitional building with a Moorish and Romanesque exterior and a stunning interior atrium re-designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; Adler and Sullivan’s Auditorium Building (1889), a masterpiece of acoustical and structural engineering; and Holabird and Roche’s Marquette Building (1895), an outstanding example of the metal frame expression with traditional details and decorations.
As a certified nonprofit, all CAC ticket purchases directly support our education efforts and community engagement projects.
What's Included
- Admission to the Galleries of the Chicago Architecture Center
- Historic walking tour of Chicago's architecture
- Narration by a professional and certified Guide
- Food and drinks
- Coat check
- Storage for luggage and strollers
Meeting Location
410 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605, USA
Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.
53 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604, USA
Monadnock Building. Actual ending location may vary.
What To Expect
Book Online
Safe & secure • Easy breezy • Hassle-free
Chicago Board Of Trade Building
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Chicago Architecture Center
1 minute • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- This tour will depart from the Fine Arts Building, 410 S Michigan Ave.
- Not recommended for young children.
- Pets are not allowed.
- Access to building interiors featured on this tour may be subject to change without notice due to weekend and holiday schedules or unforeseen closures.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Frequently Asked Questions
(6)Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Chicago Walking Tour: Historic Skyscrapers?
Cancellation Policy
Still have questions?
We're here to help.
Activity code: C-3173HS
Traveler Photos
Reviews
Average 4.80 out of 5 stars based on 70 traveler reviews collected by Cool Destinations and partner sites such as Trustpilot, Viator, and TripAdvisor
Additional Info
Similar Tours & Activities
The Offbeat Street Art Tour is the first tour in Chicago that truly celebrates Chicago's street art scene. No other tour takes guests out into...
$40
Experience Chicago's legendary architecture and the exceptional architects who created this ever-changing legacy for all to admire. This family-friendly introduction to the Windy City's rich...
$28
Chicago Pizza Tour
Enjoy Chicago’s only bus guided neighborhood pizza tour. Eat like a local as you travel off the beaten path into Chicago neighborhoods to savor the...
$89
Learn about the life and work of Louis Comfort Tiffany as we visit some of Chicago’s most magnificent art-glass and mosaic installations, each designed and...
$35
Travelers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Chicago River 90-Minute Architecture Tour
Be inspired by the captivating, visual art that is Chicago’s legendary architecture, and the exceptional architects who created this ever-changing, dynamic legacy for all to...
$45
Chicago Lake and River Architecture Tour
An authentic Chicago tradition since 1935, this is the tour that started it all. This unique excursion tells the story of more than 200 years...
$45
Experience Chicago's legendary architecture and the exceptional architects who created this ever-changing legacy for all to admire. This family-friendly introduction to the Windy City's rich...
$28
Chicago Crime and Mob Bus Tour
Escape into Chicago's underworld on a crime and mob tour with stops on-and-off the luxury, climate-controlled bus. Explore historic crime scenes with great photo opportunities....
$49
Frequently Asked Questions (6)
The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from Cool Destinations customers.
Filter by:
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (CDT).
- Admission to the Galleries of the Chicago Architecture Center.
- Historic walking tour of Chicago's architecture.
- Narration by a professional and certified Guide.
- Food and drinks.
- Coat check.
- Storage for luggage and strollers.
There is no minimum age for this tour, so bring your wee one along for an adventure. This tour requires at least one adult to accompany children..
Apr 2025If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.
If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.
Apr 2025Accessibility information for the Chicago Walking Tour: Historic Skyscrapers is as follows:
- Wheelchair accessible
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Chicago Walking Tour: Historic Skyscrapers will be included in your confirmation email from Cool Destinations. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!
Mar 2024What's Included
- Admission to the Galleries of the Chicago Architecture Center
- Historic walking tour of Chicago's architecture
- Narration by a professional and certified Guide
- Food and drinks
- Coat check
- Storage for luggage and strollers
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- This tour will depart from the Fine Arts Building, 410 S Michigan Ave.
- Not recommended for young children.
- Pets are not allowed.
- Access to building interiors featured on this tour may be subject to change without notice due to weekend and holiday schedules or unforeseen closures.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
- Operated by a business
