Chicago

Chicago Architectural Highlights Bus Tour

Chicago, USA
Chicago Architectural Aficionados Bus Tour
  • 3 hours 30 minutes
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Get an overview of Chicago's famous architectural history on this 3.5-hour bus tour. Learn about the city's history through your guide's history, from its founding to the present. Stops include the Loop, Mies van der Rohe's IIT campus, Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, and the Museum Campus.
  • Explore architectural wonders in the Loop, Hyde Park, and Gold Coast neighborhoods
  • Some stops, including Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, include interior tours
  • Great choice for architecture buffs
  • Architecture Foundation guide provides commentary

What's Included

  • Narration by a professional and certified guide
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Admission to the Galleries of the Chicago Architecture Center
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off
  • Food and drink
  • Storage for luggage or strollers
  • Coat check

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Chicago Architecture Center
    111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601, USA

    Meet at the Chicago Architecture Center at 111 E Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL, 60601

Start time

09:30 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Meet your guide and group at 111 E Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601. Please arrive ahead of the 9:30 a.m. tour departure time to check in. 

Board an air-conditioned bus with your guide and group, then take off for a comprehensive tour of Chicago's famous architectural highlights. Stops over a circuit of 30 miles (48 km) include the Museum Campus, Hyde Park, the Loop, the Gold Coast, Mies van der Rohe's IIT campus, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House. An interior building tour of the Robie House is provided by the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust. 

Your tour ends up back at the Architecture Foundation after 3.5 hours.

Chicago Architecture Center (Pass By)

The Loop (Pass By)

Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

University of Chicago

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

S.R. Crown Hall

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Museum Campus (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Not recommended for children under the age of 13.
  • Pets are not allowed.
  • This tour operates on a strict schedule. Late arrivals will not be accommodated.
  • This tour includes some walking. Wear appropriate clothing.
  • Access to building interiors featured on this tour is subject to change without notice.
  • Some historic buildings on this tour are not ADA accessible.
  • Order and location of stops is subject to change without notice.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5
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Showing 1-1 of 9 reviews
I have done this tour before, about 8...
Ifeoma E, May 2018
I have done this tour before, about 8 years ago and the main highlight was the internal tour of Frank Lloyd Wrights Robie House. However on this occasion this was the most disappointing part of the tour. Robie House is currently being refurbished so we entered by the secondary entrance at the back of the property up a small flight of steps in to the kitchen area. There was little to see except for the original kitchen table, then we were then led in to a small empty partially decorated bedroom and then on to the living room only part of which we could go in to as it was divided by plastic construction sheets only six original dining chairs and light fitting stood in the corner of the room, the main table had been removed presumably to protect it from the restoration works. The whole experience was less than 10 minutes. Whilst I understand it is a privilege to be inside a Frank Lloyd Wright house this part of the tour was a big let-down, especially as I know what the full experence should be. I believe that The Architectural Foundation should have made it clear when we purchased our tour tickets that the Robie House was being fully refurbished and that the interior tour would be severely limited. The day of the tour coincided with a parade in the Millennium Park and bike race in Washington Park. This seemed to take both the tour guide and driver by surprise but as a visitor to the city I was aware of the parade as it had been discussed on the news channels days before the event. Ultimately this meant that detours had to be taken, but I would have expected that any foreseen events that would affect the duration and route of the tour would have been noted before the tour began. Despite all of the above we still got to visit some impressive and important architectural buildings, the Illinois Tech student center and Mies Van Der Rohe's IIT campus, as well as a tour around the Gold Coast. Also nothing can take away the knowledge and enthusiasm of the tour guide, his pleasant demeanor and architectural insight was greatly appreciated and was one of the highlights of the tour.

From $50.00

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

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