It was a very interesting tour, I loved going into these Iconic buildings and learning about their architecture and history, beautiful interiors
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Expert tour guide
Excludes
- Gratuities
- Since the Rookery is closed on Sundays, an alternative stop will be included in the tour
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Please arrive 15 minutes before the start time. Your esteemed tour guide will be waiting to check you in inside Union Station within the Great Hall, under the Clinton Street sign.
Return
- All within a 5 minute walk you will find the famous Chicago Theatre, "The Bean" and the Chicago Riverwalk.
Itinerary
Dive into the beating heart of Chicago’s world-famous architecture. Unlike massive, impersonal bus tours where you just look through a window, we explore the Loop. Your expert guide brings the city's dramatic history to life with gripping stories of the Great Chicago Fire and the architectural rivalries that built the modern skyscraper. Perfect for capturing incredible street-level photos without the rushed feeling of standard city tours.
Step into Chicago's dramatic canyon of finance. This historic corridor is famous for its towering art deco skyscrapers and iconic movie backdrops (as seen in The Dark Knight). While other tours leave you fumbling with your camera in crowded corridors, we position you at the absolute best, insider vantage points to get that perfect, frame-worthy shot looking down the canyon toward the Board of Trade.
We don't just stare at the outside of this masterpiece, we step right inside. You will walk into the breathtaking, light-filled lobby redesigned by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Your guide will point out the hidden, intricate details of the grand iron staircase and shimmering gold ornamentation that most tourists walk right past.
Experience the pinnacle of Chicago's Art Deco era. We take you inside this historic landmark to marvel at its stunning, multi-story marble lobby and gleaming elevator indicators. We pause here to appreciate its understated elegance and share the fascinating history of the last major skyscraper built in the city before World War II.
Prepare to be dazzled by a hidden artistic treasure. Instead of just a quick glance from the sidewalk, we bring you into the lobby to view the spectacular, glowing Tiffany micro-mosaic murals that chronicle early Chicago history. We skip the dry academic lectures and instead give you a fun, captivating breakdown of the stories behind the art, ensuring an intimate viewing experience away from the crowds.
Step inside America’s longest continuously operating hotel for a taste of pure Gilded Age luxury. Admire the spectacular lobby and gaze up at its 21 breathtaking, frescoed ceiling panels. You’ll discover the scandalous love story behind its creation, and learn the delicious history of how the very first chocolate brownie was invented right here.
We take you inside to witness one of Chicago's greatest architectural crown jewels: the world’s largest stained-glass Tiffany dome. Standard tours often point at the building from across the street, but we make sure you stand directly underneath all 38,000 pieces of shimmering glass.
End your journey at a legendary retail palace. We explore the massive historic building to marvel at the jaw-dropping, iridescent blue-and-gold Tiffany mosaic ceiling, the largest of its kind in the world.
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
Angel was a great guide! She was very knowledgeable and friendly. She had great stories and information to share along the tour route. It was so interesting you don’t even realize how long you are walking! It was great fun!! It was my friend’s first time to Chicago in over 25 years and I usually come once a year, but there were tons of interesting facts we learned.
Angel was great! Very knowledgeable about the styles and history. She answered all questions and gave great suggestions of places/museums to see. Easy walking pace with time to take pictures. Really enjoyed the tour.
Angel was a great guide. She shared the right amount of details and prompted the group for questions as we progressed through the tour. The tour lasted just under two hours. Overall, I would recommend the tour and Angel as a guide.
The tour was lovely and very informative. I would recommend it.
Angel was absolutely terrific 👏 Her passion for art and architecture was conveyed through her knowledgeable delivery. As a result, the 2 hour tour went by quickly. I highly recommend this tour and again Bravo Angel!
We very much enjoyed our Chicago architectural interiors tour with Angel today. She introduced us to many treasures that are hidden in plain sight when you walk around the Loop. So much to re-visit and read about. Thank you, Angel!
Great tour, Talia was super funny and informative. She was quick and efficient; be ready to walk!!!!
Annie was amazing; the tour was informative and so very interesting! Will definitely recommend!
Great cultural tourism. It is a walking tour thru the beautiful early phases of Chicago's building boom. You tour the beautifully thought out and decorated buildings. Thank you Angel, you gave us tons of great information and you have a passion for history.
Beautiful buildings to see, our tour guide Annie was very knowledgeable on Chicago history and architecture. Our tour was exactly 2 hours long. We never felt rushed while on the tour and were able to walk around and take pictures.
My friend and I were in town for a short weekend, and it was our first time staying in the heart of Chicago. We were so curious about the beautiful cityscape that we spontaneously booked this tour to give us an introduction to all the buildings that make the city of Chicago great. Angel, our tour guide, was amazing and very knowledgeable. In the two hours of our tour, we learned so much that we wouldn’t have known otherwise if walked around by ourselves. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend this tour for those who want to learn more about Chicago’s rich architectural history.
Annie was a great guide. She provided the perfect balance of history with some comic relief. My husband and I really enjoyed the tour. I highly recommend.
Annie did a phenomenal job! She talked loud enough for all to hear, kept our group together, added a lot of Chicago history along our walk from site to site, was passionate about each stop, and finished with a literary quote while we ended our tour in the library. I highly recommend this tour!
Get to see features you wouldn't ever know were there. The Tiffany glass work was by far the most impressive.
Annie is an incredible guide! we felt so privileged to have them for our Secret Interiors tour. they are incredibly knowledgeable, fun and connected Chicago’s history to its modern day facts seamlessly. 10/10 recommend booking this tour!
Annie was great! Very knowledgable. She does need to keep the group together better though. We got too spread out at times.
Great overview of Chicago’s skyscrapers. Involves 2 hrs of walking (flat) but well worth it for the close-up views and education.
Avery was knowledgeable, funny and charismatic! My friend and I felt it was an important aspect that Avery tell the history and socioeconomic impacts. P.s. - please tell your guide if there's a pigeon about to poop on them JUST IN CASE.
Great overview of some of the big architectural spots. Great to go into the buildings to see the beautiful details. We would never have known which buildings we could just walk into by ourselves. Angel is very knowledgeable and you can tell she really likes architecture and art itself.
A good walk, but not excessive. Train station is a great meeting place. Lots of good information and fun.
Talia was a great guide and very knowledgeable
Talia was a fabulous tour guide! She was charming, knowledgeable, considerate, and organized. I've done a great deal of traveling, and she was one of the best guides I've ever had. There tour itself was fascinating, showing the hidden beauties of Chicago.
I found Annie to be knowledgeable and entertaining with a slightly dry sense of humour. The tour was interesting, you will see some beautifully crafted ceilings and won't be disappointed.
This was our first visit to Chicago & the tour really helped us to familiarise ourselves with th city. Angel, our tour our guide was really friendly & very informative highlighting lots of places of interest, really enjoyable tour
We really enjoyed the tour and the opportunity to see and learn about some fantastic buildings in Chicago. Annie our tour guide was great - very down to earth, approachable and knowledgeable. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting the city who wants to find out a bit more about the history, design and architecture. It's a perfect length at 1.5 hrs and was definitely a highlight of our short trip.
The expert knowledge and the enthusiasm of the guide are invaluable .Self guided you would waste a lot of time trying to find these hidden treasures
Annie, our tour guide was fantastic: she filled almost 2 full hours with great information, entertaining detail, and a well-paced combo of walk and talk. She had historic fotos and an engaging presence, her passion for this city and her talent as a speaker made the time fly by.
Annie did a wonderful job! We saw so many beautiful landmarks and learned so much about the city, its architects and history. This was a great experience and we would definitely recommend it!
Annie was awesome and knowledgeable about the architecture.
The tour was very informative, interesting. The guide accommodated for the HOH and slower walkers. Learned alot and the interiors he showed us were unbeliveable.
Angel was a great guide and so knowledgeable about the history and architecture of the buildings in the city. We fit a lot in the two hours and we even went back today to see some of the buildings again. Love the Frank Lloyd Wright store in the Rookery. We also really appreciated the bar/lunch suggestion from Angel to visit Cindy's at the top of the Chicago Athletic Association on Michigan Ave for a stunning view of Millennium Park and the lake. A hidden gem for sure.
Matthew, our tour guide was very engaging. Interesting and shared a lot of information. I lived in Chicago all my life and have never seen the inside of these treasures or heard the stories behind them. Highly recommend this tour.
Angel was a fabulous guide! Great seeing the interiors of the beautiful buildings and nice not having to figure out which buildings are tourist friendly to enter.
It was really good tour, going smoothly . Angel was great.
Angel is a great tour guide. She is patient and not rushed. Her history was interesting and informative. She gives exterior architectural information along with interior. She also shares things to do and see for after the tour. . The places we went were very beautiful. I would do this tour again
Annie was great, very knowledgeable about the city and had a lot of fun little tid-bits to share!
Great experience! Our host Avery was outstanding!
Fun tour seeing the wonderful art deco lobbies of many Chicago buildings. Great guide, full of energy and well-informed with Chicago facts.
Angel was a great tour guide. She was clear and talked loud for everyone to hear and was great at keeping everyone together.
had a good time and tour guide angel was nice
The tour was very fun, informative and detailed. Guide answered lots of questions throughout the tour and was very knowledgeable. Had a great time. Fun to end at Millennium park to continue our day in Chicago.
Really enjoyed the tour. The guide was exuberant and quite knowledgeable. So interesting to learn the history of all the buildings
Angel was terrific. Very well informed. Funny. Aware of her customers
We loved our guide and the easy pace of this tour. There is so much to learn about Chicago. The tour left me wanting to explore even more. The interiors we saw are spectacular. The short break was a chance to sit for a few moments before continuing.
Annie was knowledgeable and charismatic. The tour was a great way to experience the city. I would highly recommend to anyone coming for a visit or even just passing through.
Annie was knowledgeable and funny, I learned so much about Chicago, architecture, and history
This was a great value for the quality of the tour we got. Talia, our guide, was very patient and informed. She accommodated different mobility levels of guests on the tour. Beautiful buildings and details were shown to us.
Angel was excellent guide. Very knowledgable. Recommend her.
Our guide was very knowledgeable, and pleasant.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
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