I joined family members aboard Chicago’s Little Lady, one of Chicago’s First Lady Fleet. Since the early 1990s, the First Lady Fleet has plied the Chicago River as the tour partner of the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF).
While I can’t offer any instructions on how to clone the perfect weather, I can give you all the details to duplicate my tour. Before we start, though, let’s put one worry to rest. If you’re thinking an “architectural” tour sounds a little stuffy, high-brow or even boring, think again. It’s anything but. In fact, it’s the best $28 I’ve spend on this kind of attraction in years, maybe ever.
Although I haven’t sampled all of the other choices when it comes to cruises on the Chicago River, I can’t imagine how any of them could equal CAF tours aboard the First Lady Fleet. For sheer volume and quality of information, insight and perspective about more than 50 landmarks, the CAF tour is a gem.
Our CAF-certified docent spoke throughout the 90-minute cruise without notes, spicing her commentary with humor and sprinkling it with tasty historical tidbits. Not too mention in-depth knowledge of architects, architecture and chatty news about individual buildings.
An architectural cruise on the Chicago River will give you insights into why Chicago grew in its present location. You’ll learn how the Great Fire of 1871 spurred its growth and development. (By the way, Mrs. O’Leary’s cow didn’t really start the fire, and it got its deadly head start because firemen were originally dispatched to the wrong location.
Other notable fire footnotes: Three other fires were raging out of control along Lake Michigan at the same time as the great Chicago Fire. Fires ravaged Peshtigo, WI, and Holland and Manistee, MI. The Peshtigo fire killed more than 1,000 and scorched 1.5 million acres. To this day, it still ranks as the nation’s deadliest fire.)
Why is the city home to the skyscraper? You’ll get that answer, too. And when you’re done, you’ll know what roles culture, commerce, the Art Deco and Modernism movements as well as the more recent focus on historic preservation and adaptive reuse played in building the city we know today.
If you decide to go, catch a boat at the First Lady Fleet’s docking location at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive on the Magnificent Mile. Reservations are highly recommended, and tickets go for $28 on weekends and holidays. They are $26 Monday through Friday. Bookings for groups are also available. For complete details about tickets and schedules, visit here. Or call 312/902-1500.
The Chicago Architecture Foundation also offers bus tours, walking tours and neighborhood tours. For information on other ways to get up close and personal with Chicago’s architectural treasures, visit the CAF site here. Or call 312/922-3432, ext. 240.
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