Last updated: March 26, 2009
Tourism Information and Links
Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau
Welcome to Explore Chicago
Go Chicago
Chicago Attractions, Tours, Museums
City of Chicago
The Ancient Americas
The Field Museum
1400 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
312-922-9410
The Field Museum’s ground-breaking new exhibition, The Ancient Americas, takes you on a journey through 13,000 years of human ingenuity and achievement in the western hemisphere, where hundreds of diverse societies thrived long before the arrival of Europeans.
Adler Planetarium
StarRider Theater
1300 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605-2403
The Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60603-6404
General Information: 312-443-6300
Chicago Blues Festival - June 12-14, 2009
11:00 am - 9:30 pm
Grant Park
Jackson Boulevard & Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL 60604
Free Admission, food and beverage tickets are sold in strips of 12 for $8.
Chicago By Water (Boat Tours/Cruises)
Chicagoline Cruises
For a unique spin on the waterfront architecture tour, check out Chicago Line Cruises. These cruises offer daily rides along the Chicago River or the lakefront, and the option of a history tour, focusing on the city’s past instead of its buildings. An architecture tour is also available on the river front. Sight-seers can enjoy the 90-minute history or architecture tours led on one of Chicagoline’s three boats; each cruise includes Starbuck’s coffee and refreshments. Architecture tours depart from North Pier every hour until 4:00 p.m. on weekends and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays. History tours depart daily at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.
Shoreline Sightseeing
Architecture cruises depart daily from Ogden Slip at Navy Pier. One-hour tours are led by professional and entertaining docents along with a free map/guide that makes a perfect souvenir. Take advantage of multiple departure times from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
For the busy tourist, Shoreline’s speedy-but-informative 30-minute Skyline Boat Tour covers the water-front sight-seeing essentials. The Skyline Boat Tour provides clear glimpses of the cityscape accompanied by an informative presentation on the history of the city. If a lengthier tour appeals, Shoreline’s one-hour architecture cruises tour the Chicago River and leave from the Ogden Slip at Navy Pier with multiple departure times 10:00 a.m. and on.
Also, Water Taxis are available daily 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through Labor Day with limited service in September. Water Taxi docks at Navy Pier, Michigan Avenue Bridge (northeast corner below Equitable Plaza), Sears Tower, and Shedd Aquarium. Private charters are available, too--always an interesting option.
Chicago Architecture Foundation
Architecture River Cruise Aboard Chicago’s First Lady
Support Chicago’s architectural scene and board Chicago’s First Lady--the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s official cruise. A portion of each ticket goes to support architecture education in Chicago. The 90-minute tours are led on Chicago’s First Lady, with both open-air and air-conditioned seating available, and detail the architecture and design of more than 50 Chicago buildings. Cruises depart from Riverside Gardens, at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive.
- Weekdays: 9:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m.
- Weekends and holidays: 9:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m.
Tall Ship WINDY
Take a Skyline Cruise on this hard-charging, classic, four-masted sailing vessel offering views of the Chicago skyline and get a taste of the past. Individuals and groups can enjoy a unique ride and it’s also available for group outings. Private charters may include services such as catering, music, team-building exercises, and other educational experiences.
The Tall Ship WINDY can even provide overnight accommodations for 36 people (cruise capacity: 150 passengers). Cruises are offered nearly daily and depart from Navy Pier, also a must-hit stop for Chicago families.
Anita Dee Yacht Charters
Checking another sight off the list of must-sees isn’t the goal of Anita Dee Yachts. These luxurious yachts look to make big celebrations--weddings, anniversaries, retirements--better. From the plush leather couches in the Anita I’s dining area, to the sunny observatory on the Anita II, these ships are designed for lavish on-water celebrations.
Charters are available year-round, with ships able to accommodate anywhere from 50 to 400 passengers. Rates vary depending on time of day, week, and bar package.
Spirit of Chicago
Enjoy a dinner cruise. Or a breakfast cruise. Or a gospel cruise. Or a moonlit cruise. Or a lunchtime cruise. Or, essentially, an anything-to-suit-your-fancy cruise. From a sunset dinner to a Fourth of July fireworks display, Spirit of Chicago cruises boast a variety of floating entertainment options certain to suit even the pickiest of tastes.
Accommodating up to 600 people, Spirit of Chicago cruises are perfect for an evening night out or a large company celebration. Boats dock at Navy Pier; rates vary depending on cruise package.
Mystic Blue
Casual meets luxury on Chicago’s newest addition to the dinner-cruise trend. Mystic Blue, a four-deck ship accommodating up to 650 people, offers an opulent diner or lunch cruise in a casual, laid-back environment.
Launched in 2003, the cruise line takes brunch, mid-day, cocktail, early dinner, later dinner, and ClubMystic cruises. Each cruise includes entertainment--jazz or DJ, varying by deck and sailing choice. Ships depart from Navy Pier and ticket prices depend on cruise package.
Seadog
This isn’t one of those “this-building-was-made-in1925” cruises. And it’s not a “let-me-tell-you-about-the-great-fire” cruise, either. This is a speedy, hands-up-in-the-air, zip around the lakefront and get-a-bit-wet type of cruise.
Seadog’s half-hour open-air speedboat tours whisk passengers around the lakefront at about 30 knots. The tour is quick, but showcases the city’s skyline well and offers a pleasant reprieve on a muggy summer day. Seadog also offers a 75-minute river and architecture tour, including a trip through the Chicago Lock. Tours leave from Navy Pier; the River and Architecture tours depart up to 10 times each day, and the Speedboat tours leave up to 50 times each day.
Transportation
Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Bus Co.
401 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60609
773-648-5000
