Chicago Architecture Foundation Reviews

Among other things, this foundation organizes walking and boat tours to illustrate the architectural wonders of the city. Not to be missed.
The model that reproduces the center of the city is also very interesting. Inevitable for the traveler interested in understanding the structure of the city well.

This place has a model of downtown in it, it's one of the more awesome places if you're interested in buildings and Chicago history.

Great place and very informative. Take the tour and the river tour as well!

The CAF is a must see and must join for lovers of architecture and design

The place is great to checkout and also get set up for a tour

Great place to go and collect unusual items, cool books for your library, and unique souvenirs. Both tourists and native Chicagoans should traverse it's wares. They've got Christmas ornaments, kitchen stuff; it's an eclectic mix of everything. I saw a stone bowtie here if you want to get your Barney rubble on. I bought a boomerang on my last visit. It can get a tad expensive though, so be prepared to either spend a lot or not buy many items.

Very interesting for architecture lovers. Overview of the city of Chicago, but not only.
(I took the pictures outside, but these buildings are all beautiful from the inside, through the huge windows).

They have a 3D printed model of the city and just to see that is worth the admission!

In the exhibition hall, there are many skyscraper models and related architectural design introductions, and it is recommended to architectural enthusiasts.

I would give this place negative stars if there was a way to do so.

Staff were unfriendly, rude, and wasted our time.

We were in Chicago for one day about 2 weeks ago and there is a list of things we wanted to do - Sears tower, navy pier, and an architectural boat tour. I'm such a nerd that I love history and architecture :)

We tried several times to buy tickets on the website for the boat tour and it kept kicking me out at checkout - so I called the number listed and also got no where. So, when we got to downtown Chicago we went by their location listed on brochures - only to find the location was closed and the man at the desk told us we'd have to find them on the river to buy tickets. He knew nothing about buying them there.

Finally we got to their new address - walked down multiple flights of steep stairs (I have a bad knee and it was excruciating) - I got in line and was told by a very rude man with a beard that they were completely sold out for the day!!! I asked about a manager and he told me I could ask but good luck with that - he acted like it was our fault we didn't have tickets and that maybe just maybe we could find another tour probably subpar to their tour at such a short notice. The jerk.

My husband told me we should just leave. I should've listened to him. Instead I told him that I at least wanted the manager to know how much effort we went through to find them which is ridiculous in this day and age.

I spoke with a manager a short girl with a very round face. I told her our issues and finally she said she thought she could get us on one of the cruises... Wow! Great! I thought, finally explaining our situation and running around the city looking for them paid off!

Then the director, NANCY came out. What a terrible person. She should not be a director of anything let alone in the tourism industry. Maybe her family donated a bunch of money to get her the job. She basically called me a liar - that she checked the website herself that morning and it was working fine (like the internet once working always continues to work) and then said that we could've bought tickets with the man at their previous location (he knew nothing about it). She told us with words and tone how little she cared about our plight. We left while she was still talking - she had already wasted our time and put a sour taste in my mouth about our whole trip. Yes, I know - I need to deal with disappointment and rude people in a less visceral way - that's on me.

We ended up on a boat tour with their competition because they approached us on our way to navy Pier. I have no way of knowing if it was as good as theirs - but the staff was so sweet, friendly, and attentive that it was better than theirs in the end.

Also, we overheard others complaining about the staff from the Architectural Center and the staff from the other boat tour company saying that they hear those complaints quite often. So it seems they have a reputation of treating tourists poorly.

So sad that they may have a good product but their website isn't really up to date and their employees don't care either.

Oh, and forget about the fireworks display at Navy Pier - the website says Saturday night for fireworks... Nope... Only some Saturdays in the summer. Bad information... Like I said, negative stars are deserved here.

Beautiful new building and location. Sad that they now charge $12 to see the city Model. It was always free to the public.

If you're visiting Chicago or live in Chicago, you have to go to the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Tickets for the architecture walking tours can be purchased here and this is also the meeting point where all tours start. If you don't mind some walking, the tours are fantastic. You will begin to notice so many other things that you would otherwise have just walked past and been oblivious to.

The shop offers a nice selection of books, posters and gifts such as mugs with gorgeous pictures of the Chicago skyline and various buildings. This is a great place to go if you're looking for an introduction to the city.

For a tourist like me , having just a day to spend, this was a good way to experience d OK downtown Chicago and it's famous architectural wonders.

Whether you are new to Chicago or have lived here all of your life, CAC tours offers everyone new insight into this beautiful city. Each docent has their own take on the history of the architecture, so don't think if you have done a particular tour once, that you won't get something out of a second tour.

CAC hosts amazing tours and I highly recommend anyone interested in architecture to join their membership!

I had won a pair of tickets but unfortunately I had moved and the tickets were expired by the time I finally received them. I called and the manager Emmelia was incredibly kind and told me to just email her when I wanted to go and she would get me new tickets. I was able to go on an evening cruise in the summer and the tour was amazing. It is beautiful and you learn a great deal from the wonderful volunteer tour guide mine really knew his stuff and was genuinely interested in the architectural history of Chicago. This is a must for tourists and locals alike.

The displays at the CAC are worth seeing. They have a great 3D printed model of Chicago - loved the teeny, tiny, shiny "Bean" and children seemed delighted by the brief light show. Upstairs there are some models of iconic skyscrapers, with excellent brief and informative labels. But the very biggest reason to go to the CAC is to book onto one of their excellent guided tours. We particularly enjoyed "Chicago Modern", a walking tour of Modernism architecture which included stepping inside various foyers. And our absolute favourite was going to Oak Park to see early Frank Lloyd Wright houses and the Unity Temple. It was brilliantly done - beautifully paced, engaging and informative. Thank-you Sylvia!

If you are drawn to architecture in any way, you can't go wrong with a tour sponsored by this organization. And, be sure to take time to browse the 2nd floor of the Center!

Cool tour. The guide managed to keep our interest even though it was freezing. We would have done more tours had our time allowed it.

Very interesting place. Spent about an hour there. Not too crowded

River boat tour was amazing. Thought I would be bored, was actually very informative and interesting.

Chicago has such a very rich architectural history. Some of the greatest urban planners and architectures have lived and worked in this beautiful city of ours. The store has great objects and mementos!

Looking forward to Open House Chicago. The docent led tours are great.

The best place to stop on your first visit to Chicago, because the giant model allows you to orient yourself well. The shop has a fine selection of books on architecture.

Creative, lots of books about Chicago and architecture! You need to check it out if you love Chicago.

Best architectural river cruise ever! Totally worth the price. As great as our volunteer guide was, he refused tips; so be sure to give your guide a huge amount of appreciation, we did ours.

Wonderful book store and architectural tour center. Offers a wide assortment of tours throughout Chicago. We took the boat tour and the walking tour of historic buildings around the Loop. Guides are outstanding! Highly recommended.

Interesting and informative about Chicago's great architecture. Make sure you go upstairs.

I have taken some tours with CAF and look forward to taking more. I would give it six stars if I could!

Great store, great model of the city, and we have loved each of the dozen or so tours we have taken. A real Chicago gem.

Good place for learning about architecture around Chicago.

Very nice exhibit! Everything is well thought out (they even tell you the directions to get to certain buildings), logically organized and well explained. The volunteers are very knowledgeable.

Just an amazing way to start your trip in Chicago! Dive into it's architecture and how it was created. The Architecture Center was a mind blowing experience for me with just enough information to get started and not overwhelm the visitors.

Must stop if you want to learn about or tour the architectural wonders of Chicago. They have a nice gift store with an awesome book section

I have been on several of the CAF tours, including the river cruise, which I always recommend to friends visiting the city. The docents are always friendly and knowledgeable. The storefront on Michigan Ave has all the souvenirs and books you could want, plus other interesting knickknacks (think weird kitchen gadgets and funny tote bags). Behind the store is a huge scale model of the loop with interactive elements, which is also fun to take tourists to.

If you love Chicago's Architecture, doing this tour is a must. Beautiful views and amazing buildings open for inspection. If you're doing the walking tour, try to pick a good weather day. Chicago isn't called the Windy City for nothing!

Awesome displays, interesting books and gifts. Don't miss the massive downtown model.

Come here to see a beautiful model and movie about Chicago architecture.

A very nice exhibit of Chicago on the first floor includes an interactive scaled model of the city. There is a frequent short video that gives a general history of the city and its construction. Upstairs has an exhibit consisting of scale models of some of the world's skyscrapers.

The CAF does excellent tours of the city. Highly recommend for those visiting Chicago.

We had a wonderful experience on the river tour. I don't think there's anything our guide didn't know about Chicago architecture. It's the best way to see the city in 90 minutes. Great value and one of the best things we did when we were in town. Don't forget your camera!

Great tours from informative staff. Very detailed model of downtown Chicago. Open design studio time is a great opportunity for kids of all ages to make Lego skyscrapers.

There a huge replica of the city of Chicago inside, worth to look at.

This feels like a must-see for any Chicagoan. Simple, accessible, and compelling.

Excellent customer service! Staff very professional and helpful. Great books!

The CAF's scale model of downtown Chicago should be the first stop for any first-time visitor to Chicago - perfect to help orient yourself. Their tours are also the best - guides are knowledgeable and interesting.

The best walking tour of the city. Our guide, Mary Ann, could not have been nicer or more enthusiastic.

If you enjoy that type of thing you will be HIGHLY IMPRESSED. Dont miss out..

Great tours which are super informative. I recommend the river cruise

If you are even remotely interested in Architecture, you must visit this place. Arguably the best attraction in town.

Wonderful place to learn about Chicago's architectural history!

Kathleen's Top 10 River tour (Architectural Centers River Tour) - was awesome! She is a wealth of information.

Great architecture tour. Make sure you go for the one from the Chicago architecture foundation and not any of the knock-offs

Took the "Evolution of the Skyscraper" tour. Free when you join the CAF. Cold day, so it ended up being a "private" tour with just the two of us and the docent, Dave Gudewicz.
Learned a lot, discovered new things about Chicago. Check out the Marquette Bldg and the Revival Food Court. Adams & Dearborn.

We have done the boat tour several times before and look forward to it when we are in Chicago. The guides are fluent in the history of the city as well as the architecture and we always learn something new. Its a great way to enjoy the views and learn about a beautiful city!

Take a walking tour or architecture river cruise. The volunteers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. An enjoyable way to see the city. The "L" walking/train tour was a great addition to the more popular river tour.

Interesting place to visit if you like architecture. I went to the Center last year. This year we did the Frank Lloyd Wright Tour which took four hours. You take a coach to his home and studio in Oak Park Chicago, then walk around the neighbourhood to see other homes he designed. You end up with a guided tour of Unity Temple which Frank designed. It was tiring and raining but well worth the effort. I took a few pictures on my phone and have posted them for you to view.

Very attentive and informative staff! Very cool and interesting video of the history of Chicago's buildings

Great film on the architectural history of Chicago with an interactive 3D map of Chicago. Upstairs has models of super tall and mega tall skyscrapers. Entry fee is an easy add-on for the Chicago s first lady architecture cruise that leaves across the street.

Very interesting exhibits in a great location of the city! It was great to be able to learn more about the architecture while looking out the front window and see it across the street. Definitely worth checking out.

Really cool 3D printed map of downtown Chicago! There is also a cool room where you can build your own logo building.

Definitely worth a visit to spend 60-90 minutes understanding the distinct architecture of/from Chicago and its evolution over the past century, future vision, etc., through scaled models, interactive mock up and a short video.

Their model exhibit of the city of Chicago is very fascinating. Their walking tours are also very good.

Was able to stop by the box office and buy a boat cruise ticket for the same day. We didn't have enough time to go into an outdoor bar but they've repurposed one of their boats into a floating rooftop bar! We had enough time to relax with one drink before heading next door to our boat. The tour was great! Hands down the best architectural boat cruise in Chicago. All other providers are just imitators.

Great info on the incredible Chicago skyline. These people are passionate about architecture and happy to share their knowledge. Most are volunteers that just love the city

The river boat tour was a can't miss for tourists. We learned so much about Chicago and a new way to look at all cities, not just Chicago.

Wonderful history of Chicago architecture, both residential and commercial!