Chicago Riverwalk & Architecture Cruise
Chicago Riverwalk
A roughly 2 km waterfront promenade along the Chicago River, where skyscrapers on both banks form an open-air architecture museum from the Wrigley Building to Trump Tower. The Chicago Architecture Center river cruise is the city's top experience.
The Chicago Riverwalk runs from the lakefront to Lake Street, about 2 km in total. It is divided into six themed “bends.” Along the way are open-air bars (City Winery and Tiny Tapp), kayak rentals, water taxi docks, the Metropolitan Arts District, a fountain honoring Vietnam veterans, and steps where you can picnic. It's Chicago's most pleasant spot for a summer stroll or a drink, and seeing the skyscrapers from the water gives you a perspective you can't get from the street. Both banks are rich in landmarks of Chicago architecture: the 1920s Wrigley Building and the Gothic Tribune Tower (its walls are set with stones from famous buildings around the world); the corn-cob-shaped Marina City twin towers; Mies van der Rohe's IBM Building; Trump International Hotel & Tower; the Merchandise Mart on the north bank; and the St. Regis, also known as Vista Tower, built in the 2020s. The river cruise run by the Chicago Architecture Center is the top recommendation. Volunteer architects give a 90-minute narrated tour, departing beside the Michigan Avenue bridge and passing through the river's three forks to see more than 50 buildings. It costs about $55, runs April to November, and needs advance booking in peak season, with evening sailings the most beautiful. Wendella and Shoreline also run similar cruises. Beside the Michigan Avenue (DuSable) Bridge, the Bridge House Museum shows the bridge's operating machinery. Every March, on the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day, the river is dyed green and the whole city celebrates. The Riverwalk is free. In winter, parts of it close when the ice forms. Summer weekends are crowded, so weekday evenings are best. Sit on the steps and watch the lights come on. Getting there: a 3-minute walk from State/Lake or Clark/Lake CTA stations.
Opening hours
Trail 6:00–23:00; architecture boat tours Apr–Nov, 9:00–19:30, hourly departures
Nearby sights
- Chicago Cultural Center
- Millennium Park & Cloud Gate
- Chicago Theatre
- Magnificent Mile
- Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Chicago Water Tower
- Chicago Lakefront Trail