Schmap Chicago Boating

Chicago - Boating
Download the Schmap Chicago Guide
With Schmap 2.0 you can:

Browse this Schmap Guide on your PC, online or offline.
View Schmap Guides for 200 worldwide destinations.
Bookmark places of interest, plan trips and take virtual tours.
Custom print your own full-color travel guides.
Publish and share schmapplets with your favorite places
Enjoy many more unique Schmap features.

Chicago Home
Schmap Chicago guide and map

The Architecture River Cruise, sponsored by the Chicago Architectural Foundation, is an excellent way to learn about Chicago's diverse architectural landscape without giving your feet a workout. You will get boat side views of the Wrigley Building, the Sears Tower and The Lyric Opera.

The Ugly Duck Cruises can best be compared to a theme restaurant on water. The crew, waiters and hosts are wacky, the meals are traditional buffet-style and the after-dinner dance music is reminiscent of a wedding reception. Catch the skyline view from the upper deck.

The Odyssey cruise line offers one of the city's most romantic cruise ships. The four-deck ship, with its sleek white sides and black tinted windows, features two- or three-hour cruises that usually include a four-course meal and live entertainment.

While many of the cruise lines are corporately owned and offer lavish amenities, the Wendella Sightseeing Boats are refreshingly simple and non-corporate. Family owned since 1935, the captain offers interesting tidbits about the city and dry one-liners. Or take both a bus tour and a boat tour in one. Chicago Duck Tours drive along the streets for 45 minutes to highlight the many landlocked sights of downtown. Then it splashes into Lake Michigan for a 35-minute cruise.

Fireworks Display Tours Lakeside fireworks are a Chicago staple. While the granddaddy of the displays is the Independence Day Fireworks (which are actually presented on July 3rd), the city also offers smaller-scale presentations on Memorial Day, Venetian Night and virtually every summer Saturday night at Navy Pier.Virtually all the cruise lines offer special fireworks tours. Advanced booking is advisable.

Copyright 1999-2005 Wcities, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Contact Wcities

Our apologies: your internet browser is not yet fully supported by our Schmap online guides. If you continue, pages in this guide may display or function incorrectly.

Would you like to continue anyway?Continue Anyway

Schmap.com supports the following browsers:

Internet Explorer 6 and above
Firefox 1.5 and above
Safari 3 for Pc

MAC

Safari version 1.3 and above
Firefox 2 and above

Architecture River Cruise

Sightseeing without the legwork

333 North Michigan Avenue
Southwest corner of Michigan Avenue Bridge at Chicago River, river level.
Chicago, IL 60601
+1 312 751 1380

Only a river tour can offer such varied and unobstructed views of the city. Relax and marvel as you glide past more than 50 of the city's most spectacular and majestic sites. During the 90-minute cruise, guests may choose open air or indoor seating and are welcome to move about to take photos. Snacks and beverages are available on board.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Tony

Architecture River Cruise photo by Kathleen Carden

Photo: Kathleen Carden

Architecture River Cruise photo by impala.1970

Photo: impala.1970

Architecture River Cruise photo by Lynda L.

Photo: Lynda L.

Architecture River Cruise photo by Ana Lopez

Photo: Ana Lopez

Chicago Duck Tours

Exciting tours by land and water 600 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60610
+1 312 461 1133
http://www.chicagoducks.com/
info@chicagoducktour.com This amphibious tour shows you the best of Chicago from land and water. After a 45-minute narrated road tour, this vehicle becomes a vessel, splashing into Burnham Harbor for 35 minutes of aquatic sightseeing. The bright yellow duck vehicles were originally built to transport troops and equipment between water and land during World War II. More than 2,000 DUKW transports brought troops and supplies to the Beaches of Normandy. Tours depart from the "Quack Shack" at Clark and Ontario Streets (near the Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's). Admission: $20 adults, $10 children 11 and under.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Civic Opera House

1929 theater, home to Lyric Opera Damrak 49
Amsterdam, IL 1012 LL
+1 312 332 2244
http://www.lyricopera.org Samuel Insull built this palace of a building in 1929 as a throne to himself&emdash;literally. When the design began for this building that would contain both an opera house and dozens of offices, Insull allegedly asked the architect to make the building in the shape of a throne that faced west. According to local legend, Insull claimed that upon his death his spirit would sit in his "throne" where he could watch out over the growth of the city, much of which he spawned before dying virtually penniless and forgotten years later. Inside, the theater is a traditional European-style opera house, filled with stacked balcony and side boxes. The Lyric Opera of Chicago has gained an international reputation over the past 20 years as one of the world's finest companies. Its opulently staged productions range from the classics to new shows, such as "An American Tragedy." The Civic Opera House Box Office (corner of Wacker & Madison. Call for show times.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Balaji Shankar Venkatachari
Photo: Brandon Rogers
Photo: Kim Scarborough
Photo: Seth Anderson
Photo: Vincent Kan
Photo: Ajay Prabhu
Photo: Matt Hopp
Photo: Mae Biador

Photo: Rich Sloan
Photo: Shannon Bond
Photo: Dobromir Harrison
Photo: Rasmus Holmgren
Photo: Dick Pigg
Photo: Jim Reynolds
Photo: BC The Kid!
Photo: Tom

Navy Pier

Lakefront fun center Keizersgracht 164
Amsterdam, IL 1015 CZ
+1 312 595 7437/ +1 800 595 7437
http://www.navypier.com
navypierinfo@mpea.com This family entertainment complex on Lake Michigan offers daylong fun with more than 50 acres of parks and gardens, first-rate shopping, restaurants and exciting attractions. Ride the 15-story Ferris wheel, watch world-class performers at the Skyline Stage, and tour three floors of interactive fun at the Chicago Children's Museum. For some culture amongst the commercialism, check out the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. During the summer, free entertainment is available on Dock Street. During the winter, rent skates and take a spin on the open-air rink. Credit cards are accepted, but types vary by the establishment.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Phil Leitch
Photo: Jerry S
Photo: Paul M. Weltlich
Photo: Patrick Mc Gowan
Photo: Brooke Novak
Photo: Asten Rathbun
Photo: Katie Bessiere
Photo: Matthew Leslie

Photo: Dave Durbin
Photo: Paul
Photo: Kevin Beck
Photo: Mustafa and Aziza
Photo: Matthew Oliphant
Photo: G. Christopher Clark
Photo: Charlie Fernandez

Odyssey

Romantic lake cruise 600 E Grand Ave
(Navy Pier)
Chicago, IL 60611
+1 630 990 0800
http://www.odysseycruises.com If the Love Boat ever docked on Lake Michigan's shores, it would look a lot like the Odyssey Cruise Line. While you will not find Captain Stubing or Gopher from the television show on board, you will find one of the city's most romantic cruise ships. The four-deck ship, with its sleek white sides and black tinted windows, is easily spotted from shore. The two- or three-hour cruises usually include fine dining complete with a four-course meal. Entertainment varies and features a mixture of fine classic jazz, piano or contemporary music.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Mark Litwa

Sears Tower Skydeck

See Chicago from its Tallest Building 233 S Wacker Dr
Chicago, IL 60606
+1 312 875 9696
http://www.theskydeck.com
info@theskydeck.com While no longer the world's tallest building, the Sears Tower still stands proud. High-speed elevators climb 110 stories to the observatory deck, and when clear, the view from 1,454 feet can be stunning. Enjoy bird's eye views of Lake Michigan, both the North and South Sides of the city, the surrounding suburbs and, on a clear day, parts of Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. The Skydeck Tour also includes a multimedia presentation and an exhibit with information on the Sears Tower and other architecturally significant buildings. Admission: USD12.95 adults, USD9.50 children (3-11), children under 3 free. All prices include tax. Last admission is 30 minutes prior to closing.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: jameskpoole
Photo: accote87
Photo: Patrick Houlihan
Photo: Paul
Photo: gena bailey
Photo: Paul W Puckett
Photo: Simon Pecovnik
Photo: Joshua Bousel

Photo: val fournier
Photo: Dave Horne
Photo: Martin S. Glenn
Photo: Greg Mote
Photo: Glenn Ansley
Photo: daecks
Photo: Kevin Carlson
Photo: Kate Harrington

Photo: Mustafa and Aziza
Photo: Steve and Sara Emry
Photo: Steve Cornelius
Photo: Jeanne Grunhard
Photo: jetzenpolis
Photo: Jordan Bond

Venetian Night

Enchanted night of twinkling sailboats Monroe Harbor
Chicago, IL
For a magical evening on Lake Michigan, be sure not to miss this simple, yet haunting event. More than 35 boats sail out onto Lake Michigan in a formal parade of twinkling lights and music. The free parade can be viewed along the lakefront from the Shedd Aquarium at Roosevelt Road up to the Chicago Yacht Club at Monroe Street. Listen for the gorgeous sounds of the Grant Park Symphony before the parade, and watch for the fireworks at the evening's conclusion.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: milopeng
Photo: milopeng
Photo: Asten Rathbun
Photo: Asten Rathbun
Photo: Seth Anderson
Photo: Jane Doe
Photo: Harold Hall
Photo: Gonzalo Guinand

Photo: sophiawachtmeister

Wendella Sightseeing Boats

Lake and river cruises 400 North Michigan Ave
Michigan Avenue at the Chicago River
Chicago, IL 60611
+1 312 337 1446
http://www.wendellaboats.com/
tours@wendellaboats.com While many Chicago cruise lines are corporately owned and designed with lavish amenities like on-board meals and in-house DJs, this cruise line offers a refreshingly simple, non-corporate and decidedly "unslick" presentation. Family-owned since 1935, the captain and narrator offer interesting tidbits on the city with dry one-liners. These low-key and no-frills cruises are an entertaining alternative to their competitors. Several different tours are available, and the boats offer partial cover.

Cash only.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Wrigley Building

One of the most famous Chicago buildings 410 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
As "The Gateway to the Magnificent Mile," the Wrigley Building sits directly across from its famous counterpart, the Tribune Tower, just north of the Chicago River on Michigan Avenue. Built in the early 1920s by the founder of the famous chewing gum company, the gleaming structure has been prominently featured in Chicago skyline shots in dozens of movies and television shows. At night, the luminous white building glows in the attention of bright floodlights, standing as a familiar touchstone of the city.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Eliina Viele
Photo: Mark Litwa
Photo: Daniel Nash
Photo: Pratyoosh
Photo: Sriram V
Photo: K Oxford
Photo: Benjamin Lipsman
Photo: Olly Dean

Photo: dave arndt
Photo: Peter Zanzarella
Photo: Andrew Westgate
Photo: incndnz
Photo: Eric Shotwell
Photo: Orwellsvision
Photo: scrapperjen1
Photo: Kevin Barnett

Photo: Gladys Ambrosio
Photo: Peter Nikolas Roth
Photo: Joe Henson
Photo: Tansy Jefferies