Chicago Art Deco Walking Tour: Five Riverfront Skyscrapers

Geometric ornament and polished stone in five lobbies built for the boom

This 90-minute walking tour explores five Art Deco skyscrapers built along the Chicago River during the 1920s business boom, with admission to the Chicago Architecture Center galleries and a live guide in English. You'll step inside the lobbies of the Carbide and Carbon Building (now Pendry Chicago), the Chicago Motor Club Building (now the Hampton Inn), and the Trustees System Service Building (now the Century Tower), all designated Chicago landmarks, to see how Art Deco reflected the era's optimism through lavish materials and geometric design. Access to building interiors may change due to weekend, holiday or unforeseen closures.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. National Portrait Gallery1h 30m
2. Merchandise Mart10m

Explore Art Deco skyscrapers in Chicago

• Discuss Art Deco buildings along riverfront
• View exterior of building
• View Carbide and Carbon Building
• Visit former Chicago Motor Club Building
• Visit Trustees System Service Building
• Visit Merchandise Mart

The experience

Five buildings, 90 minutes, one riverfront stretch. A certified guide walks you past the Carbide and Carbon Building, the Chicago Motor Club Building at 66 E Wacker Place, and the Trustees System Service Building, explaining how Art Deco ornament (the geometric patterns, the polished stone, the colored tile) reflected a moment when the city was building faster than anywhere else in America. You'll step into the lobbies themselves, not just look from the street, and see the materials and scale the architects chose to announce what the 1920s believed about itself.

The tour includes admission to the galleries of the Chicago Architecture Center, where the context for these buildings sits alongside the walk itself. A live guide narrates in English throughout, pointing out details you'd miss alone: why certain materials were chosen, what the geometric patterns meant, how these five buildings fit into the larger story of Art Deco spreading from Paris to Chicago's riverfront. The Merchandise Mart and other structures frame the route, showing how the style shaped an entire district.

Building access can shift without notice depending on weekend schedules, holidays or unexpected closures, so the interiors you step into are not guaranteed to be the same on every departure. The walk itself is flat and stays on public streets and accessible building lobbies. Strollers and wheelchairs can manage the route. Service animals are welcome. Pets are not.

What’s included

• Admission to the Chicago Architecture Center galleries.
• narration by a live, certified guide in English throughout the 90-minute walk.

Before you book

Days and timesSaturdayDeparts at 11:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (5 and older) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Chicago Architecture Center

Is this one for you?The 90-minute pace keeps the walk manageable for most fitness levels while covering five buildings in depth. You're not rushing between stops, and the flat riverfront route with accessible lobbies works for wheelchairs and strollers. Book this if you want a guide who can explain the geometric patterns and materials in real time rather than reading plaques alone.

Traveler reviews

4.94★★★★★★★★★★

106 verified traveler reviews

5 ★104

4 ★0

3 ★1

2 ★0

1 ★1

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What exactly is Art Deco and why does it matter for these Chicago buildings?

Art Deco was a design movement that reflected the optimism and speed of the 1920s through geometric ornament, bold colors and lavish materials. On this tour, you'll see how Chicago's five riverfront skyscrapers (the Carbide and Carbon Building, the Chicago Motor Club Building and the Trustees System Service Building among them) used Art Deco to announce the city's confidence during the business boom of the Roaring '20s, with polished stone, colored tile and geometric patterns that still stand out today.

Do I actually get to go inside these buildings or just look at them from outside?

You step inside the lobbies of the five Art Deco skyscrapers on this tour, not just view their exteriors. Access to the building interiors may change without notice due to weekend and holiday schedules or unforeseen closures, so the specific lobbies available can vary by departure date.

How long does this walking tour take?

The tour runs 90 minutes and covers five buildings along the Chicago River, with admission to the Chicago Architecture Center galleries included in the time.

Is this tour suitable if I'm not in great shape or if I have mobility concerns?

The walk is suitable for all physical fitness levels and stays on flat, accessible public streets and building lobbies. Wheelchairs and strollers can manage the route, and the Chicago Architecture Center galleries are wheelchair accessible.

What's included in the ticket price?

Admission to the galleries of the Chicago Architecture Center and narration by a professional, certified guide in English are included. The tour does not include hotel pickup, luggage storage or a coat check.

Can I bring my pet or service animal?

Service animals are allowed on this tour. Pets are not permitted.