Claude

We will be in Chicago for 4 days toward the end of April. We will be staying with relatives. We would like to take a several hours bus tour visiting some of the historic places in Chicago. Any suggestion of tours, and how we would find them? Thanks in advance.

Mike

If you are into architecture, there are great tours of Chicago going from the Chicago Cultural center. They are on certain dates of the month and reservations are reqired, I think. Also, there is daily tours of the city run by a local company that start at the Palmer House Hilton. They are Ok, but not great.

Owen O'Neill

You might also consider the historical boat tours offered by the Chicago Architecture Foundation. They're fascinating and well worth the money. Call them when you get there and reserve as they're often sold out a day in advance.

Claude

Thanks for the suggestions. I've been looking into the architectural tours. The boat tours don't start until May, and many of the architectural bus tours are on weekends, when we won't be there. The walking tours go every day. Any opinion on these?

raeona

There's a reason those river tours don't start till May -- Chicago in april can be blustery and cold. Of course, it can also be 70 and beautiful - that's Chicago for you. The Architecture tour is a good one, I'm sure, if you're into architecture. There's also a double decker bus tour, I believe, that leaves from the North Michigan Avenue area..right near the Water Tower. I just checked the Chicago yellow pages and, curiously, there is no GrayLine Tour, which operates in so many other cities. Try sites for Chicago Magazine, the newspapers (Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times) and the free weekly of what's going on - The Reader. Hope you have a good time!

Kay

I went on one of the walking tours last year and it was great. The guide was very knowledgeable and the group friendly. It lasted about 1/2 day and you had to choose between the first skyscrapers and the modern ones. They start from the architectural shop across from the Art Institute. Call ahead to get the exact info. I think you would enjoy. Also--there were some tours of F.L.Wright buildings maybe on weekdays?