Walking and Bus Tours FAQ

Essential walking tours depart from the center at 111 East Wacker; they are free for all CAC members. Premier walking tours depart from other locations across Chicago, including neighborhood tours. Premier tours are discounted for individual, dual and family memberships and free for Deco level and above. Select tours are Premier tours that depart weekly.

All tours are given by CAC-certified volunteer docents. Docents receive hundreds of hours of training about Chicago’s architecture and its history. They are storytellers and Chicago experts.

Many of our tours, including all Essential tours, depart from the CAC at 111 E. Wacker. Your ticket (regular or print-at-home) will indicate the departure location. If you have any questions about your tour’s meeting place, give us a call at 312.922.TOUR (8687).

For tours that don’t begin at the CAC, please consult the individual tour page on our website or call 312.922.TOUR (8687) for details on the meeting location.

Will call tickets can be picked up from the CAC at 111 E. Wacker on the day of the tour. We recommend arriving 10-15 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time.

For tours that depart at sites other than the CAC, simply check-in with your docent at the meeting point.

Yes, CAC is pleased to offer active-duty U.S. military personnel, with proper military ID, one free walking tour ticket or one free admission ticket to the CAC for their own use. Please note that dependents and family are not included in this offer. For more information on this benefit, please call 312.922.TOUR (8687).

The closest parking garage is located at 111 East Wacker Drive. CAC guests and members receive a discount on parking at this garage for up to 4 hours. You can receive a validated parking sticker at the Center box office or the dockside CFL River Cruise box office. The parking garage is open 24/7.

For tours that depart from locations other than the CAC, you can book convenient and affordable parking in advance through SpotHero, the nation's leading parking reservations app.

To reserve your parking spot, visit the Chicago Architecture Center SpotHero Parking Page.

We’re unable to provide secure storage for luggage or strollers.

Yes, our tour buses can accommodate wheelchairs. To ensure an accommodation, a request should be made at least 48 hours prior to your tour's scheduled departure time. Your request can be made by phone 312.922.TOUR (8687), or email tickets@architecture.org.

Unfortunately, we are unable to refund tickets due to the weather. CAC tours depart rain or shine, and our tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

We are happy to welcome service animals on all tours.

CTA L train stations (walking distance from the following)

• State/Lake station for the Brown, Green, Orange, and Purple lines
• Lake for the Red Line
• Washington station for the Blue Line

Walk to Lake Street and head east. At Michigan, turn left (north) until you reach Wacker. Turn right (east) on Wacker.

CTA bus lines

Take any CTA bus that travels downtown and intersects with E. South Water. See CTA website for routes and schedules at www.transitchicago.com.

Commuter train

Metra operates 11 suburban commuter lines serving downtown Chicago. For Metra schedule information, visit www.metrarail.com.

On walking tours that begin at the Center, personal listening devices are available to assist in hearing the docent’s commentary. These receivers are compatible with a 3.5mm earphone jack (standard for many phones). Guests are welcome to bring their own personal wired earphones, though single-use disposable earphones are available at no charge. Please be aware that our receivers are not Bluetooth enabled.

Yes! We can arrange a private or custom architecture tour for you and up to five guests. An experienced and knowledgeable CAC docent can take you on an existing tour or create a tour based on your interests.