Chicago Architecture Center, Illinois

What is Chicago Architecture Center?

The center is a cultural organization with a simple goal: to show off Chicago and ideas from cities around the world, and to encourage better living through design. It combines exhibition and conference space with a program of public tours.

Its best-known offering is the river tour, a boat trip led by trained volunteer guides that glides past many of the city's famous towers. Inside the center, the large scale model of Chicago's downtown helps visitors picture how the streets, the river and the skyline fit together. It is a handy primer before walking the Loop on foot.

History of Chicago Architecture Center

The organization was founded in 1966 as the Chicago Architecture Foundation and later took its current name, Chicago Architecture Center. Besides the river tour, it leads tours in other parts of the Chicago area, and its exhibits help explain what you will see on those tours.

Visiting Chicago Architecture Center: tips

The center is listed as wheelchair accessible and has parking. Give the exhibits about an hour, and add extra time if you book a river tour or walking tour. Nearby stops include the American Writers Museum and the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum, each about 0.2 mile away, and the Chicago Design Museum about 0.4 mile away. Food, hotels and EV charging are all within about 0.2 mile. Route 66 begins a short distance away in the Loop, so a morning here can lead straight into the drive.