By Nicholas Katers
The Best Chicago Boat Tours
, Illinois is a popular tourist destination year-round with its famed sports teams, museums and stunning architecture. The Windy City is also home to several boat tours that showcase the region's attractions from the unique perspective of local waterways. Chicago boat tours take tourists along the Lake Michigan coast and through the heart of the city along the Chicago River.
Wendella Boats
Wendella Boats provides architectural and recreational cruises through Chicago's waterways. The Chicago River Architecture Tour is a one-hour tour led by a knowledgeable docent who explains the history behind the city's architecture, including the Wrigley Building. The Chicago at Sunset Tour shows the city's formidable skyline set against the dusk sky culminating in the Buckingham Fountain Water and Lights show. Wendella Boats offers a 90-minute combination tour of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan in the spring and summer.
Wendella Boats
400 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(312) 337-1446
Chicago Line Cruises
Visitors to Chicago see the city's architectural and historical wonders aboard Chicago Line Cruises. The company's Architectural Cruise is a 90-minute exploration of landmarks like Grant Park and the Sears Tower. Passengers aboard the Historical Cruise learn about Chicago's origins in the seventeenth century as well as its role as a Midwestern hub in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Chicago Line Cruises offers multiple evening cruises, including fireworks cruises and a "Devil in the White City" themed tour.
Chicago Line Cruises
465 E. McClurg Court
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(312) 527-2002
Tall Ship Windy
Tall Ship Windy sends tourists into the depths of Lake Michigan aboard the "Windy," a 148-foot schooner. The signature tour at Tall Ship Windy is The Life of a Tall Ship Sailor, a demonstration of ship knots, sea stories and sailing terminology. Tall Ship Windy offers an eco-sail tour of Chicago to highlight the eco-friendly relationship between the Windy and Lake Michigan. The company also offers From Canoes to Clippers to highlight Chicago's maritime past from the comforts of the "Windy."
Tall Ship Windy
700 E Grand Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(312) 595-5555
Shoreline Sightseeing
Shoreline Sightseeing runs Chicago boat tours with a nine-boat fleet ranging from the diminutive "Blue Dog" to the massive "Bright Star." The Skyline Lake Tour runs from April to October to highlight the city's attractions in comfortable weather. The Navy Pier Fireworks Cruise runs on Chicago's Lake Michigan Coast each Wednesday and Saturday during the summer. Shoreline Sightseeing also operates special tours for Bastille Day, St. Patrick's Day and Memorial Day planned around city parades, fireworks and other events.
Shoreline Sightseeing
474 N. Lake Shore Drive Suite 3511
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(312) 222-9328
Resources
About the Author:
Nicholas Katers has been a freelance writer since 2006. He teaches American history at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis. His past works include articles for "CCN Magazine," "The History Teacher" and "The Internationalist" magazine. Katers holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in American history from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, respectively.
Photo Credits:
Photo by Seth Anderson (Flickr)
