Historical and Architectural Chicago Fireboat River & Lake Cruise
Description
Travel on a piece of history, learning Chicago fire history as well as Architecture! We travel on Lake Michigan and through the Chicago River seeing the sights. Perfect for Fire enthusiasts, families and everyone in between! Our flagship vessel is a retired Chicago fire boat, the Fred A Busse, Engine 41, which served Chicago from 1937 to 1981. Firefighter patches from around the world and memorabilia from Engine 41's time in service, adorn the walls inside the cabin.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Learn about the Chicago river and the history surrounding it.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Important Note: We only serve alcoholic drinks for travelers 21 years old and above. Minor travelers below 21 years old will be served non-alcoholic drinks.
- Harbor Parking at 111 N. Lakeshore Drive. Access to parking in same intersection as harbor.
Reviews(345)
We all loved it - young, older and beyond! Wonderful, engaging crew. Would definitely recommend to anyone.
Not only is it a great tour of Chicago architecture along the Chicago River but what really impressed me was the tour guide. I can't imagine how many times he has given this tour, but his enthusiasm was inspiring. He had so much energy that it was clear he takes a lot of pride in his work instead of simply going through a well rehearsed script.
I have been on multiple Chicago river tours visiting Chicago over the past 10 years and the Chicago Fireboat tour was the best BY FAR that I have ever been on. I’m not one to leave many reviews, but the staff was so friendly and welcoming that they deserve it. Cliff is a national treasure, who might be the most knowledgeable guide I’ve ever spoken to. If you are blessed enough to have him giving your tour that day, thank your lucky stars! He is the man. He is one of the main reasons I would recommend this tour. The entire staff was awesome (shout out Captain Eric who was on board and also is a co-owner of the company). Veteran owned and operated, they were a small “mom & pop” type tour offering a much more personalized experience vs some of the “corporate” type tours i’ve been on in the past. PLUS the boat is a retired Chicago fireboat, so you feel part of the history of the city. You don’t need to keep searching for a better price or a better tour, you have already found it. Pull the trigger and book with Firehouse, you will not regret it! THANK YOU again yall! - Frank & Shelby from Philly (go birds)
This cruise had it all; harbor, lake coast, lighthouse, locks. Informational narrative of architecture and history. Tour guide was knowledgeable and told great stories . We were 3 generations from 8 to 66 years old. Truly something for everyone. Our 13 year old grandson retold a few of the stories the next day. Wonderful experience.
I have no doubt that the experience itself was fantastic, but can't say for sure. Do NOT try to get an Uber to the address in the instructions on the site. They won't know how to get you there UNLESS you are fortunate enough to get a driver that really knows Chicago. Ours was not from the area and didn't have a clue. Also wasn't incredibly friendly or have great English speaking skills. We even had a very friendly person at the boat dock on the phone about half way through our Uber ride who was trying to help us get there. If you ordered your tickets through Viator, CALL the boat company number listed for the correct instructions (it's a recording) on how to get to the correct place well in advance so you don't miss your boat, too.
Great greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Super laided back environment! Very informative as well! The crew was awesome! Freedom to move around!
Guide was great, Tour was great, bartender was great! Highly recommended! Better than the tours that only get the river rather than the river and lake! We had a fabulous time!
So interesting and informative. Made Chicago sound like a great place to live. Got to see and hear so much about history and current life here. Highly recommended!!!
This was a wonderful way to see the architecture in Chicago! Our guide was so knowledgeable! Despite some less than desirable weather, we were comfortable on the historical fire boat! Highly recommend this adventure to see and hear about Chicago!
