Historical and Architectural Chicago Fireboat River & Lake Cruise
Overview
Available languages
2 hours
Mobile ticket
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.
Additional Info
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.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Bathrooms available onboard
Cruise on a piece of Chicago history
Expert narration of Chicago's history & architecture
Light snacks available for purchase onboard
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase onboard
What To Expect
Chicago River
Learn about the Chicago river and the history surrounding it.
Options
Historical and Architectural Chicago Fireboat River & Lake Cruise
Reviews
160 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Best Chicago architecture tours!
kathy d,
Aug 23, 2025
- Viator
5.00A super friendly crew, excellent information during the tour, just a top notch experience! I’ve done 3 other river architecture tours and this one was the best by far!
Amazing tour
KarlaPaola B,
Aug 18, 2025
- Viator
5.00The boat is a bit small so some people end up standing up (which was my case), however the staff was super friendly, I loved that it was the only tour shich specified information regarding both history and architecture, most only focus on architecture. Information was really interesting, our tour guide has an amazing storytelling skills, 100% recommend
The Windy City
Katherine D,
Aug 16, 2025
- Viator
5.00It’s an awesome way to learn some of the history of Chicago. The crew is very helpful and concerned about your comfort. The breeze was refreshing on a hot day.
5 alarm tour
jon s,
Aug 15, 2025
- Viator
5.00Bartender was awesome ... and the narrator was great as well with all the great stories. There are many river tours . .., this one was pretty cool!
Fireboat Tour Chicago River
Vince D,
Aug 13, 2025
- Viator
5.00The Fireboat tour was very good overall. The boat was clean and in good condition. The price was reasonable overall. here's a reasonable size over roof area to sit and watch the sites. There's also a large enough outside area. There's refreshments on the boat at areasonable maybe slightly high price. The tour of the Chicago river is good viewing from different areas of the boat and the narration of key milestones along the river was done very well. The boat is boarded about a mile from Navy Pier at DuSable harbor. The only negative is passing the lock twice through the river and back to the boarding area, it takes a fairly long time. Based on the price and the overall tour I would recommend the Fireboat architecture tour.
Related Experiences
Operated by Chicago Fireboat Tours