Marvels & Feats: An Engineer's Tour of Chicago Architecture
Overview
Available languages
2 hours
Mobile ticket
Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper: imagine what incredible stories of engineering feats it has to tell!
Join Inside Chicago Walking Tours on our newest route — it’s Chicago’s ONLY engineering-themed tour! You’ll cover more than 150 years of engineering evolution, learning from a real engineer who makes the information accessible and graspable without ever dumbing it down. We believe that everyone can understand and be fascinated by these concepts if taught in an engaging and fun way.
You’ll see a building from the “father of the skyscraper,” who was actually an engineer and a classmate of Gustav Eiffel. You’ll learn how a “haunted” building gets its reputation simply by settling unevenly on its “floating” foundation. You’ll marvel at how Chicago’s buildings handle gravity and wind.
And as on all of our tours, you’ll visit the interiors of a few buildings to truly get that sense that you’ve seen inside Chicago!
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately!
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Local guide
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
What To Expect
Downtown / The Loop
The majority of this tour will happen Chicago's famous downtown district, "The Loop," where we will pop inside a couple buildings notable for their structural design.
Chicago Riverwalk
We will explore some more recent engineering feats along the Chicago River, with beautiful views!
Options
Marvels & Feats: Engineering
Reviews
44 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Henry was so informative,...
Joseph W,
Aug 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Henry was so informative, pleasant and very interactive. The weather was incredibly hot but barely noticed due to Henry’s presentation
Knowledgeable and accessible!!! Great tour
122felicial,
Jul 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We are native to Chicago but absolutely loved this tour. Our guide Henry is an engineer and architect by training and his insight into Chicago architecture was thoughtful, technically accessible and fluid. His descriptions of buildings were fascinating and thorough. He did not dumb it down but made the knowledge accessible. When he didn’t know something he said so .. which was refreshing. All in all a great tour. Thank you!!!
Wonderful mind-opening tour!
Nancy S,
May 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The structural engineer that lead the tour was very engaging and very informative. He had a great way of explaining structure and design in a manner that enabled all of us to gain knowledge, no matter how much or how little previous education in engineering each participant had! I learned a lot and discovered a whole new way of looking at buildings. Thanks so much!
Extraordinary 2 hour journey through Chicago Skyscraper Engineering
Evgueni I,
Dec 1, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We spent 2 very interesting and enjoyable hours with Henry. He made the experience very informative, enjoyable and added a lot of additional insights from own experience as a structural engineering specialist participating on number of building developments we saw. I wholeheartedly recommend this tour and our guide. There is a lot you do not see that’s worth discovering. Thank you, Henry!
All That Glam: Chicago's Art Deco Masterpieces.
J9881QEkenb,
Mar 9, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I have to go on this tour again!! Yes! the modern era's glass and steel tallboys kiss the sky, but my personal favorites are the masterpieces built in the 1920s and 30s. If you have yet to visit the lobbies of these Art Deco treasures, you don't know what you are missing. A luxurious craftsmanship from an era gone by. This tour provides access that might prove difficult if you were to try on your own. I believe our tour guide's name was Hillary. Her knowledge and skill as a storyteller were matched by her passion and love of Chicago. Hillary has also perfected the art of silence. At just the right time, she allowed the beauty of these Art Deco masterpieces the chance to speak for themselves. I am grateful for what I learned, but more so for how I felt, surrounded by beauty and greatness. Our tour was attended by people who call Chicago home, and those visiting from other states and a few from overseas. Judging from the reactions of those visiting our city for the first time, I am convinced they will look back on this tour as the highlight of their visit. No doubt about it, I have to attend this tour again. A thank you and my strongest recommendations for Inside Chicago Walking Tours.
Family Outing
Lamyin,
Mar 8, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Colleen was very professional. The walk was organized and informative. I appreciate her providing me with a good quality hearing device so that I don't miss any of her narrative. We were a 3 generation group and none of the kids, age 13, 11 and 7, complained. So you can take the whole family.
Fantastic Art Deco
MichaelB332,
Dec 9, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our 2nd tour with this company and both have been fantastic. A must see tour for those Interested in Architecture and History. We took the Art Deco tour and saw spaces that we never thought to pop in.oum.
Excellent Tour!
oboeadam,
Jun 4, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Even though I've lived in Chicago for 3 years now, it's always fun to learn new and exciting things about this city. This tour actually takes you inside some of Chicago's most iconic buildings, as well as into some formerly secret places used by famous gangsters. Haley was a wonderful tour guide! She was knowledgable, personable, and attentive to all of us on the tour.
The gold standard for Chicago tours
41samush,
Jun 4, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide Haley was knowledgeable, personable, and was able to facilitate fun connections between the members of the tour. This is clearly a passion for her, and she was able to instill that passion in all of us as we explored. This is our second tour with this company, and I cannot recommend it enough. Inside Chicago Walking Tours boasts a tour model that gets beneath surface facts, and shares the true beauty of our city and its rich history; these people are not tour guides - they are storytellers. Can't recommend this enough. We will be exhausting their list of tours whenever we have company in town!
Perfectly paced combo of architecture & history
drewbertzel,
Jun 4, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Haley was a phenomenal guide. So informed and friendly. She really made the city and history come alive for us. It was a good leisurely pace and the segue from art deco to the gangster history was very smooth. Loved all the surprise stuff at Nitti house at the end!!
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Operated by Inside Chicago Walking Tours