Historical and Architectural Chicago Fireboat River & Lake Cruise
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Chicago, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Maximize your Chicago sightseeing on a river cruise—and travel aboard a unique historical vessel, which other tours don’t offer—on this one-of-a-kind excursion. Pick from different departure times and board a classic Chicago fireboat, which served the city’s fire department from 1937 to 1981. As you sail Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, view architectural highlights including the Wrigley Building and Chicago Lighthouse, and chart the boat’s firefighting history via the on-board displays and commentary.
- This river boat tour covers top Chicago landmarks, all in one quick trip
- Learn facts about the city’s sights and fire service most travelers miss
- Relax with snacks and drinks available for purchase on board
- Great for first-time visitors, families, and firefighting enthusiasts
What's Included
- Bathrooms available onboard
- Cruise on a piece of Chicago history
- Expert narration of Chicago's history & architecture
- SnacksLight snacks available for purchase onboard
- Alcoholic BeveragesAlcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase onboard
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Chicago Fireboat Tours200 N Breakwater Access Dusable Harbor, River front, Chicago, IL 60601, USA
DuSable Harbor, Concrete pier Dock H behind the Columbia Yacht Club
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Chicago River (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- 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.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Jady_T
Such a fun and unique experience! We absolutely loved the concept of the fireboat — it’s such a cute and charming way to explore Chicago. It was a little tricky to find the boat at first since it’s tucked right behind a larger boat at the address provided, but once we figured that out, everything was smooth sailing (literally!).
A huge thank you to our tour guide, Cliff — he was fantastic! Cliff shared so many interesting stories about Chicago’s architecture and history, and his passion really showed. We learned so much while enjoying the beautiful views. Also a big shoutout to the friendly staff who were waiting for us when we arrived. They were super patient, helpful, and made sure we got on board without stress.
Highly recommend this cruise to anyone looking for a different and memorable way to experience Chicago. The fireboat is truly one-of-a-kind!
Reviews
4.9
based on 262 reviews
Richard_H, May 2026
This was a very informative and fun tour. You got to ride on a real piece of Chicago history while learning about the the very diverse architecture of this city. I lived here as a kid/young adult never knew we had a lock between the river and the lake. 🤯. The tour guide was funny and knowledgeable. He answered all our questions and gave us lots of little gems. I learned some things on this tour that I had not heard of on other boat tours. They had a full bar with hot and cold drinks. Bartender was great and made good drinks. Two bathrooms on board. Was a very enjoyable experience. I would highly recommend this tour if you are looking to do a boat tour.
Response from Host, May 2026
We are thrilled that you enjoyed our tour!
Fabian_T, May 2026
This felt more like a one on one setting. Great knowledge and the tour guide was personable, and made everyone feel comfortable.
Response from Host, May 2026
We are so glad you enjoyed it!
Robert_R, Apr 2026
The tour was great. Very helpful and friendly staff. The guide was very knowledgeable (as well as the bartender who recommended some great beers.) The Busse is an amazing boat. It was great to ride in part of Chicago's history while learning about Chicago's history.
Rebecca_F, Apr 2026
Cliff and crew were incredible! Friendly, knowledgeable, and entertaining. We've been on several cruises like this, including one in Chicago, and this is by far our favorite that we've done. Will return with our kids, bc we know they'd love it too, especially being on a decommissioned fire boat!
Jean_K, Apr 2026
From the very beginning, this experience was was outstanding! We selected this tour because it was a smaller, unique and veteran owned tour company. Once on board, the entire staff was very welcoming and our guide, Cliff, was amazing. He was personable, knowledgeable & entertaining with stories and history of the so many of the significant structures along the lake shore and Chicago river. We (there were 4 of us) would highly recommend this tour over any of the bigger companies. Have fun and enjoy!!
Rebecca_T, Jan 2026
Such a nice staff on the boat, and the tour was super insightful and entertaining, if you love to learn about fun facts and appreciate a nice sense of humor, this is for you! Also a nice way to get to see the city and plan the rest of your stay.
Carlo_C, Nov 2025
Fantastic. Friendly crew. Worh the price. Great experience and would definetely recommend to others.❤️
Michelle_B, Oct 2025
Great tour. The view from the lake is amazing. River architecture tours are good but this is a bit extra plus fireboat!
Jennifer_S, Oct 2025
The people who did the tour were great, informative and friendly. The boat was cool as it was historical. It was comfortable with the bow open with seating and the back area enclosed and warm. Drinks and snacks were available and reasonably priced. Great time!
Linda_P, Oct 2025
Be prepared for a very entertaining 1 hour tour on the river and 1 hour on the lake. Tour boat cozy and historic with a very knowledgeable guide.
Matthew_G, Oct 2025
Enjoyed going out on both the lake and the river! We were celebrating our sons 30th birthday and the weather was perfect. Really liked that we were able to move around on the boat and be able to see the city from different viewpoints.
Patricia_H, Oct 2025
Clean, comfortable, extremely informational. Incredible architecture, many onboard amenities, welcoming experience.
Lauren_H, Oct 2025
Very worthwhile. This was unique way to experience the lake, river & city. Not only did the guides really know the history of the sites - boat itself has a story, See for yourself!!!
Brooke_S, Oct 2025
Great tour and guides. Highly recommend. Beautiful to see the city from the water and get to go on the lake and river.
James_F, Oct 2025
From booking the boat ride to the time we got off the dock the experience was a 10 out of 10. We enjoyed every minute of our ride. Staff were knowledgeable and courteous. Definitely exceeded our expectations.
Kathy_S, Oct 2025
So much fun and informative! I am hard of hearing and did have a bit of trouble at first, but I found a “sweet spot” and did fine after that.
Elentceo_G, Oct 2025
If you wanna enjoy a relaxing boat ride with family, kids, no kids, single, couple. It doesn't matter. Fireboat cruise is perfect for everyone. Great option seating, 2 bathrooms clean restrooms i should say. Snacks, beverages at reasonable price. My kids, 3, 4yr old loved it all while learning a bit myself. Thanks Crew .
Susan_M, Oct 2025
Great tour!!! Friendly and knowledgeable staff. We learned a lot of Chicago history and had a lot of fun!!
Allison_M, Sep 2025
This was a fantastic tour! The fireboat is more unique than a regular tour boat. Part of the fun is that it we start on the Lake Michigan side and get to experience going through the locks to get on to the Chicago River. Our tour guide Cliff was extremely knowledgeable about the various styles of building architecture and the city's history, as well as being witty, friendly, and having a voice smooth as silk. The entire crew was friendly, helpful, and you could tell they really enjoyed what they do. Will definitely do this again next time we visit Chicago.
Mary_F, Sep 2025
The whole crew was welcoming and knowledgeable. The timing was just right and the accommodations were perfect.
Robin_A, Sep 2025
Cliff and the entire crew were professional, friendly and fun to spend time with. The views were amazing.
Martinas_S, Sep 2025
it was a pleasant trip and the boat cap was very informative and knowledgeable. Enjoyed the history.
Jason_E, Sep 2025
The experience was fantastic! The boat was so cool, historic, and well appointed. The guides were super friendly, funny, and knowledgable of all things Chicago and its history and architecture. There was a full bar on the boat, which was amazing. The amount of people on the boat was just right, not too crowded. It was amazing how quickly two hours went by on this fun tour! Highly recommend
Joseph_E, Sep 2025
Amazing tour in a restored active duty Chicago fireboat. Guide had an amazing amount of Chicago knowledge. Much fun!
Cynthia_C, Sep 2025
I have lived in Chicago for many years, but it was a friend from out of town who found this tour online. The historic fireboat offers good views from all parts of the boat, and our guide provided a nice mix of architecture, city history, and funny stories. I have been on river tours many times, but the lake portion of the tour was something new for me. It was great to look back at the sweep of the city from a distance outside the breakwater.
YUE_Z, Sep 2025
Very good experience. The boat is historic, showed many old fire fighting equipment. Interested! The tour is amazing! The Narrator is knowledgeable. He told us interested stories about achitectures that along the riverbank. The lake is beautiful. There also is a sluice that spray out large water mist, and form a rainbow when the boat driving away from the river to the lake. I am so happy to join this tour!
Simone_B, Sep 2025
This was such a fun experience! I love the nostalgia of the fire department, that was a plus! The boat was comfortable and pleasant to be on. Our tour guide was so friendly and sweet and full of information. It was really amazing. I would definitely do this again my friends and I had a great time.
Sue_E, Sep 2025
It is a wonderful tour, very informative and interesting. The
fireboat itself makes the experience very unique. We had a great time and would highly recommend to others! Cost is reasonable and the he location was easy to find.
pambarnard, Sep 2025
Fabulous trip on the lake and through the lock onto the river. The crew were all great and were very knowledgeable about the area and history of Chicago and its buildings, with some humorous stories along the day. Very well done e guys and excellent couples of hours on a piece of Chicago history that is the fire boat.
Erin_F, Sep 2025
Such a fun way to spend the afternoon! We had Cliff as our guide and he was so knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. Really cool doing a tour on a retired fire boat and loved all the old pictures and memorabilia they had displayed.
From $47.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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