The 15 Best Chicago Interior & Lobby Tours

1.Original Chicago Architecture Interiors Tour: Dazzling Interiors

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,489 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $35Our pick

Follow a local guide through Chicago’s Loop, beginning at the Art Deco Board of Trade and visiting remarkable lobbies, mosaics, and overlooked interiors before ending at the Cultural Center. Guides such as Spencer, Adam, Heath, Kaylee, and Katrina bring the city’s architecture and stories to life.

“If you do one tour in Chicago, this is THE one to do. Spencer was our inspiring guide…passionate, brilliant, informative and honestly proud of his wonderful city! He introduced us to hidden magical treasures of Chicago architecture: do not miss it.”

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2.Chicago’s Secret Interiors Architectural Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 635 reviews · from $35

Walk from Union Station through Chicago’s Loop to the Marshall Field Building, visiting grand lobbies, mosaics, domes, and historic hotels. Guides such as Ethan, Grant, Ty, Matthew, and Avery bring the city’s architecture and Gilded Age stories to life. Plan for about two hours on foot.

“Ty was very accommodating, informative and entertaining. Lots of details and a sharp POV. A great value for the money”

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3.Secret Interiors Architecture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 498 reviews · 2 hours · from $35

Meet your guide inside Union Station and walk through Chicago’s Loop to see the Rookery, Field Building, Marquette Building, Palmer House, Cultural Center, and Marshall Field building. Guides such as Grant, Talia, Annie, and Angel explain the art, engineering, and stories behind these remarkable interiors.

“It was a very informative tour with beautiful buildings and a funny, knowledgeable guide.”

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4.Chicago Walking Tour: Art Deco Skyscrapers Loop

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 138 reviews · from $35

Walk Chicago’s Loop with a Chicago Architecture Center certified guide and a group of no more than 10. See Art Deco facades, the Rookery lobby, and the Board of Trade, then use your ticket to visit the Architecture Center galleries.

“David took us to a trip to the past. Art Deco can be hidden or glowing in front of you and David gave us tips on how to recognize it. He took us to amazing places around Downtown where this style exists. Thank you for sharing with us! We highly recommend this tour!”

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5.Chicago Architecture Walking Tour: Incredible Art Deco Interiors

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 85 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $35

Walk through downtown Chicago with a guide such as Henry or Hilary, visiting Art Deco buildings from the 1920s and 1930s. The two-hour route mixes interior and exterior stops, keeps the group to 15 people, and ends near Pendry Chicago on Michigan Avenue.

“Lack of red horse, so could not find start of tour. Scammed out of a lot of money. Bummer. Would not book with this company again.”

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6.Chicago Walking Tour: Historic Skyscrapers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · from $35

Walk from the Fine Arts Building to the Monadnock Building with a Chicago Architecture Center-certified guide. In 90 minutes, you’ll see the Auditorium, Rookery, Board of Trade, and Marquette buildings, hear stories about early skyscraper design, and receive gallery admission.

“Chicago is a beautiful city - but walking and listening to the history and the builders and designs make Chicago even more beautiful! Our guide was very knowledgeable and wonderful.”

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7.Chicago Walking Tour: Art Deco Skyscrapers Riverfront

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · from $35

Meet at the Chicago Architecture Center for a guided walk along the riverfront and into five Art Deco landmarks. Expect skyline views, ornate lobbies, and lively stories about Chicago architecture from guides such as Mitch, Ron Roman, and Rebecca. Some interiors may close without notice.

“The river cruise exceeded our expectations. It was beautiful and spectacular! Our tour guide Chris was very knowledgeable and his knowledge was expansive. Clearly, he has done his homework on every building and loves what he does. It was a highlight of our first trip to Chicago! Thank you for making it so memorable!!!”

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8.Chicago’s Original Dazzling Architectural Interiors Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 39 reviews · 2 hours · from $35

Spend two hours with an English-speaking guide such as Spencer, Henry, or Kaylee, touring Chicago interiors most people miss. See Art Deco elegance, an 1880s landmark, Moorish details, Frank Lloyd Wright renovations, and the world’s largest Tiffany stained-glass dome near Millennium Park.

“Lovely to see details I normally wouldn’t recognise”

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9.Walking Tour: Chicago’s Loop – Home of the Modern Skyscraper

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · from $65

Spend 3.5 hours with a local Chicago guide exploring early skyscrapers, ornate interiors, and overlooked details in the Loop. Visit the Fine Arts Building, Rookery, Macy’s, and Chicago Cultural Center, with a short L train ride and a food-hall break.

“Absolutely loved this tour. Tom is a great tour guide and knows and loves his city. Learned so much about Chicago and its buildings. Real highlight is getting inside the buildings and seeing some of the most amazing architecture. You can walk through Macy's and not see the incredible tiled dome, just look up.”

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10.Chicago Art Deco Madness Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews · from $45

Join interior designer and architecture guide Ronnie Frey for a 1-hour-45-minute walk through Chicago’s Loop and North Michigan Avenue corridor. You’ll see about seven Art Deco buildings, enter select lobbies when open, and learn the stories behind the Board of Trade, Macy’s, Carbide and Carbon Building, and more.

“This is the 3rd tour of different Chicago areas I have done with Ronnie Frey of Doorways of Chicago. He is always fun, knowledgeable, organized, and willing to share details. He keeps his tour participants to an ideal number, so it’s easy to hRead more”

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11.Art Deco Skyscrapers Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 28 reviews · 1h 30m

Walk from 30 N LaSalle Street to the Merchandise Mart with a Chicago Architecture Center docent, entering five Art Deco skyscrapers. Learn to spot sunbursts, zigzags, octagons, and lavish materials in lobbies shaped by the optimism of the 1920s.

“Very good experience and the pace and knowledge shared was very good and informative”

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12.Evolution of the Skyscraper Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 10 reviews · 1h 30m

Walk Chicago's architectural timeline with a certified Chicago Architecture Center guide, possibly including guides such as Mitch. See the Page Brothers Building, Old Dearborn Bank, Chicago Motor Club, Carbide and Carbon Building, NBC Tower, and more, then visit the Center's exhibits.

“Draws an informative connection between architecture, and people all in a compelling historic narrative of Chicago.”

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13.Chicago Walking Tour: See Inside Art Deco Masterpieces

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 8 reviews · 2 hours · from $35

Walk through Chicago’s Loop and riverfront Art Deco landmarks with a local English-speaking guide. You’ll enter interiors usually closed to the public, hear about flappers, gangsters, jazz, and speakeasies, and cover about 1.5 miles in two hours. Guides include Henry and other local experts.

“Henry was excellent! Very personable and knowledgeable. We definitely enjoyed being tourists in our own home and getting to see places & learn things we hadn't seen & known before.”

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14.Chicago Loop: Art, Skyscrapers, Millennium Park & “The Bean”

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $49

Walk Chicago’s Loop with an English-speaking local guide, visiting Macy’s on State Street, Daley Plaza, Millennium Park, Crown Fountain, the Art Institute, and Cloud Gate. The route shifts with the weather, using grand public lobbies for warmth on cold or rainy days.

“I’ve taken a few tours with this company and they were great. So I booked a few for Chicago. I knew nothing about the Loop before, but now I know a lot, thanks to our guide, who was incredibly knowledgeable. I found the sites we saw interesting and felt that every minute of the tour was used well. I like tours that have guides who crack a few jokes, and that’s what I got on this tour -- I was very satisfied!”

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15.Chicago’s Modern Skyscrapers Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 1h 30m

Walk Chicago’s riverfront with a Chicago Architecture Center docent and connect Modernism to buildings by Mies van der Rohe, Bertrand Goldberg, and Harry Weese. The 90-minute route includes the River Walk, the Reliance Building, and admission to the Center’s exhibits.

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