Private Architecture Boat Tour Chicago
Come aboard Adeline’s Sea Moose for one of our Best Chicago River private architecture boat tour Chicago to learn all about the stately buildings.
After extreme weather threatened Chicago’s water supply in 1885, bold moves were made to avoid another catastrophe. In 1887, the Illinois General Assembly decided to utilize cutting-edge civil engineering to reverse the flow of the Chicago River. Despite sounding unfathomable, taking water from Lake Michigan and directing it into the Mississippi River was actually a viable solution.
This was undoubtedly one of the most daring projects at the time, and its completion had a profound impact on America. Utilizing a series of canal locks and the newly completed Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the river was reversed in 1900. Through a 156-mile-long system of canals, the Chicago River connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River Basin. This created a path to the Gulf of Mexico, which revolutionized North American trade. In 1999, this system was named “Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium” by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Throughout the 20thcentury, this burst of innovation spilled over into the construction of skyscrapers along the Chicago River. Today it’s home to some of the most breathtaking buildings in North America, experience them with a private architecture boat tour Chicago. These monuments of human ingenuity attract millions of tourists every year, with private architecture boat tours being the best way to encounter them. To highlight the main attractions, we compiled a list of the most exquisite buildings on the Chicago River. Each entry is explained in-depth on our private architecture boat tours Chicago, so prepare to get a glimpse of their rich history!