Donna Vickroy: Tales of giants await passengers on Chicago's architecture river cruise

Chicago Tribune

6 hours ago

— Carl Sandburg, 'Chicago'
Chicago is not just a big city. It's a big deal.
It is a story of strength, vision, talent and grit that you truly have to see to appreciate.
Thankfully, you can.
Each summer, thousands climb aboard the Chicago Architecture Foundation's River Cruise (www.architecture.org) and glide past skyscrapers towering on the footholds of determination and ingenuity.
(Full disclosure: I have been on the foundation's River Cruise more than 15 times. It's become one of our annual summer things to do in the city.)
The 90-minute cruise showcases Chicago's architecture and rich history while it glides along all three branches of the Chicago River, providing a 360-degree view of the city's skyline.
Each time I disembark, I swear I've learned something new about architecture — how patios can preserve sightlines, why the Merchandise Mart has its own ZIP code, how engineers keep the wind from knocking it all down — as well as about this robust, beautiful city with a gritty, storied past and a beckoning future.
On a recent Saturday afternoon, our guide opened his tour with a nod to Carl Sandburg, the Galesburg-born, Pulitzer Prize-winning Illinois poet laureate.
He ended the fact- and folklore-laden presentation with a harmonica solo.
In between, he pointed out the stars of the show, examples of Gothic Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Contemporary and Art Deco architecture. He explained the characteristics of each and their place along Chicago's skyline.
With cameos from geography, geology, engineering and folklore, the city's story comes to life.
Did you know that on the very site where Mrs. O'Leary's cow was 'falsely accused' of kicking over a lantern and starting the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, there now stands a fire training academy, our guide asks.
'In literature, we call that irony,' he said.
In Chicago-ese, we call it resilience.
From Bertrand Goldberg's cylindrical Marina Towers to Jeanne Gang's wavy Aqua Tower to the commanding Willis skyscraper, which forever will be referred to by locals as the 'Sears Tower,' the breadth of design runs parallel to the city's own far-reaching story of form, function and vision.
The cruise, which launches at Michigan Avenue and East Wacker Drive, was the brainchild of Bob Irving, a Chicago Architecture Foundation docent from the class of 1971, said Caroline Duda, senior director of volunteer services for the CAF.
'Much like all of the tours we offer, Bob saw a need to showcase the architecture along the river,' Duda said.
In 1983, the late Irving had 'the wherewithal to see the river's value as an educational tool. He created a route on a sailboat, starting at Navy Pier,' she said.
Irving had arranged for the bridge lifts to go up as the boat passed.
'But,' Duda added, 'he forgot to arrange to have them go up when he came back.'
In 1993, the CAF partnered with Chicago's First Lady Cruises and the route was changed slightly, but the purpose remained the same.
'Our goal is to showcase Chicago's architecture,' Duda said. 'You get see so much along the river from our boats. It builds a sense of community when you share part of us, when we share our stories with guests.'
The tour welcomes some 300,000 guests annually, said Duda, who estimates that, over the years, millions have come along for the ride.
While most of the passengers hail from outside Cook County, a decent percentage are like me, locals proud to call this toddlin' town home.
The tours are run by docents who, Duda said, 'have a passion for sharing' the architecture and story of Chicago.
The 150 volunteers come from all walks of life — a former FBI agent, a mapmaker, a food scientist – but share a love for the city, a love for lifelong learning and an ease being in front of an audience, she said.
All go through a rigorous 100-hour training regimen.
'Basically. It's a graduate level architecture course,' Duda said. 'All get six weeks of studying the fundamentals of architecture. Then an additional five weeks devoted to learning the river.'
On four or five practice cruises, they learn how to build their spiel. There's also a library of videos that introduce them to the work of other docents and allow them to practice at home, she said.
Timing is key, she added. So is remembering that, when facing a crowd, your left is the audience's right.
Though there are mandatory talking points along the route, each docent is free to personalize his or her approach.
They are free to 'geek out,' she said.
The docents are not paid, and there's a no-tip policy. So, you may wonder, what's in it for them?
They do it for glory, Duda said.
'Passion drives them. They want you to love Chicago and its architecture as much as they do,' she said.
Oh, she said, 'and you get 250 people to listen to you, a captive audience, for 90 minutes.
'Because, how often does that happen?'