Our Reviews

Fun experience! Wanted to finally do a Chicago boat tour. There are so many to choose from. After doing much research we narrowed it down to the fireboat and one other. The fireboat is smaller/less people, historical as you are on an actual fireboat that was in service there from late 30s until early 80. They also gave you great info on the architecture, and history during the tour without drawling on about too much. The whole crew were great. Bar tender was a hoot and made a pretty good Bloody Mary. We also got a free picture from them in front of the boat. It was a great experience and so glad we did it and also so glad we picked the fireboat!!

Great Experience! Loved everything about this trip. It is such a great way to learn interesting facts about Chicago architecture/history and see parts of the City. Highly recommended.

A little more than an average architecture tour So much fun. The tour guide was funny, clear and knowledgeable. It is an easy boat for all ages. The tour guide talked about why the flag has 4 stars to secrets of some of the buildings we passed to how the lock worked and the work the boat did in the fires. Not just architecture. The crew were very nice. Plenty of shade and seating. And air conditioning! Worth the $$. I had my first tour canceled due to the weather. The woman I spoke to was awesome and made sure I got on another tour that worked for me. Hubby was a little sad I didn’t schedule a traditional architecture tour but right away he was happy I did.

Highly recommended!! Loved this trip!! The guide was super knowledgeable and we loved the music, too!! Thank you!

Best historical tour of Lake and Chicago River You must take this unique lake and river tour on the Fireboat! Plenty of seating and open area for viewing. This is a boat with quite a history. And our guide, Cliff was so full of knowledge about the Fire boats, Chicago and architectural history and design. Definitely our favorite day of touring, and fun to watch going through the locks connecting the lake to the river itself. Absolutely recommend!

Great time had by all! My adult children and I enjoyed a fun and informative afternoon tour on this beautiful boat for our Mother’s Day celebration. The staff were friendly, funny and very informative.

I am an architect and Cliff knew his stuff The smaller boat was much preferred to the larger boats we saw on the river. The best part of the tour was Cliff the Guide. He was energetic, informative, knowledgeable and delivered at just the right pace. Loved all of his insider stories.

Unique historical experience! This was a one of kind experience in a historic fireboat. Much better than the crowded, larger tours, and the tour guide had a great sense of humor. My coworkers and I were impressed and want to come back for the sunset tour. Definitely recommend!

This is the best architecture boat tour in Chicago. The guide Cliff is very knowledgeable, easily understood, and very personable. One gets a unique perspective of the Chicago skyline from the lakefront and then then from the Chicago river after passing through the logs. The boat is intimate, the bar is well stocked and the atmosphere is quite friendly

This is an excellent tour .Very friendly , fun , & professional crew.The Captain of the vessel is a well seasoned & smooth operator.They are proud of what they do & it shows.Very warm , welcoming & knowledgeable.Roughly 2hrs from check in to disembarking.I am not a touristy guy but this is The Sweet Spot of local flavor without being overbearing.It's also one of the Lesser crowded of things to do.I write this hoping it doesn't change but they deserve the acknowledgement & i hope it grows .Thank you for an informative & fun experience.......They do have a nice selection both non and alcoholic beverages on board for everyone to enjoy.

Best tour in the city. Best tour taken! So much history! Our crew was exceptional. Cliff & Mike were the best guide's. Would highly recommend this tour.

Look for the big red boat! The entire crew was helpful and accommodating. Our tour guide Cliff was excellent — knowledgeable and friendly. Taking a historical tour on a historic Chicago fireboat was really special. We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the water.

Cliff was an amazing guide and extremely knowledgeable. Highly recommend!!!

Outing Fun, interesting. A good presentation

Absolutely thrilled we ended up booking this tour. Did some research and decided this one sounded the best and oh was it!!! Loved everything about this tour. The boat was fantastic and came with so much history of its own and character. The captains and staff on the boat were brilliant. So informative and knowledgeable. But delivered in a way that you wanted to know more and also with incredible humour and fun. Cliff was our tour guide and I’m so glad. I’m not sure you can get any better. I thought I’d like this tour but I absolutely loved it. The information was so interesting and I left knowing so much more than I imagined I would.The tour itself is fantastic. What an incredibly beautiful city Chicago is and you wouldn’t know it just from the streets. You must see it from the water. This tour included the lake as well as the river which was rare and great.Went by so quickly as it was so great. And enjoyable. It’s not jam packed like other boats are and we’re. This was so much more personal and intimate and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it any other way. Cliff you were fantastic and we were so privileged meeting you and learning from you today. And it’s owned and operated by veterans too which we thought was great. Thank you for a brilliant day out on the water. - John and Eleni.

Was a fantastic tour, very fun and educational- highly recommend!!

Chicago fireboat river tour This was a fantastic experience and having the history of the fireboat added even more to it. It felt like a personal tour, being more intimate than the larger boats. There’s a bar onboard too. The skipper and crew were terrific and Captain Cliff was extremely knowledgeable and quite the entertainer. The city from the river is awesome. We highly recommend it. Thanks again. John and Eleni

Excellent! This was a fabulous experience! My mom and I took the tour in the afternoon on a beautiful Sunday. It was interesting, fun, and very informative. We could not originally find the location of where the boat took off, so we missed it by about five minutes. I called the number provided and they rebooked us from the noon tour to the three pm tour, no questions asked. I can’t wait for more friends and family to visit, so I can take them on the tour again!

Best value in the city We chose the lake/river tour. The crew was friendly and informative. Being from the west coast, we learned about Chicago’s history not only by building development but also from a firefighters point of view. We went through a lock system for the first time and did get to go out on the lake itself. It was a smaller, more intimate group which I feel gives it a more private excursion vibe. I would definitely do this cruise again.

A must do tour of the Chicago riverfront! We learned so much history of the city and its skyline. Wonderful tour guide!

What an incredible experience! This lake, locks, and river boat tour with Chicago Fireboat Tours exceeded all expectations. From the moment we boarded, the crew was friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about sharing the history and beauty of the area.The journey through the locks was fascinating and gave us a unique perspective on how the waterways connect. Cruising from the lake into the river provided stunning views of the skyline, waterfront, and surrounding scenery that simply can't be appreciated from land. Cliffs narration was informative, engaging, and filled with interesting facts and very fun stories about the city's history, architecture, and maritime heritage.The boat was comfortable, well-maintained, and offered excellent viewing opportunities from every seat. We especially enjoyed learning about the engineering behind the locks and watching the water levels change as we passed through.Whether you're a visitor or a local, this tour is an unforgettable way to experience the beauty, history, and character of Chicago architecture. The combination of scenic views, fascinating stories, and the unique lock experience makes this one of the best boat tours we've ever taken. Highly, Highly recommend Chicago Fireboat Tours!

Hands down the Best Cruise in Chicagoland So we have lived in Chicago for a very long time and gone on many boat tours: architecture, river, lake, fireworks, Windy, etc. This was our favorite by a long shot. First it covered the river and the lake. We went through the lock at Chicago. We were given a history of the city and the fire service. The boat is like a mini museum with lots of photos. And the architecture part of the cruise was very informative. You cover all the important buildings in Chicago with lots of added color. Plus, as an added bonus, they take your picture when you get on the boat and email you it for free. There's a bar with snacks and drinks and two toilets. And the people who work are the boat are so lovely. You can tell the really care. From now on when people visit, this is the tour I will book for them.

What an incredible experience! What an incredible experience! This lake, locks, and river boat tour with Chicago Fireboat Tours exceeded all expectations. From the moment we boarded, the crew was friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about sharing the history and beauty of the area. The journey through the locks was fascinating and gave us a unique perspective on how the waterways connect. Cruising from the lake into the river provided stunning views of the skyline, waterfront, and surrounding scenery that simply can't be appreciated from land. Cliffs narration was informative, engaging, and filled with interesting facts and very fun stories about the city's history, architecture, and maritime heritage. The boat was comfortable, well-maintained, and offered excellent viewing opportunities from every seat. We especially enjoyed learning about the engineering behind the locks and watching the water levels change as we passed through. Whether you're a visitor or a local, this tour is an unforgettable way to experience the beauty, history, and character of Chicago architecture. The combination of scenic views, fascinating stories, and the unique lock experience makes this one of the best boat tours we've ever taken. Highly, Highly recommend Chicago Fireboat Tours!

Best first day activity in the city Amazing fun experience. Guide was very knowledgeable and super personable. Great way to get an introduction to the city while at the same time goingdeeper into history. Loved portion in addition to the river. Being able to see the lighthouse in the skyline makes this river cruise stand apart from the rest. Really cool experience to be on the fire. Much more intimate experience with the tour after seeing some of the bigger tour boats going by Hundred percent recommend!

Fred Busse Chicago Fire Boat Tour MUST do when in Chicago! Cliff was an AMAZING host and very knowledge. The day was perfect and the view was great! I'd recommend getting there early as parking was crazy and if you want to be in the front to see everything, it fills up fast. I do think it was over booked because they had to add chairs and it was not easy to move about the boat. Overall it was FANTASTIC!

Fanatics Chicago river tour 10/10 - loved it! Smaller boat made it feel more personal. Hosts were informative and accommodating - and very friendly! Highly recommend!

Great Day on Lake Michigan and Chicago River Great experience / tour. Fireboat added to interesting (and beautiful) journey of Chicago and its Architecture. Appreciated the bonus of the lake, which don't believe all tours include. Excellent job by Cliff, telling the history of Chicago, and the buildings. The entire Fireboat team did a great job. Great weather did not hurt!

Chicago lake and river tour. This tour is a must do! We learned so much about the buildings and history the Chicago River area. The tour guide was excellent and spoke to us personally before and after the tour. Excellent experience.

What a pleasant way to experience Chicago’s skyline, Navy Pier and architecture. The Fireboat crew is very knowledgeable What a wonderful way to experience Chicago’s skyline, Navy Pier and architecture.

Highly recommended river tour This tour was one of the highlights of our day! Our guide, Cliff, shared fascinating details about Chicago's history, architecture, and development, while still keeping the tour entertaining and engaging from start to finish. His storytelling brought the buildings and history to life. The perfect mix of education and humor made the time fly by. What made the experience even more special for me was that the tour was conducted on a retired firefighting boat. Knowing the vessel's history added a unique charm to the trip, and its smaller size created a cozy, intimate atmosphere that made the experience feel much more personal than a large sightseeing cruise. Even though I'm originally from the city of Chicago, I learned so many fun and surprising facts about the city. Whether you're a visitor or a local, this tour offers a whole new appreciation for the city's architecture and culture. Highly recommended!

The best tour! This has to be the best non-private boat tour in Chicago! The guide was funny, knowledgeable, and interesting. The boat was the perfect size - not one of those huge ones, and we weren't packed in like sardines. Easy to get drinks and snacks from bar. Everyone was so nice and cheerful and seemed to love their job. Would highly recommend!

Skip the big, impersonal riverboat cruises and definitely go with this veteran-owned, small, interesting fireboat. The tour was more personal and Cliff (the narrator) was excellent! Plus, you get to see the beautiful skyline from Lake Michigan as well as the architecture and history from the Chicago River. A must do if you are in Chicago! 🙌🏻

Fabulous tour!! Cliff was extremely knowledgeable about Chicago history, architecture, and about Busse!! Crew was great. We had a great time!! Thank you!!!😊

The best way to enjoy Chicago architecture with the bonus of seeing views of Chicago from Lake Michigan! What a fantastic experience. I have been on other architectural tours of Chicago. This one is the best one. First of all, the tour guide is excellent and the acoustics are good on the boat so we didn’t have to strain to hear the commentary which was informative yet entertaining! Not overwhelming. You are not in a group of hundreds so you can get up and walk around the boat which was great for grandchildren. Also because you are in a smaller boat you cruise out on Lake Michigan for more amazing views of Chicago. If you like history, you love the boat and the artifacts. Highly recommend

This was not only a fun spin on experiencing Chicago from the water But unique in the sense that you got a great view of the Chicago skyline from the lake, as well as along the river. Our guide, Cliff, was superb! The boat was just the right size to accommodate our big group, but also feel intimate. Plus, added bonus, we enjoyed a drink from the bar!

Super Tour, v.a. empfehlenswertmit kleinen Kindern! Wir konnten in Ruhe die Architektur genießen während unsere Kleinen mit einer Wasserpumpe vom Boot aus Wasser spritzen durften, die waren begeistert! Abgesehen davon, dass es natürlich etwas ganz besonderes ist auf einem Echten Feuerwehrboot mitzufahren. Tolles Erlebnis für Groß und Klein!

Top notch This was not only a fun spin on experiencing Chicago from the water But unique in the sense that you got a great view of the Chicago skyline from the lake, as well as along the river. Our guide, Cliff, was superb! The boat was just the right size to accommodate our big group, but also feel intimate. Plus, added bonus, we enjoyed a drink from the bar!

Fantastic tour! Capt. Cliff was knowledgeable and very passionate about Chicago history, architecture, & Busse Fireboat! A great experience!! Loved learning about the lock.

Totally recommend! Super friendly, clean and full of knowledge!

What an incredible experience! Erich and Ray are amazing hosts, Navy veterans who personally renovated this historic 1936 fireboat and brought it back to Chicago's waterways. Sailing down the Chicago River and into Lake Michigan as the sun set over the skyline was absolutely breathtaking. If you live in Chicago or are visiting, stop what you are doing and book a cruise. You will not regret it! 🚢🔥

A perfect historic afternoon! The Fireboat tour is the perfect history tour of Chicago on a historic vessel. Cliff is super knowledgeable and Manny is the man for a great drink while cruising Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. What a great way to spend the afternoon! Thank you!

Fireboat Architecture Tour is the best! We really enjoyed this tour and Wood recommended highly. Cliff was great. Knowledgeable and entertaining. Everyone who worked on the boat was super friendly and enjoyed a fantastic tour of Chicago, beautiful views, and we learned a lot!

Recommend Fireboat for Chicago River Tour There are many architectural boat tours offered in Chicago, but we are so glad we went with the Fred A Busse Fireboat tour. The staff/crew was exceptional, especially our tour guide, Cliff. One thing that made this preferable was the size of the boat. The smaller boat prevented us from having to share the experience with 100 other people that you would get from some of the other companies - making it more intimate and allowing for more interaction with the crew/guide. We also preferred was that the Fireboat ports at the lake front as opposed to the river walk. This way, you start and end with a panoramic view of the Chicago skyline. The tour was right around 2 hours, which was the perfect duration for our group of 4 adults and 2 young kids.

Awesome! We had an amazing time! Cliff and the rest of the crew were very kind, engaging & gave us a wonderful experience. I highly recommend THIS unique cruise on the Fred A. Busse!!!

Fantastic lake/river tour in Chicago I am so happy that my out of town visitor suggested a river boat tour and that we chose Chicago Fireboat Tours. It was the highlight of our time together. Our cruise lasted almost two hours (great value for money!) and took us along the magnificent Chicago lakefront and past some amazing riverfront architecture. Cliff, our guide, was full of facts and fun and could not have been more engaging. He and Manny made our day. Whether you're a native or a visitor, don't miss this tour!

Fantastic Tour! Cool boat, great bartender, and Cliff crushed it as a tour guide with a perfect mix of jokes and education. I wish I had done this tour on my first day visiting Chicago so I had a better understanding of what I was looking at walking around. Hard not to notice the different types of buildings afterward. Would 100% recommend this tour to anyone thinking about seeing the city from the river and lake, or looking to pick up a little history about the area.Well done crew!!

Amazing tour! The best trip in boat! Full of interesting data and friendly crew! The guide was super kind. It’s a must of Chicago!

A must do! We did this tour and had such a great time! Cliff, our guide, was funny and friendly and make the experience so great. It was so fun to learn all about the buildings in Chicago as well as other cool facts and the boat was awesome. Highly recommend!

Awesome It was absolutely amazing will be doing it again next time we visit

An amazing time! Mr. Cliff, the tour guide, is fantastic and is hilarious. There were only 5 people on the tour myself and my mom included so it felt like an intimate and special experience. Support these folks!! P.S. my furry best friend & kitty daughter, Miss Aurora, was treated like a VIP.

Great time! An amazing time. Mr. Cliff, the tour guide, is super awesome. There were only 5 people myself and my mom included on the tour and it was incredible. My cat, Miss Aurora, was treated like a VIP. God bless. Support these folks!

Super tour. Awesome tour. Cliff was knowledgeable and also entertaining. We will do another tour with these guys next visit to Chicago.

Great tourist experience We also loved this tour with Cliff’s commentary. Definitely worthwhile even though we had so little time in Chicago we are glad we chose this tour

Our guide cliff was. Both informative and very engaging. I recommend this tour highly

You have to take THIS boat tour!!! Thank you to all the crew of the Fred A Busse! Cliff was our tour guide and he sure knows his Chicago history! He is the perfect guy for the job -he is so engaging and well spoken! We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him and our bartender Manny was excellent as well. I would recommend this crew to EVERYONE looking to take an architectural boat tour.

Excellent

Top notch experience! The crew was knowledgeable and entertaining. Cliff our guide knew a tremendous amount about Chicago history and architecture...plus he was quite funny in his presentation. The fireboat is nostalgic and an amazing part of history in itself. Manny the bartender is a great dude and quick with his service. As a life long Chicago resident I was a bit skeptical on what I would see or learn, however the tour ended up being amazing. So much so that I plan to do it with family again this summer!

This is my new favorite version of the architecture tour! The boat is a real decommissioned fire boat decked out with memorabilia and of course a bar. The guide was so funny and kind (and they even called to help us find the parking lot/waited an extra couple minutes before departing). Guarantee the other tours would never. Highly recommend taking this tour next!

What an amazing tour! The guide was friendly and so knowledgeable!What a great boat!

This was the most amazing tour ever! Huge shout out to Cliff for being so warm and welcoming, and pouring his heart out in the historic details on this tour! We’ll definitely do this again