ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List:
Here at ChiIL Mama, we've partnered up with Chicago Trolley many times over the years (since 2011), to share photo filled features (click & scroll down) on their excellent tours. Travel in style this summer, with hop on/hop off passes, and avoid the hassle of city driving and exorbitant parking fees.
The trolley and double decker bus tours are often hosted by enthusiastic and informative actors who will make your tour a delight. One of my favorite thing about Chicago Trolley is their philosophy that "Teaching actors and comedians to drive a trolley provides a better experience than teaching a bus driver to give a tour."
Last time we had an opera singer guide and he belted out some fabulous tunes in the echoing underpasses on our way to the museum campus and back. It was truly a treat! We highly recommend these tours for visitors and Chicago locals alike. They're fabulous family friendly fun!
Disclosure: We have been compensated and/or given complimentary tours for review purposes. As always, all opinions are our own.
Chicago Trolley’s Summer 2017 Offerings
· Downtown Tour is complete with 13 hop-on, hop-off stops in downtown and River North, including Skydeck at the Willis Tower, Art Institute, Museum Campus, Maggie Daley Park, Navy Pier, the Hancock Tower and more. Hours: 9am – 5pm daily.
· Wrigley Field/Lincoln Park Zoo Route takes visitors right to the Lincoln Park Zoo and then over to Wrigley Field, home of the 2016 World Series Champions. Hours: 10am – 3:30pm daily.
· Museum of Science & Industry/Chinatown Route travels south to the Museum of Science & Industry, followed by a trip to Chinatown. Hours: 9:30am – 4pm daily.
· The Night Tour takes riders around Chicago at dusk and into the evening, with stops at Navy Pier, Skydeck, the Hancock Tower and more. Hours: 6:30 – 10pm daily.
Tickets range from $26 - $68 and are available both online at ChicagoTrolley.com or at any of the 13 Chicago Trolley kiosks at their Downtown Tour stops.
Flashback to 2011 & our
First Trolley Tour
(Look how cute & little my now 16yo son, Dugan & his friend Soren are as 10 year olds! They loved the behind the scenes Wrigley Field tour, MSI, Hard Rock Cafe, Skydeck & The Ledge, and more)
SUMMER IS IN SESSION WITH
CHICAGO TROLLEY & DOUBLE DECKER CO.,
OFFERING FOUR SIGNATURE TOURS
AROUND THE CITY
Through An Exclusive New App, Tours are Available in Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese and German, Showcasing Chicago’s Top Sites and Neighborhoods
Beginning this month, Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co. launches the summer season, featuring four distinct tours highlighting the best sites Chicago has to offer. With ticket options ranging from one to three days, every ticket includes Chicago Trolley’s iconic Downtown Tour, complete with 13 Hop-on Hop-off stops throughout downtown Chicago and River North, the Wrigley Field/Lincoln Park Route, the Museum of Science & Industry/Chinatown Route and the Night Tour. For those wanting to experience Chicago by water, Chicago Trolley also offers the Land, Lake and River Package combining the best of the Downtown Tour together with Mercury Skyline Cruises boat tour. Tickets and packages ($26 - $68) are available online at ChicagoTrolley.com or in-person at a Chicago Trolley kiosk at any of their 13 Downtown Tour stops.
For the first time, Chicago Trolley riders can access an exclusive multi-lingual app from their cellphone for the Downtown Tour to experience the journey in Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese (Brazilian) and German powered by a GPS-locator. In addition, Chicago Trolley also offers a bus tracker, where passengers can track the nearest bus at ChicagoTrolley.com/gps. All busses currently in-route appear on a map, allowing the rider to see what time their bus or trolley arrives at each stop.
“Summer in Chicago is truly the best time of the year and Chicago Trolley’s downtown and neighborhood tours showcase the city’s vast offerings around every corner,” said Executive Director of Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Co., Walt Chadick. “By allowing customers to purchase all tours with just one ticket, riders have the opportunity to explore the city stress free. With added features such as our bus tracker and language app, we look forward to connecting with more riders and making it easier to share the Chicago experience with both tourists and locals alike.”
Chicago Trolley City Tours
Chicago’s culture, architecture and history come alive with the Downtown Tour, featuring 13 distinct locations around the city. Beginning at the Sheraton Hotel, tours will venture south over the Michigan Avenue Bridge to Skydeck at the Willis Tower, then over to Millennium Park, stopping by the Art Institute, Hilton Chicago, Adler Planetarium, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Maggie Daley Park. Looping north, the tour continues to Navy Pier, Magnificent Mile, Water Tower Place, the Hancock Tower featuring 360 Chicago and ending at the Hard Rock Café. The full Downtown Tour departs from downtown Chicago Trolley kiosks with all day access to hop-on and hop-off. Tours operate daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and are approximately two hours in duration.
The Wrigley Field/Lincoln Park Zoo Route departs from the Sheraton Hotel and heads to the Chicago History Museum, Chicago’s oldest cultural institution that today preserves an estimated 20 million items important to the city’s history. Passengers then visit some of the area’s most popular residents at Lincoln Park Zoo where they can visit 1,200 animals call home at one of the oldest zoos in the nation. The tour ends with a trip to Wrigley Field, home of the 2016 World Series Champions, for a photo opportunity under the stadium’s famous red marquee. The Wrigley Field/Lincoln Park Zoo Route is approximately 90 minutes in duration. The first tour departs at 10 a.m. and the last tour departs at 3:30 p.m. For approximate departure times at each stop, riders can check the Chicago Trolley Guidebooks available with a ticket purchase or visit ChicagoTrolley.com.
The Museum of Science & Industry/Chinatown Route departs from Sheraton Hotel and travels south directly to the Museum of Science & Industry—the largest science museum in the western hemisphere and the only building constructed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The tour then explores one of the richest cultural communities in the Midwest, Chicago’s Chinatown. Passengers can experience the authentic foods, affordable gifts and goods, freshly made herbs and teas as well as more than 12 acres of parkland in the nearby Ping Tom Memorial Park. The Museum of Science & Industry/Chinatown Route is approximately 90 minutes in duration. The first tour departs at 9:30 a.m. and the last tour departs at 4 p.m. For approximate departure times at each stop, riders can check the Chicago Trolley Guidebooks available with a ticket purchase or visit ChicagoTrolley.com.
The Night Tour showcases Chicago’s dazzling skyline and illuminated landmarks after the sun goes down. Beginning at Sheraton Hotel the Night Tour makes stops at the Skydeck, Hilton Chicago, Navy Pier and the Hancock Tower featuring 360 Chicago, allowing passengers to hop-on or hop-off throughout the evening. The Night Tour operates daily from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and is approximately 90 minutes in duration.
For exact departure times and tracking options for all tours, visit ChicagoTrolley.com. All Chicago Trolley Tours run now through September (with the Downtown Tour running year-round), and each tour is included with the Three Day, Two Day and One Day tickets.
Land, Lake and River Package
The Land, Lake and River Package ($68 adults; $26 Kids) allows passengers to experience the grandeur of the city by land and sea with Chicago Trolley and Mercury Skyline Cruiseline. The package includes a two-day ticket for any of Chicago Trolley’s tours and routes, as well as a Mercury Urban Adventure or Chicago by Night Cruise. Passengers glide along the Chicago River and Lakefront taking in the sparkle of the city at night or enjoy the breathtaking views of the dramatic skyscrapers and other architecture gems along the lake and riverfront by day. Together with Mercury Skyline Cruiseline and unlimited access to Chicago Trolley’s Downtown Tour, the Wrigley Field/Lincoln Park Zoo Route, the Museum of Science & Industry/Chinatown Route and the Night Tour, passengers are able to experience many distinct perspectives of Chicago.
Both the Mercury Urban Adventure and Chicago by Night Cruise depart from 112 E Upper Wacker Drive and are approximately 90-minutes in duration. The Mercury Urban Adventure departs at 10:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 4:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. The Chicago by Night Cruise departs once nightly at 8:15 p.m., excluding Wednesday and Saturday.
Ticket Information
Tickets are sold as a Three Day Ticket ($52 for adults/$50 online), a Two Day Ticket ($49 for adults/$47 online) and a One Day Ticket ($39 for adults/$37 online). Tickets for children ages 5 – 15 are $19/$18 online and are good for up to three days; children four and under ride free. Tickets include treats from Garrett Popcorn as well as a coupon book with over $100 in savings at partner venues.
Tours operate daily with vehicles departing the designated stops beginning at 9 a.m. Passes can be purchased in-person at various stops along the tour route or in advance online at ChicagoTrolley.com. Groups of 15 or more receive a 20% discount off the regular retail price per ticket. To receive this group rate, tickets must be purchased in advance by calling 773.648.5000.
About Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Company
Founded in 1994, Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co. operates its famous "hop on hop off" tour year-round, stopping and starting at 13 different attractions downtown. From May through September, they also offer neighborhoods tours and a night tour as part of your ticket package. Not only are they the largest tourism transportation company in Chicago, but they also drive for more than five thousand private events for locals each year all over downtown, the suburbs, and throughout Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. They provide festive and classic transportation for company outings, weddings, convention shuttles, school tours, parades, and parties. They have thirty-nine trolleys and twenty-seven open-top double decker buses. They've won numerous Chicago Visitors' Choice Awards for Best Tours and Best Service, as well as Trip Advisor's Certificate of Excellence the past five years in a row.
For more information, visit ChicagoTrolley.com or call 773-648-5000. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Disclosure: We have been compensated and/or given complimentary tours for review purposes. As always, all opinions are our own.
