Elevated Architecture: Chicago’s Loop by Train

Went on this tour with two friends, one also from Chicago and one visiting from out of town. We all enjoyed it greatly as it was a wonderful way to see the city and hear some of it’s history. Our guide, Mike McMains, was excellent; obviously knowledgeable about architecture, Chicago, and the El system and also very enthusiastic about sharing that knowledge with everyone on the tour. Great way to see the city and hear some interesting stories about the development of the Loop.

I liked that the tour was more than just sitting on the train — we went in and out of stations, got on and off the train — and learned about how the city and the El influenced each other. I’ve lived in Chicago for 15 years and that was the first time I had ever rode around the entire loop and I loved seeing the Quincy station that has been restored to its near-​original state as well as seeing views of the city from the walkways in the stations over the tracks. The docent, Mike McMains, knows his stuff and provided a wealth of knowledge about the architecture, the El, and the events behind the development of the Loop. And he gave us time to look, talk amongst ourselves and enjoy viewing the city.

I knew about this tour for some time and finally got to go. Just like their river architecture bout tour, this tour is great for chicagoans as well as visitors. My tour was on Saturday morning and we were broken into two groups. Our group had 8 people. The docent, Mike McManis, I think, was great! He almost never stopped talking, except when the ‘L’ went by. He was like an encyclopedia on ‘L’ history and the architecture of the buildings along the tracks. A lot of the views were impressive and, of course, not ones you normally have. It was clear Mike had a passion for his subject and it is remarkable all 500 of the docents are volunteers!

I went on this tour last saturday with my mom who was in town from Florida. She is new to architecture, but I’ve been on a few CAF tours. I have to admit I think this one is my favorite.
You get to look at the buildings up close, from an elevated perspective. There are details that you would never see from the ground or any other vantage point. You can really appreciate the artistry in the detailed facades by architects like Louis Sullivan.
The «meat and potatoes» of the tour is the history of the «L» itself and includes the story of how one guy brought it all together from entirely separate private train lines. In typical Chicago fashion, this man’s methods were less than saintly… and this just made the story all the more interesting.
The historical value of this tour touches on many areas of interest beyond architecture including history of chicago, art, trains. There’s not as much walking as in other tours (which was good for my mom) and you get a break from the rain, heat, or cold when riding the trains themselves. I answered yes to the «good for kids» question below (not like I have any) because I think kids would find it interesting just to ride around on the trains for a few hours.
The tour’s presenter was very nice and answered all of the questions with substantial, detailed responses. Even questions about buildings not specifically covered by the tour. You can tell these people really have a passion for architecture and are not just hacks memorizing a script.
Overall, a superb way to spend a few hours and a new addition to the «activities to do when when people visit me» list.