Head to 400 N Michigan Avenue, right by the historic Wrigley Building and DuSable Bridge. When you arrive, a team member will lead you to the dock.

Double-check your ticket, and you’ll be good to go.

There’s no parking at the dock, but you’ve got options nearby (plus a few discounts for Wendella guests).

Option 1: Interpark Parking Lot

Located at 430 N Rush St.

The entrances of this outdoor parking lot are located on Rush Street (just south of Illinois) and Hubbard Street (just west of Rush).

Park for up to 10 hours for $14 with a coupon from our ticket office. 

Parking is subject to availability, so plan ahead if you’re cruising during peak hours.

Option 2: AMA Plaza Garage

Located at 401 N State St.

Enter from Wabash (across from Trump International Hotel & Tower) or State Street (look for the Hertz sign). There are height restrictions, so large campers will not fit.

Ask our ticket office for a $5 off parking coupon.

You can reserve in advance at StateWabashParking.com, but the $5 coupon can’t be used with online reservations.

Option 3: Trump Tower Garage

Located at 401 N Wabash Avenue.

Park up to 6 hours for $18 with a coupon from our ticket office (valid for self-park only).

Parking is first-come, first-served.

Option 4: SpotHero App

Use the SpotHero app to find and reserve parking near the dock and pay in advance.

We’re easy to get to via CTA, Metra, or even by boat. Just remember, we’re on the north bank of the river, directly west of the Michigan Avenue (DuSable) Bridge.

Here’s how to find us without getting behind the wheel:

CTA

“L” Trains

Red Line: Exit at Grand, walk east to Rush Street, then head south to the river.

Green, Orange, Pink, Brown, or Purple Lines: Exit at State/Lake, walk east on Lake to Michigan Avenue, then north to the river.

Buses

Take any of these to the Michigan & Illinois stop: 2, 3, 26, 120, 121, 143, 146, 147, 148, 151, 157.

Metra and Amtrak

Arrive at Union Station / Ogilvie Transportation Center: Hop on the Chicago Water Taxi at the NW corner of the Madison Street Bridge. It’ll drop you off at the Michigan Avenue stop, right by us, in about 15 minutes.

Arrive at Millennium Park Station: Walk north for about 10 minutes on Michigan Avenue to the river.

Arrive at LaSalle Street Station: Walk north for about 15 minutes on LaSalle to Wacker, then east to Michigan Avenue and down to the river.

Chicago Water Taxi

Yup, you can take a boat to your boat tour. Board the Chicago Water Taxi at Ogilvie/Union (NW corner of the Madison Street Bridge) and hop off at the Michigan Avenue Stop, right by our dock.

Yep, we’ve got discounts, but only for in-person purchases at our ticket office. Discounts aren’t available online, and they’re not valid on holidays.

Here’s who qualifies for a little something off:

College students: 50% off on Tuesdays with a valid student ID from an accredited College or University

Active-duty military and spouses: 50% off Monday–Thursday with valid military ID

Veterans and Reservists: $10 off Monday–Thursday with valid ID

And keep an eye on our social channels. We drop deals there from time to time.

If you’re a crew of 20 or more, we offer group rates on select dates and times (excluding holidays). This applies to our Chicago River Architecture Tours and Lake & River Architecture Tour.

Give us a call at +1(312)337-1446 to get started.

Need to make a change? No problem, just call at least 24 hours before your departure, and we’ll help you out.

We recommend booking ahead, especially for weekends and during the busy summer season.

Our boats have indoor and outdoor seating, so plan to arrive early if you have a preference (it’s first come, first served).

Save the paper—just show us your ticket on your phone. We’re more concerned with getting you on the boat than checking your printer ink.

It depends on which one you pick. Check our tours and cruises for exact timings and details.

You won’t be standing the whole time. Promise. Our boats have indoor and outdoor seating, so plan to arrive early if you have a preference (it’s first come, first served).

Our boats are built for Chicago weather, whatever it’s doing.

All boats have heated and air-conditioned cabins in fall, winter, and spring. Most boats are climate-controlled in the summer, too, but some tours cruise without A/C. Don’t worry, though—there’s always covered seating to keep things breezy.

Yes. We know what happens when you're surrounded by water.

All our boats come stocked with snacks, a full-service bar, and a locally brewed IPA you can’t get anywhere else. See our full menu here. It’s all for purchase (sorry), and we’re cashless, so don’t forget your card.

Yes! All our Architecture Tours are family friendly. Most of our Chicago Cruises are, too, except for our Wine & Cheese Cruise and our 21+ St. Patrick’s Day Cruise.

We’ve got changing tables in the lower deck restrooms. No stress.

If you can fold it up, you can bring it on.

Rain or shine, we usually roll with it (and most boats have cozy indoor seating). But if it’s truly bad out, and the Captain calls it off, you’ll get a refund.

Chicago snow? Please. We've got heated cabins. If it gets too wild out there, we’ll cancel and give you your money back.

Yes, you can switch to another tour or cruise, as long as it’s before departure. Call us on +1(312)337-1446.

Once the boat leaves the dock, your ticket’s locked in.

If you miss the boat, the ticket’s no longer transferable. But if you’re running late, call us before departure, and we’ll do our best to get you on a later ride. 

Here’s our number: +1(312)337-1446

Boat rides:
You can transfer your ticket to another time until your tour or cruise departs. After that, it’s locked in.

Here’s our number: +1(312)337-1446

Forget rooftops. This is how Chicago does a private event.

Whether it’s a birthday, corporate outing, or private architecture tour, we’ll help you host it in style with skyline views, custom drinks packages, and catering from some of the city’s best.

Pick your boat:

• Wendella (100–250 guests)
• Ouilmette (40–90 guests)

Visit our Private Events page to get started.

We spend all day on the water, so we make it our business to take care of it. Wendella is committed to making Chicago cleaner, greener, and more connected for locals, visitors, and wildlife alike.

We go above and beyond EPA regulations, implementing best practices from the Green Waters Program, a national sustainability initiative for passenger vessels. In fact, our president Michael Borgstrom helped get it off the ground. We also apply the EPA’s strict Vessel General Permit (VGP) standards across our entire fleet (even where regulations don’t require it).

From 2016 to 2021, we cut over 300 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by upgrading our Chicago Water Taxi fleet, and we’re aiming for another 300–500 tons cut by 2030. We’ve also phased out single-use plastics on board. Drinks are served in reusable souvenir cups, and all straws are paper.

In 2023, we installed a Seabin at our Michigan Avenue dock to trap trash before it flows downstream. More bins are coming soon.

And let’s not forget the Chicago Water Taxi, a cleaner way to move thousands of commuters and visitors around the city. In 2024 alone, it offset the equivalent of 8,000 buses or 20,000 cars.

And we’re just getting started.

If it matters to Chicago, it matters to us. We have a long history of donating, fundraising, and supporting causes close to the heart of this city and its people.

Here’s a snapshot of how we pitch in:

Lila Day: Our annual cruise honoring Wendella matriarch Lila Borgstrom, with all proceeds donated to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.

Bob Day: Every year, we donate a portion of ticket sales to Shriners Children’s Chicago, in memory of our former CEO and longtime Shriner, Bob Borgstrom.

Chicago River Cleanup Day: We donate boats and crew to support Friends of the Chicago River’s annual efforts to clean our waterways.

Ongoing donations: We set aside hundreds of tickets for schools, nonprofits, and local fundraisers and volunteer with organizations all across the city.

Captain’s Scholarship: We invest in our crew with full scholarships to earn their 100 Ton Master Captain’s License.

If you'd like to partner with us on a nonprofit event or initiative, reach out here.

We don't blame you for wanting to join the family. Click here to see open positions and apply.