Ugly Buildings Tour

Chicago is the architectural capital of the country and has so many tours profiling these wonderful, beautiful buildings. Hiding around these architectural masterpieces, however, are UGLY BUILDINGS. This “educational roast” teases these buildings and creates a conversation on what makes a building pretty or ugly. These opinions are all subjective, and participants are encouraged to share their perspectives whether or not they agree.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There are jokes about Trump Tower along with the person it is named after on this tour. There is also one swear word used, because it is an important part of a story. If you don’t think you would find these kinds of jokes funny, I recommend choosing any other architectural tour.

There are so many stories and perspectives on Ugly Buildings I have not previously been able to share on any other tours. I am really excited to have you along for this experience that is unlike any other tour in Chicago!

Meeting Point

322 N Orleans St Parking

322N N Orleans St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA

Directly across Orleans Street from Blue Bottle Coffee (313 W Wolf Point Plaza)

What to expect:

Duration: 2 hours

Marina City

300 N State St, , Chicago, 60654-5414, Illinois

Marina City is known for the two corncob towers, but it is a five-building planned development with a lot of ugliness to discover.

10 minutes

The Spa at Trump Chicago

401 N. Wabash Avenue, Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, Chicago, 60611-3583, Illinois

Although Trump Tower has some good architectural qualities, the building's ugliness is what gets attention on this tour.

10 minutes

Illinois Center

233 N Michigan Ave, , Chicago, 60601-5519, Illinois

This 83-acre planned development had ambitious plans for transforming Chicago, but the earliest phases of the project forgot to engage humans in its design.

5 minutes

What's included:

• Your award-winning tour guide, Mike, makes architecture, design, and history fun and interesting.