Museum of Science and Industry

Chicago’s movable bridges are a specific engineering solution to a particular problem, but they’ve come to symbolize the city. This three-hour bus and walking tour will look at several types of street and railroad bridges, and how they have evolved over the last century in function and design. We’ll begin where Lake Shore Drive crosses the mouth of the Chicago River and head downstream for a closer look at modern bridges like Columbus Drive, iconic bridges like Michigan Avenue, double-deck bridges like Wells Street and functional bridges near Kinzie Street. On the Near South Side, we’ll get the chance to compare a vertical lift bridge, Chicago’s last Scherzer rolling lift bridge and a typical trunnion bascule drawbridge. A short trip west along the Sanitary & Ship Canal gives us a glance at a retractable canal bridge and the city’s last two swing bridges.

Cost includes transportation and tour fee (no food or beverages served on this tour)