Cities were often built around rivers because they provide the necessary resources for successful trade and waterpark industries. Take advantage of our forefathers' foresight with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options

• $16 for a 30-minute lakefront speedboat tour (up to a $30.45 value)
• $19 for a 30-minute Seadog Extreme Thrill Ride on Monday–Friday (up to a $33.84 value)
$22 for a 75-minute river and lake architectural tour on Monday–Friday (up to a $38.36 value)

The Lakefront Speedboat tour ferries up to 135 passengers along the shores of Lake Michigan, passing such famed sites as Navy Pier, the Museum Campus, Grant Park, and the Magnificent Mile, while captains dispense enlightening tidbits about the skyline's history and architecture. With speeds of up to 45 mph, the Seadog Extreme takes passengers on a thrill ride, on which two 1,400-horsepower engines move through slaloms and 180- to 360-degree turns. Alternatively, the river and lake architectural tour kicks off with a speedboat ride on the lakefront before passing through the locks and meandering through downtown and its opulent skyscrapers on the Chicago River. All tours depart from and return to Navy Pier. Click here to see a map of the tours' routes.