Wendella Sightseeing, Co. Inc., a Chicago family owned and operated business is entering its’ 73rd season as one of Chicago’s premier sightseeing and tourism venues. Founded in 1935 by Albert Borgstrom, a Swedish immigrant, Wendella is now in its third generation of family ownership. The company has been and continues to be an integral part of activities associated with expanded use of the Chicago River and the city’s evolving lakefront. Our mission statement and motto is- “Showcasing Chicago to the World. Setting the Standard for the Industry.“

Since its inception, an estimated 14 million passengers have been transported safely on more than 150,000 tours/charters.

In 1962, Wendella started a rush hour commuter service between Michigan Avenue and the Northwestern Railroad Station, enhancing transportation options for the city’s thousands of commuters by utilizing the resources of the Chicago River. Known as the RiverBus since 1999, now the new Chicago Water Taxi, Wendella provides seven-day a week water transportation service to thousands of commuters. Since 1962, the RiverBus has safely carried an estimated 4 million rail commuters. In 2006, the RiverBus documented more than 19,000 departures and was the official water transportation for Tall Ships Chicago 2006.

The Chicago Water Taxi operates on a closed loop route on the Chicago River shuttling passengers between Madison Street on the south branch; La Salle Street and Michigan Avenue on the main branch; and River East on the main branch in Ogden Slip. During the summer, departures and arrivals are scheduled on Monday thru Friday from 7:00 a.m. through 7:12 p.m., Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. through 6:14 p.m. and on Sundays and Holidays from 10:30 a.m. through 5:30 p.m.

For 2007, the re-branded Chicago Water Taxi will debut with a more user friendly, interactive website along with easy to read maps and schedules. New Value added coupons and incentives for our riders will provide fun, fast and friendly transportation to all of our locations. We hope you enjoy the new look of our service. Make sure you check out the news and events section for updates on new amenities and frequent rider discounts.