We strive to ensure all guests can access the beauty of our boats and enjoy a wonderful experience on the water. We can make your experience easier if you give us advance notice for any special boarding needs. Our crew is happy to help when you arrive at the dock level.
In order to best provide comprehensive information to guests with differing accessibility and mobility considerations, please see the table of dimensions below.
Manual wheelchairs can be used on board. Electric wheelchairs and scooters are not able to be used on board due to safety considerations. We have extra manual wheelchairs at our ticket office which we can lend you at no charge; to do so, please arrive at our ticket office at least 30 minutes before your cruise to request a manual wheelchair.
Most Mercury cruises depart aboard our Chicago’s Little Lady vessel. This boat can be boarded via wheelchair and has an accessible interior climate-controlled salon. Transfer is required for bow seating and restroom access. Please note, this vessel has a 7” threshold at the entry to the interior salon. However, your Mercury cruise may depart aboard any of our five other vessels, all of which have differing accessibility considerations. Please consult the table below and inquire about specific vessel departure times when booking your tickets.
Under federal law, and due to special marine safety construction guidelines, USCG-regulated small vessels are not subject to land-based architectural configuration requirements. Although we do our best to accommodate those with special mobility needs, staffing and the docking space (which is publicly owned and controlled), we can do a better job with advance notice. To do so, call 847-358-1330 Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
| Chicago's Classic Lady, Leading Lady & Emerald Lady | Chicago's First Lady | Chicago's Fair Lady | Chicago's Little Lady | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading Ramp Width | 32" | 32" | 32" | 32" |
| Loading Gate Width | 36" | 32" | 36" | 41" |
| Bow Deck Access Width | 35" | 32" | No Bow Seating on Chicago's Fair Lady | 27" |
| Salon Door Width | 36" | 29" | 32.5" | 32" |
| Salon Door Threshold Height | 6.5" | 4.5" | 5.5" | 7" |
| Restroom Door Width | 34.5" | 25" | 33" | 29" |
| Restroom Door Threshold Height | 2" | No Threshold | No Threshold | No Threshold |
| Restroom Entrance Step Height & Width | No Step | One 9" step down. Stair to Men's room is 29" wide. Stair to Women's room is 26.5" wide. | No Step | No Step |
| Restroom Stall Opening Width | 27" (applies to Women's room only) | 28.5" (Men's Room), 20.5" (Women's Room) | Single Occupancy / No Stalls | Single Occupancy / No Stalls |
| Stairwell to Upper Deck Width | 28.5" | 29" | 32" | 29" |
| Stairwell to Upper Deck Stair Count | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Our boats board on the Chicago Riverwalk, located down a two-level staircase at the northeast corner of N. Michigan Ave & E. Wacker Drive (aka 112 E. Wacker Drive). For guests unable to use stairs, there is a ramp available to access the Riverwalk:
The Ramp at Wacker Drive and State Street: This ramp is ADA-compliant. Access on the north side of Wacker Drive, just east of State Street. Proceed down two levels to the Chicago Riverwalk and continue east (towards the Wabash Bridge) for two blocks until you see our ticket office, just east of the Michigan Avenue Bridge (aka the DuSable Bridge).
The drop-off area is on the same level as our dock and accessible via Lower Lower Wacker Drive. View directions to access drop-off area. After dropping off your passenger, you have two options for parking:
Guests arriving by taxi/rideshare should prearrange pick-up, because no taxis are waiting at the lowest level of Wacker Drive, and rideshares often have trouble getting there.
We welcome service dogs onboard! The service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered while in public places unless these devices interfere with the service animal's work or the person's disability prevents use of these devices. Emotional support animals, pets and other animals not covered by ADA guidelines are not permitted. Please visit the ADA's FAQ on service animals for further details. Our popular Canine Cruise, operating on summer weekends, welcomes all dogs.
Updated: December 2019.
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“Fantastic tour! We had quite possibly the BEST tour guide ever...entertaining and engaging! We flew from Scotland today to discover Chicago and we were not disappointed!”
Laurie C., Facebook, Scotland
