St. Patrick's Day Clover Cruise
Chicago's ultimate St. Patrick's Day experience
Join First Lady for our annual St. Patrick's Day Clover Cruise and witness the dyeing of the Chicago River in spectacular fashion! Don your best green attire and get ready to shake your shamrocks for a whale of a good time as you eat, drink and be merry from the comfort of our luxurious vessels.
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Clover Cruise Includes
- Live bagpipe performance at boarding before cruise departure
- Corned beef sandwich box from the Corned Beef Factory
- Specialty Irish cocktails, Guinness, green beer and more (includes 2 drink tickets + cash bar)
- Digital photo booth with themed props
- Climate-controlled interior salon and open-air upper deck for spectacular green river views
- Festive decor to get you in the St. Pat's spirit
- Live bagpipe performance at boarding before cruise departure
- Corned beef sandwich box from the Corned Beef Factory
- Specialty Irish cocktails, Guinness, green beer and more (includes 2 drink tickets + cash bar)
- Digital photo booth with themed props
- Climate-controlled interior salon and open-air upper deck for spectacular green river views
- Festive decor to get you in the St. Pat's spirit
- Cruise Duration 2 hours
- Arrival Time Make sure your entire party arrives 30 minutes prior to departure.
- Cruises Depart Rain or Shine Tickets may not be refunded or exchanged if you miss your boat—allow extra time.
- Parking Discounted parking available at 111 E. Wacker Dr. with proper validation from ticket office. Visit our Location page for more.
- Restrooms Well-appointed restrooms are available on each vessel.
- Limited Mobility Services Available See our Location page for river-level drop-off directions for guests with accessibility needs. Our staff is also available to provide early boarding services for those with limited mobility.
- Clover Cruise is a 21+ Event
Sláinte!
Frequently Asked Questions
First Lady is located in the heart of the river dyeing zone. The dyeing of the river typically starts at 10am, but is subject to city scheduling. Depending on which departure you select, you will see the dyeing up close.
- 10am: Typically witnesses the entirety of the dyeing.
- 10:30am: Typically witnesses all or most of the dyeing.
- 11am: Typically witnesses a portion of the dyeing.
- 1pm, 1:30pm & 2pm departures will cruise the green river but not witness the dyeing.
Yes. Only ticketed customers will be granted access to the Chicago Riverwalk on the day of our event. Tickets are only sold online and always sell out.
Customers must either print their ticket or present their ticket from a digital wallet app on their mobile device.
All of our boats have two levels - the upper deck is an open-air deck, and the lower deck is an enclosed, climate-controlled salon. Each salon is surrounded by large windows so you can stay dry and still take in the spectacular views. Vessels cruise rain or shine safely guided by our U.S. Coast Guard-trained captains and crew.
The closest and most convenient parking option is the LAZ Parking Service Garage located at 111 E. Wacker Dr. (Illinois Center).
This garage is directly across the street from the stairway to our dock and next door to the Chicago Architecture Center. The entrance is the first driveway east of Michigan Avenue, on the south side of Upper East Wacker Drive. Reservations can be made online.
If you don't prepay for a parking space online, bring your parking ticket to our ticket office for a parking validation sticker. You can also get a parking validation sticker from the boat's bartender if the ticket office is closed. The discounted rate with validation is $14 (for 3 hours or less) or $15 (for 4 hours or less). No discounts offered for 4+ hours.
Alternatively, we also encourage our guests to use SpotHero, which often has the best rates at this and other nearby garages in the River North and Loop neighborhoods.
Note: LAZ Parking Services at 111 E. Wacker is not owned or affiliated with First Lady. The parking information posted here is merely for the convenience of our guests and is not to be construed as a recommendation or endorsement.
Please note: The only way to access our business area without using stairs on the date of the river dyeing is via the vehicle drop-off area on Lower Lower Wacker Drive (see "ACCESSING OUR MOBILITY ACCESS DROP-OFF AREA" here).
- At this time the Riverwalk does not offer any elevators.
- The ADA ramp at State Street and Wacker Drive within the Vietnam Memorial Park is closed on river dyeing day.
In accordance with ADA guidelines, 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 the ADA are not permitted. All dogs are welcome on our Canine Cruise!
The safety of our guests and crew is our number one priority. After more than 80 years providing memorable cruises of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan for millions of guests, we are proud to say we have a perfect safety record. All of our vessels are regulated, licensed and inspected by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) every year, and have undergone stability testing to ensure our guests are safe on their waterway experience. Our captains and deckhands go through an extensive training and drilling program that goes above and beyond the standards set by the USCG. Because we are committed to continuing education, we provide extra training every day to our crew.
Visit firstlady.com/accessibility for detailed dock and vessel accessibility information.
Due to security reasons, luggage cannot be brought onboard. There is not an area to store your luggage dockside either. We recommend having your hotel hold your luggage.
Yes, all the boats have restrooms onboard. There are also wheelchair accessible bathrooms on the Classic Lady, Leading Lady, and Emerald Lady. Please note: the restrooms close 15 minutes before the end of the tour for safety reasons.
This is a 21+ event and you'll be asked to verify your age by presenting valid identification. Valid forms of ID include state ID, drivers license, or passport.
First Lady is located in the heart of the river dyeing zone. The dyeing of the river typically starts at 10am, but is subject to city scheduling. Depending on which departure you select, you will see the dyeing up close.
- 10am: Typically witnesses the entirety of the dyeing.
- 10:30am: Typically witnesses all or most of the dyeing.
- 11am: Typically witnesses a portion of the dyeing.
- 1pm, 1:30pm & 2pm departures will cruise the green river but not witness the dyeing.
Yes. Only ticketed customers will be granted access to the Chicago Riverwalk on the day of our event. Tickets are only sold online and always sell out.
Customers must either print their ticket or present their ticket from a digital wallet app on their mobile device.
All of our boats have two levels - the upper deck is an open-air deck, and the lower deck is an enclosed, climate-controlled salon. Each salon is surrounded by large windows so you can stay dry and still take in the spectacular views. Vessels cruise rain or shine safely guided by our U.S. Coast Guard-trained captains and crew.
The closest and most convenient parking option is the LAZ Parking Service Garage located at 111 E. Wacker Dr. (Illinois Center).
This garage is directly across the street from the stairway to our dock and next door to the Chicago Architecture Center. The entrance is the first driveway east of Michigan Avenue, on the south side of Upper East Wacker Drive. Reservations can be made online.
If you don't prepay for a parking space online, bring your parking ticket to our ticket office for a parking validation sticker. You can also get a parking validation sticker from the boat's bartender if the ticket office is closed. The discounted rate with validation is $14 (for 3 hours or less) or $15 (for 4 hours or less). No discounts offered for 4+ hours.
Alternatively, we also encourage our guests to use SpotHero, which often has the best rates at this and other nearby garages in the River North and Loop neighborhoods.
Note: LAZ Parking Services at 111 E. Wacker is not owned or affiliated with First Lady. The parking information posted here is merely for the convenience of our guests and is not to be construed as a recommendation or endorsement.
Please note: The only way to access our business area without using stairs on the date of the river dyeing is via the vehicle drop-off area on Lower Lower Wacker Drive (see "ACCESSING OUR MOBILITY ACCESS DROP-OFF AREA" here).
- At this time the Riverwalk does not offer any elevators.
- The ADA ramp at State Street and Wacker Drive within the Vietnam Memorial Park is closed on river dyeing day.
In accordance with ADA guidelines, 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 the ADA are not permitted. All dogs are welcome on our Canine Cruise!
The safety of our guests and crew is our number one priority. After more than 80 years providing memorable cruises of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan for millions of guests, we are proud to say we have a perfect safety record. All of our vessels are regulated, licensed and inspected by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) every year, and have undergone stability testing to ensure our guests are safe on their waterway experience. Our captains and deckhands go through an extensive training and drilling program that goes above and beyond the standards set by the USCG. Because we are committed to continuing education, we provide extra training every day to our crew.
Visit firstlady.com/accessibility for detailed dock and vessel accessibility information.
Due to security reasons, luggage cannot be brought onboard. There is not an area to store your luggage dockside either. We recommend having your hotel hold your luggage.
Yes, all the boats have restrooms onboard. There are also wheelchair accessible bathrooms on the Classic Lady, Leading Lady, and Emerald Lady. Please note: the restrooms close 15 minutes before the end of the tour for safety reasons.
This is a 21+ event and you'll be asked to verify your age by presenting valid identification. Valid forms of ID include state ID, drivers license, or passport.