My grandkids did not want the ride to end. It was a great way to see downtown Chicago at a slower pace than the tour buses.

I paid for this March 2020, covid shut them down. I have been trying to get a hold of someone to see when I could rebook or get my money back. Nobody is answering my calls or text. I find it wrong to not keep in touch with people who have paid. Please get in touch with me ASAP.

Scam Artists! We were in town for a romantic weekend and reserved a ride. I included paying for a dozen roses. Even though we reserved only a couple hours prior to the reservation, We received a message saying the horses were being retired for the day. No one will respond to my messages. They basically stole my money. Even the money for the roses. They should be in jail. Not running a business.

Great Experience with friends and family.I live in Chicago and I know these horses and their drivers, i see them in the week ends and my kids like to stop by and pet them or talk to the drivers, they are curious for their well being and we are pleased to see they are happy as puppies, they love them and care for them.I was able to book the ride in advance on their site. My driver, was very professional and courteous with my family. What a great night and a great family activity.A great way to explore or re-discover the city.

This company is a complete unprofessional farce. I made reservations on May 1, 2020 and provided a payment of $196.10 for a scheduled carriage ride to take place on June 14, 2020 to celebrate my 50th birthday. However due to COVID the carriage ride was canceled this scam of a company had the audacity to send me a reminder of the upcoming ride the day before and rate your experience the day after knowing dam well I never received the ride. I caught them off guard one day and they answered the phone but soon hung up Whomever is reading this review I REPEAT DO NOT DO ANY BUSINESS WHATSOEVER WITH THIS COMPANY. THEY WILL STEAL YOUR MONEY AND GET GHOST. I gave them 1 star in the review to me its 2 stars to many. Ive called, text and emailed without any success of reaching someone. The only business theyre open for is taking reservations stealing your money and pulling a Casper dont F with this company unless youre into making donations

I should have checked the reviews before I booked with them online.... because if I did I would have NEVER booked with this company. PLEASE BE AWARE!!! THEY LIE ABOUT PROVIDING REFUNDS!!!! Like others here, I tried to get a refund of $300 for a carriage ride they couldnt honor. Initially, they texted me saying that the refund request will be forwarded to the office. I provided all the information they requested and expected a response.... and got nothing. I have tried to reach out to them many times.... and nothing. This company is very untrustworthy, and no one should be giving them money upfront. I would strongly recommend you use a different company or pay them at the time of service.

This has been the worst experience ever. I scheduled a ride for my grandsons birthday at 2 pm on 6/22/19. Once I received confirmation and they took my payment. Someone from Chicago Horse texts me to let me know that the ride can not happen until 3 pm because the wedding party before me forgot to book for picture time. I stated I was unable to change my time. After some back and forth they were still not able to honor their 2 pm time so I requested a refund. I have called every single day and I still have not received my refund. At first they said an email confirmation was sent to me stating the concellation and refund which it was not. I asked her to resend it and she said she would resend the email and snap shot a pic to my phone which she never did. I have not had this resolved and it is quite a shame because I now see that this has happened to others. I really hope they refund my money for a ride that never happened due to their error. I will be going to wait by the Water Tower place to see what more I can do to resolve this issue.

Wow! The ride was so romantic and lovely.

Ms. Pickle was a pretty and lovely horse. Jennifer was a great and wonderful horse driver! She gave us our space to enjoy our ride and sight see. We went as a family of 4 with my 3 year and 6 year old daughters. They had a blast for the 30 min tour and lunch was at the Water Tower. This place was so conveniently located across the Hershey Store. You have pick Jennifer and make sure you tip her well because shes been doing it for 6 years and lives off of this job.

Enjoyed an amazing carriage ride with Larry and Fiona. My wife and I took advantage of a River ride with Larry and Fiona for our Anniversary. We were deciding where to eat and Larry recommended Francescas on Chestnut. He called his manager and she made a reservation for us at restaurant. After seeing Chicago in a horse & carriage with my wife on our special day our driver dropped us off at the restaurant. The restaurant even gave us 20% off our check. We were so happy with our ride and dinner that we brought Larry our driver a dessert on our way back to the Park Hyatt Hotel to Thank him for a perfect Anniversary.

This is my third time taking friends from out of town on a ride with Chicago Horse and Carriage. It is such a lovely way to see the city at night.We had a beautiful time and the male driver was courteous and very personable.The horses name was Pickles! What a magnificent creature. She was so gentle and sweet with my friends 6-year-old daughter.I dont know why there are these bad reviews about the state of the animals or the customer service. The horses look well taken care of and when I made my reservations the person I spoke with was very business-like and helpful.Pickles would get 5 stars by herself! The experience...another 5 stars!

Im hoping to surprise my mom with tickets for a carriage ride this Christmas. I love that they offer millennium Park rides. Which is the one I hope to do

This is animal exploitation which shouldnt be legal nowadays. Do you really think those horses are super happy carrying you guys around the city when they could be free eating and resting? This people care about the profit not the well being of the animals. Think outside the box.. just my opinion, freedom of speech.

As a Birthday experience, March 18th, my boyfriend purchased this Carriage ride online. After purchasing he realized that he purchased TWO rides, not a ride for two people. Less than 10 seconds after the transaction went through, I called the number provided with the reservation. An impatient woman answered, I believe her name was Stacy. After explaining our mishap, she reprimanded us for not reading the instructions on the website correctly. But instructed us to show our driver the double reservation and we will receive a refund for the extra ride. At the site, we were greeted by Cori the driver, we explained the double booking again, told her about our discussion with Stacy, she assured us that we receive a refund as well.We took the lakeside view, and it was truly a magical ride. Fiona, the horse was beautiful and very graceful! Cori was excellent as well. We had a great time. I am fully ready to give this experience five stars.Sadly; after many unanswered calls and messages, we have not been refunded the extra ride. It has been over a month and no one from the company has contacted either of us.

I recently went on my annual ride with Chicago Horse and Carriage. I brought my out of town friends and their kids, who loved the experience. I booked in advance with Stacey who was super. After talking to the driver, I am convinced that the Chicago Horse and Carriage horses are well cared for and loved. A great experience!

What a great ride! The horse was so elegant and beautiful, obviously comfortable with people. The driver was charming and funny and allowed the kids to pet the horse. We had a beautiful time. Thanks Chicago Horse and Carriage!

Can be quite pricey but the staff is friendly. Carriages are in good condition. The driver knew alot about the area. You can book online or pay in person. After your ride you can stop at ghardelli and get candy or ice cream as they are conveniently located across the street. Perfect for a romantic date (hint guys/girls)

I tried to book them for a surprise engagement event. In beginning the process I spoke via phone with someone who was very helpful. I shared my plan and they were thrilled to participate, and even offered to coordinate a musician and photographer they have had success with in the past. I immediately emailed them with full details, including pick up and drop off locations, proposed map of the ride, time line, etc.. I received one response saying only I need pick up and drop off addresses to quote. So I responded with more detail.After that I did not hear from them again. I called and emailed expressing my growing concern for 2 weeks, and eventually had to eject and start from scratch a week before the event.I was not frustrated that they couldnt make it happen. I was frustrated that they promised to deliver the entire event and then failed to even reply to my emails after Id counted on them for every detail. I am extremely disappointed in how it was handled.

Best carriage rides in Chicago!!! Experienced drivers and the owners take excellent care of their horses. They are HUGE animal lovers. Scheduling is easy and responses are prompt. Would not hesitate recommending this company!!!

We had friends in town for their 8yo daughters birthday so I arranged a ride from the hotel to dinner. She literally said it was the single best thing she had ever done and she rides back home in Colorado. M y son and I have had many cairrage rides in the city but each time we do, we cant wait for the next! Thanks you guys for making booking easy and being on time and making the kiddos, and adults, smile!! See you soon!

Amazing experience! The drivers are friendly, knowledgeable, and incredibly resourceful. Theyve built strong relationships with the horses they work with, and it shows in the way they interact with their horses and in how they talk about them. I hope theyll keep this tradition going! 5 stars!By the way... for anyone who thinks this is animal exploitation, these animals are not fluffy dogs or cats. They are not cuddle buddies. They are not pets. They are work animals and have been bred for thousands of years to meet the needs of humans. Whether you like it or not, thats their job. Just as a seeing-eye dog is trained to help their humans, these breeds of horses (Draft Horses) are trained to pull heavy loads - and theyre happiest when theyre working. If in one out of a thousand rides a horse faints, they still send it to the field for rest. They arent over working these animals. Ive been down there several times: the animals are always given plenty of food and always have access to water. This is a first hand account. They also rotate the horses so that they arent overworked or become fatigued. I suggest researching horses and horse breeds to those who do not know their information: from one avid animal lover to the next.

Ive been raised around horses my entire life. Despite what bad experiences a few have had, Ive had nothing but wonderful experiences. The horses are well taken care of and the drivers are absolutely devoted to their four-legged companions. I highly recommend not only taking a ride but talking to the driver if you need any clarification on the matter: these drivers know their horses - their stride, their preferences, their behavior, their good and bad days. They arent in this for the money - theyre not doing it just as a hobby or occupation: they love their horses and are dedicated to them completely. Theyre also wonderful to converse with and helpful if you have any questions.

Very nice experience. The carriage driver was courteous & polite. Something Ill definitely do, again.....

Ive know Stacey for many years and I know she loves her horses like members of her family.Always friendly and accommodating. Love these people !

Went on Christmas Day and had a lovely ride. Our driver could not have been nicer and we enjoyed hanging out with the horse afterwords giving him lots of pets and love for a wonderful ride.Just a word to the wise - its winter in Chicago. You get either a fantastic view or warmth. The two do NOT go hand in hand and this is no way the Carriage operators fault! I live a few blocks away and there are always carriages about. I personally wouldnt make a reservation. Just go! 💜

Cant use a gift certificate code to go on carriage ride. We have followed instructions but it still doesnt work. Dont waste your time and money.

For the last two weeks Ive been trying to book a carriage ride with this company. The online booking d to elect the 30 minute ride they offer does not work. So I called the number supplied on their web site. My first try, I left a message on their voice mail. After no response, I tried again two days later. This time the voice mail message indicated that the messages were full. I continued to try daily on both the online site and the telephone number provided to no avail. I just wasted a lot of time for nothing after two weeks. DONT WASTE YOURS.

Stacey Ortega charged upfront $385 by zelle for my wedding church entrance with a Horse Carriage on 10/27/18 and never showed up.. She ruined a very important moment and embarrassed me infront of my friends and family as everyone was waiting for my arrival on a horse carriage instead I arrived walking and crying to church.She agreed to refund me and until this day she has not and will no longer answer my phone calls or reply to my emails. She doesn’t care about customer service all she cares about is taking your money.Companies like this one do not deserve to be in business even more upsetting I voted and showed my support to keep them operating in Chicago.Stacey if you really care about your company and customers refund me my money .

Have not taken a ride with this company i used to work with stacey and i know for a fact she does not abuse those horses she talks about those horses like they are real life people that sit at her dinner table regularly she gives them healthy diets and ensure they are happy her daughter dotes on them as well and is a good kid i have been meaning to get around to riding with them but its been a rough yearlarry is a great person as well and he is genuine maybe try giving it another go before you make such bias post.people are only as a bad as we make them seem

Our carriage ride was beyond perfect!!! I took my date on the carriage ride to celebrate our 3 months of dating and she was thrilled at how wonderful our time on the carriage ride was!!! The company was excellent and the driver was fantastic!!! I know we are planning on taking another carriage ride in a few months with our children!!!

No. Just no. These horses have no business being out on the street surrounded by the citys notoriously hectic drivers. If you tourists want to see Chicago then go on a double decker bus tour, dont pay to slowly kill these innocent animals.

Horses also help plow crops but you wouldnt dare make them stop doing that and you go do it now would you. Friggin backwards people leaving comments they clearly get great reviews for great service if you truly believe those animals are mistreated go make signs amd protest but no you just leave comments thats bare relationship model to get a response from other people that cause innuendos of indirect replies pathetic

Old fashioned but we loved it. Thanks for an awesome experience.

Unfortunately, this was not a pleasant experience...as it was deceptive and overpriced. The Christmas Lights ride is NOTHING extra! Same ride, but $40 more. Also, there is NO attendant for Chicago Horse & Carriage present. They use another companys attendant, Larry, who insists he does NOT work for Chicago H&C. Its totally up to those in line to sort out who is next for this company, as there are up to three different companies operating from the carriage stand. Chicago H&C had four carriages available, the other company had twelve...and guess which one had at least 15 times more customers...not Chicago H&C. My wife and I decided to enjoy the time spent together...and THAT was the redeeming factor. Incidentally, our driver was very apologetic; we tipped her 10% even though she was so flustered that she said not a word to us for the 40 minute ride.

Clearly neglected horses. They run them through the streets to go home faster when they are off work. They dont always have water ready for the horses during their shift. The horses stand in sludge while waiting for fairs to pick them up and the horses dont look groomed at all. Terrible business. Please do not support this.

We have done this rides in summer as well as winter, in the summer we asked once our driver if we could get off in another location part of the ride and he was kind enough to let us, it was a fun and convenient ride from Michigan to Lincoln Park.This past holidays we had a super ride with our guest from out of town, theyve got to visit the city in a fun comfy ride, our driver was very knowledgeable of history of the city, we learned new facts.Thank you Horse and Carriage, We will see you again!

Loved my carriage ride! Sexy

Very very horrible experience!! Not only did they accept my payment without rendering me a service but, they had the audacity to send me an email to rate my experience on a horse and carriage ride that never happened. I have called, left messages and also emails. Very unprofessional. I would not recommend to anyone.

The ride was just okay. The girl who drove the carraige was very nice, but I feel like we barely saw any lights, could not see outside with the carriage zipped up. You could only have the carriage zipped up or entirely closed to keep out cold air. We opted for closed to keep the kids warm. The WORST part was that the entire inside of the carriage REEKED of urine, including the blanket we put on our laps. We had to go home after and everyone showered and I had to wash all of our jackets. Would do it again if not for that.

This is the very best Carriage company in Chicago. I happen to have inside information on the industry and know the history on the companys that operate downtown and I promise you CHC is truly the only one I would recommend doing business with. I worked as a driver back in the 90s for 3 of the 4 companies at the time and know how they operate. Chicago Horse will stand behind their word and will go above and beyond to make sure the customer receives the best possible service and experience. I have seen how other companies cheated on time and sent out lame horses with untrained drivers in an effort to grab as much of the fleeting business as they could, but not CHC. Every one of us at time were trained right and I worked with some really great people who had real love for the horses and would spend time with them before and after work. Larry O is a great owner and has been in the industry sense he was pretty young. I would trust him and his expertise over any other company out there. Take a ride but make sure you are in a Chicago Horse and Carriage carriage!

Might look cool but its not ! Those animals shouldnt be between cars !!

It was a lovely ride a little pricey but to be driven around and a horse-drawn carriage in downtown Chicago was one great experience that my wife and I truly enjoyed thank you Chicago horse and carriage and thank you Chicago for the beautiful scenery

They are currently closed. They do not state this on their website. However, they will let you book and pay for reservations that they have no intentions on fulfilling!

Horrible! Driver was rude from the get go. When I asked what our route would be he said he doesnt know itll just be 45 min. He took us through the worst route, nothing to see. Just allies & parking lots. Seriously feel like we were robbed.

Our driver was wonderful, knowledgeable and totally cool!

In my opinion I don’t think any horse should go threw this,this is not right and very much over charged

Ive had the same issues that a lot of other commenters here have had. Ive tried calling them almost a dozen times, and I havent gotten through. Ive left voicemails and tried to contact them through Facebook. No response. My reservation got rained out, and I have no way of rescheduling if they wont take my calls. Super sketchy organization. I feel ripped off.

Purchased a priority ticket for my son and his girlfriend on 12.14.13.They get there, only to be told its not good during peak times!What a scam!! They couldnt go on the ride because the line was too long, and they would have missed their train home.NEVER AGAIN!! I learned my lesson the hard way

Such a shady operation, beware. I am not one to write scathing reviews, but feel I owe it to anyone considering doing business with this company to share my experience.Tried cancelling my ride 2 weeks before it was scheduled, and they went totally dark on me. Then after pestering them, they finally tried to pull the reschedule card. I never was able to get a straight answer and had to file a complaint with my bank to get my money back (They make you pay upfront via PayPal).There is nowhere on the homepage or under custom rides or on the PayPal invoice you get from them that states no refunds, nor did they mention anything to that effect in my email communications with them prior to me booking.Caveat Emptor.

Great experience and beautiful horses

We Did Not Get A Chance To Ride At All...They Werent There😢😢😢

Booked with them and they cancelled on me because of the weather. Ive tried rescheduling and they dont reply to phone calls or email. And they refuse to give me a refund. Trash company dont trust them to provide the services you want.

Since the owner removed my review from Facebook and I think it is important folks know this, I am reposting my review.I removed my original neg review bc the owner wouldnt stop harrassing me to remove it. In a nutshell, BUYER BEWARE and check the fine print for hours of operation. Dealing with the owner Stacey was à nightmare and she will come after you for leaving a bad review on Facebook. She is violating Chicago 311 rules for having a non functional phone number, so if you have problems, there is no way to contact them for help.Big tip though, you dont need to pay ahead, just go to the carriage stand and the first company will take you and you can pay afterwards.This woman Stacey, you know who I am, stop texting me. All I wanted was a refund! But you kept dragging this out. The last thing I wanted to do was spend part of my vacation dealing with your shady business.My kids and I had a good experience with another company Thankfully.. .they said it happens often with this company.

Great experience!! Larry was a great host!

Waited a little longer than expected for the carriage but overall was good experience

It was a beautiful ride and very affordable

Ordered $40 dollar priority ticket. Website said they were operational until 9. Went downtown at 7, and they were not in service. No Refunds. Ended up paying a different company once we were downtown.

I enjoy the ride

I called 4 time and still having trouble booking. this is a waste of time. go with another horse carriage.

We blindly support abuse. It’s 2017.

My husband and I took a carriage ride on the spur of the moment and it was simply magical!

Do not use this company. They have literally the worst customer service.

I heard it was close

Didnt get to use the company, though wanted online reservations and printed receipt.

Great memory

Great experience