Top Chicago Art & Culture

An excellent choice for first-time visitors, this tour provides a comprehensive overview of the city and hits on both classic attractions and little-known sites. Beginning at the Chicago Theatre, work your way to the Chicago Pedway, an elaborate network of underground tunnels used by locals and commuters. Stroll the Chicago Riverwalk and the Magnificent Mile, then embark on a food tour to taste some of the city’s famous foods.

Tour the historic Chicago Theater, a must-see city landmark, with a guide providing in-depth commentary. You'll get the most out of your visit by traveling with a guide and get access to some areas of the theater that the public never sees. Learn about its architecture, history, and famous performers throughout the years.

See the overlooked highlights of Chicago’s Loop district with a 2-hour walking tour that takes in the best of the bustling, vibrant neighborhood’s inside spaces. Get behind the façades to explore stunningly designed interiors as you follow a specially-designed route with an experienced guide. Learn about the city’s architecture, art and history while visitng a side of Chicago that’s beyond the tourist trail, and experience the Windy City with a local perspective.

Experience a colorful side of Chicago history with this Gangsters and Ghosts Tour. With a historian as your guide, you’ll step back to the roaring 20’s, when the Chicago Loop was a hub for bootleggers, speakeasies, and gangsters like the infamous Al Capone. Visit onetime gangster hangouts and haunted sites like the Palmer House, Congress Hotel, and Death Alley.

Enjoy a memorable Chicago experience on this haunted pub tour. Your costumed guide, dressed as a Flapper or 1920s Gangster, will lead you on a mile-long journey while telling spooky stories of forgotten cemeteries, lingering spirits, and more. Stop at three different bars for drinks (at own expense) as you learn the secret tales behind Chicago’s haunted past.

Step aboard a boat for a comprehensive cruise that details the history of Chicago's architecture. Enjoy views of the Chicago skyline accompanied by architecture-focused commentary that points out each of the landmark buildings. As you cruise through Lake Michigan, snap photos of you and your party against the stretch of Chicago's 26-mile shoreline.

Cruise down the Chicago River to see the city's famous architecture on this boat tour. With commentary from your onboard guide, watch the spectacular skyline glide by, including more than 40 notable buildings like Navy Pier, the Wrigley Building, and the John Hancock Building. Cover all three branches of the Chicago River, passing the East Bank Club, the old Post Office Building and the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower).

Transport yourself back in time to Chicago’s roaring twenties at Tommy Gun’s Garage, a unique speakeasy dinner show in the Windy City. Say the password at the front door and then step into an era of mob guys and flappers, Broadway tunes by Cole Porter and George Gershwin and lively dances like the Charleston. This gut-busting show, full of song, dance and audience participation, is sure to please.

Explore Chicago's gangster past on this mafia tour in a coach vehicle. Drive around the Windy City to see where Al Capone, The Untouchables, Hymie Weiss, and John Dillinger, among other thugs hung out. A history-savvy guide introduces you to some of the most storied locations of Chicago’s criminal past, including Holy Name Cathedral, Biography Theatre, and the site of the bloody St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. You'll be able to get out and pose for pictures in front of a historic courthouse, among other infamous sites.

Ever since Chicago became the birthplace of the modern skyscraper, the city has been renowned for its architectural creativity and ingenuity. Led by an expert guide, explore some of the city’s most iconic buildings such as Sears Tower, The John Hancock Building, historic brownstones, and the homes of Oak Park designed by beloved architect Frank Lloyd Wright. You will be able to explore the insides of some locations on this completely customizable tour.

Experience Lake Michigan from a perspective rare to visitors and locals alike on a pirate–themed sailboat tour. Your guides tell true but little–known stories about pirates, battles, and treasure hunts as you cruise past sweeping views of the Chicago skyline. Relax on deck while or join your guides for an interactive experience—the flexibility of the tour makes this a popular choice for families with children.

This Chicago grand tour covers four hours of sightseeing with admission to 360 Chicago (John Hancock Observatory). Get oriented to the Windy City on a coach tour that takes you along a scenic route on Lake Shore Drive, and past North Side and South Side highlights including Museum Campus, Lincoln Park, Washington Park, Grant Park and Wrigley Field. Finish on the 94th floor of the Hancock Center, one of Chicago's tallest landmarks, for panoramic views of the Magnificent Mile from the open-air observation deck.

Glide through the city of Chicago by moonlight on this haunted Segway tour. Follow your costumed local guide as they show you the sites of some of the most gruesome murders and disasters in Chicago's colorful history. See Chicago's iconic landmarks lit up during the spookiest time of year and hear about the mysterious, haunted history of this storied city.

Chicago’s mob history has long been immortalized in popular media. Embark on this Chicago Gangster Tour to learn the true story. With an expert historian as your guide, you’ll visit notorious hangouts of John Dillinger, The Untouchables, and the legendary Al Capone. You’ll stop at former speakeasies, historic hotels, and epic crime sites like that of the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre.

Discover the ‘dark side’ of the Windy City thanks to this 2.5-hour, bus-based, nighttime crime history tour of Chicago. Explore the lives of notorious mobsters like Al Capone, Frank Nitti, Bugs Moran, and more as you explore infamous crime scenes like the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, learn about ‘The Enforcer’s Safe,’ and stop by local watering holes.

Windy City Ghosts walking Ghost Tour provides a look into the darkness that lurks below Chicago’s busy streets. Our Ghost Tour transports you back in time to an era of gangsters, bootleggers, bank robbers, and jazz babies. Windy City Ghosts nightly Ghost Tours take you through Lincoln Park, a beautiful North Side neighborhood with a twisted past. Learn about the forgotten burial ground that is the foundation of this bustling neighborhood. Check the bathroom mirrors in the Lion House of the Lincoln Park Zoo to make sure the ghost of a Victorian woman in white isn’t standing right behind you. Learn what spirit haunted Al Capone to the end of his days. On our Ghost Tour, you’ll hear the strange and disturbing tales associated with each of our carefully selected tour stops.

Get to know the food offerings in River North on this small-group walking tour. As you explore, listen to in-depth commentary from your guide on the culinary history of Chicago and the culture of the River North neighborhood. With a small group of just 12 fellow food-lovers, you'll enjoy personalized attention and the chance to chat about your favorite tastings. Samples include the classic Italian beef, a Chicago-style hot dog, and the famous deep dish pizza.

Explore the art and architectural highlights of Chicago on a Segway during this guided tour. This family-friendly tour takes visitors by the outdoor sculptures, landmark buildings, and iconic skyline of the city. Accompanied by educational and informative commentary, this city tour saves you from hours of walking and lets you see all of Chicago's top art and architectural attractions in one tour.

The Windy City is known for its spectacular architecture and eclectic food scene. Experience both on this tour through the downtown that combines sights with nibbles. Take in famous landmarks like the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, and Cloud Gate on foot and with the scenic L train or water taxi along the Chicago River. Taste popcorn and chocolate from two beloved city eateries during the tour.

Native 312 offers a unique spin on paint night! Join us as we host an intimate look into the world of Urban Art as we learn about some different styles and techniques with guest artists. Then you get your hands dirty as you walk around our gallery setting and test out your skills in different mediums like aerosol spray and stencil. At the end of your private workshop you will be able to go home with your own piece of art!

Discover Chicago’s iconic architectural gems from every angle on a 3.5-hour tour of the North Side. Divided between land and water, the comprehensive tour enables you to cover a huge area of the city without getting worn out. Travel comfortably by coach or trolley to Fort Dearborn, Wrigley Building, and more. Afterwards, see the Windy City's famous skyscrapers, bridges, and historical sites on a 90-minute cruise down Chicago River.

Downtown Chicago is filled with gems. Some famous, others known only by select locals. Many of these spots are best seen on foot as opposed to a moving vehicle. We'll take you inside several of these architectural masterpieces, to where much of Chicago's real beauty can be seen. We'll also give you time to check out famous public art by the likes of Picasso and Chagall and see the world's very first skyscrapers! All of our tours are led by experienced guide that have been giving quality tours of Chicago since 2005 and have accrued well over 500 five-star reviews. People mostly comment on how our tours are both informative and entertaining. The walk is a little under 2 miles and conducted at a comfortable pace.

Get the most out of your trip to Chicago as you enjoy discount access to five of the city’s top attractions with the CityPASS. This easy-to-use mobile ticket grants you free entry into top-tier sights including the Shedd Aquarium, Skydeck Chicago, and the Field Museum as well as a choice of the Art Institute of Chicago or Adler Planetarium, and Museum of Science and Industry or 360 Chicago (John Hancock Observatory). Plus enjoy a wealth of useful Chicago tips and savings at a variety of other venues and retailers.

Amy Bizzarri, author of 111 Places in Chicago That You Must Not Miss, takes you on a fascinating self-guided audio tour of hidden historical spots in Chicago's gilded Gold Coast. Peep behind the gates of the original Playboy Mansion, walk along a wooden block-paved alley, sip a Faster Pussycat in Chicago's oldest piano bar and more as you enjoy a delightful walk through time in this exclusive Chicago neighborhood. The starting point is the Chicago History Museum, located at 1601 N. Clark Street. The tour is ready whenever you are and the audio plays automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smartphone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline.