Upcoming PUBLIC events


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CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY EXPLORATIONS
Join a rotating selection of our expert guides for a tour that will help you decipher Chicago's unique architectural quirks, distinctive infrastructure, and topographic clues to make educated inferences about your city surroundings.

Whether you use your newfound knowledge to impress dates, look cool in front of your mom, or as a foundation for creating history tours of your own, this tour (and accompanying handout) distills years of study into a quick, interesting walk that will open your eyes to the beauty and history around you.

Highlights include:
  • Street numbering, re-numbering, and how to tell what's been where for how long
  • Building materials: what's terracotta, what's Chicago brick, and what do those materials tell you?
  • Architectural styles and the secrets to dating the buildings around you
  • Remnants of past tenants: who lived in your neighborhood, when, and where were they from?
  • And much, much more!

Developed by Patti Swanson and Laura Schuetz, with Phil Thompson of Cape Horn Illustration.
NEW DATES COMING SOON
NEW DATES COMING SOON
NEW DATES COMING SOON

2019 Walking tours

Chicago for Chicagoans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering tours on a "pay-what-you-can" basis. A suggested tip of $10-20 per person is suggested & appreciated, but not required. Reviewing us on Yelp, liking us on Facebook, spreading the word, and attending future tours tells us how much you love us too! Donate online at chicagoforchicagoans.org/donate.
BEVERLY WALKING TOUR
Saturday, August 17th • 1:00-3:30PM
Sunday, August 18th • 1:00-3:30PM

​Chicago for Chicagoans is excited to revisit the far South Side with a repeat of our 2.5-hour tour Beverly tour, featuring special guest collaborator Tim Moran! Tim is a local journalist for Patch.com, and a homegrown Beverly resident who brings decades of passion for his community to a one-of-a-kind exploration of this time capsule neighborhood.

Beginning at the 103rd/Beverly Hills Metra station, the tour will cover the history, architecture, and landmarks of this unique neighborhood– from churches and castles, to Irish immigration, historic homes, and contemporary controversy.

The afternoon will end with a meal at Janson's Drive In, a Chicago institution serving up hotdogs, hamburgers, & Italian Beef sandwiches since 1960. Come learn something new about your place in space!
**NEW** LAKEVIEW WALKING TOUR
Saturday, August 24th • 2:00-4:30PM
Sunday, August 25th • 2:00-4:30PM

Chicago for Chicagoans is excited to announce its newest tour, a 2.5-hour walk of the West Lakeview area, with special guest collaborator Walter Kiefer! Walter has lived in Lakeview for the past decade, discovering all the wonderful gems of forgotten history that line its streets. 

Beginning at the Addison Red Line Station, the tour will cover the history, architecture, and landmarks of Lakeview's western side -- from atypical historic construction on Alta Vista Terrace, to Wrigley Field's storied past, to tied houses, railroads, and relics of the industry that once dotted the neighborhood. The afternoon will end at a local restaurant, where participants are encouraged to have a meal with the group. Come learn something new about your place in space!
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Chicago for Chicagoans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering tours on a "pay-what-you-can" basis. A suggested tip of $10-20 per person is suggested & appreciated, but not required. Reviewing us on Yelp, liking us on Facebook, spreading the word, and attending future tours tells us how much you love us too! Donate online at chicagoforchicagoans.org/donate.

FARTHER OUT...

Fall 2019
PULLMAN
with 
Beatrice Hardy
September 7-8
UPTOWN
​with 
Vitaliy Vladimirov
September
TRAIN TOUR
​​with 
Ava Battocchio
September
ANDERSONVILLE
​with
Leyla Royale
October 26-27
EDGEWATER
with
​ Sam Prestigiacomo

subscribing to our events

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You can also sign up for our email newsletter on the contact page.
(but we're not super diligent about sending it)

Stay tuned...

PLEASE NOTE:
Help us plan a tour in your neighborhood!
We're prioritizing tours in the following areas-- contact us to get in touch:
  • Bronzeville
  • Bridgeport
  • Hyde Park
  • Avondale
  • ​Logan Square
  • Buena Park
  • Englewood 
  • ​South Shore
  • Tours involve approximately 3 miles of walking, and may prove difficult for those with limited mobility or mobility issues. While we stay primarily on paved paths and sidewalks, these routes may still include potholes and uneven surfaces. Please get in touch if you would like to arrange a special tour adjusted for your mobility, or would like to simply grab a coffee and chat about the neighborhood. We will do our best to help everyone, regardless of ability, learn about their city.
  • By RSVPing for, and participating in, any Chicago for Chicagoans event, you waive your right to hold Chicago for Chicagoans liable for any injuries sustained on the tour, and agree to be photographed. Read our liability & photography statements here.