West Town Walking Tour: Explore Chicago's Vibrant History
5.0
29 Ratings
Chicago
Discover the vibrant history of Chicago's West Town on a walking tour. Explore historic neighborhoods, local shops, and stunning architecture in this cultural melting pot.
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Eckhart (Bernard) Park - Eckhart Park was built in 1907 to provide breathing space to the overcrowded neighborhood. Start your tour with a stroll through it and hear about the city’s park district and its local significance.
What's Included
  • All fees and taxes included
What's Not Included
  • Tea and coffee
Additional Information

This culturally diverse pocket of Chicago is one of its oldest and liveliest, comprising numerous historic districts and busy boulevards.

Delve into the sensory overload of its streets adorned with trees, boasting an array of art galleries, boutique stores, top-rated eateries, and remarkable constructions exclusive to this city enclave.

The tour highlights include a visit to the nation’s oldest continuously running settlement house, local artwork, retail outlets, and a stroll around a neighborhood dotted with historic mansions.

Location
1330 W Chicago Ave
West Chicago Avenue
Tours begin in front of the Eckhart Park field house located at 1330 W Chicago Blvd. We meet at the stairs next to the hot dog stand.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(29 Ratings)
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Paul_b
Mar 23, 2024
West Town is a must see. - Great tour! Henry and Ian were fantastic guides. They shared their enthusiasm for West Town and its people. We definitely want to return to West Town in the future and revisit some of the places we saw.
Review provided by Viator
Celinefe8657ds
Jan 4, 2024
Must-Do REAL Chicago - Amazing stories, we got immersed into the time period! Immigrant communities, local shop visits, incredible stuff!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Catherineng5236hd
Dec 25, 2023
Book this tour! - Highly recommend for Chicago locals and visitors alike! This was fun and thoughtfully designed experience led by knowledgeable and personable guides. My husband and I have lived in Chicago for years, yet this tour helped us see West Town in a new light.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Perryo2023
Dec 18, 2023
Quit a Serendipity! - I've been coming to Chicago my entire 61 year life and have never had an experience like this! This walking tour had just the right amount of walking, talking, shopping, history, culture, factoids, and more. AND every question was answered well. We learned a lot, bought some stuff and feel differently invested in Chicago than before.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Timothylj9864ej
Dec 15, 2023
Great Tour for a Great City - Great tour for understanding the real Chicago, the Chicago that exists outside of the strip of tourist attractions downtown. The tour covers the history of multiple neighborhoods from a cultural and historical standpoint. Even as a Native-born Chicagoan who lived here for over 20 years, I still learned a lot. The tour also includes visiting local businesses, all of which were unique gems. I would recommend this tour to anyone looking to understand the City of Chicago, especially those looking to move to the Windy City to better understand the city and her many unique neighborhoods. It can be on the long side, so make sure to wear appropriate feet ware.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ro852
Dec 10, 2023
A++ in every respect - I highly recommend this tour, and our tour guides, Henry and Ian. I have lived in Chicago for years now, and I was generally familiar with the tour area, but, regardless, the tour was eye-opening. It was fun to re-engage with an area that seemed very familiar to me, and maybe even too familiar, but clearly is not as familiar as I thought. Henry and Ian made visible what was previously invisible. Henry and Ian really did their homework; the tour was studded with nuance and insight—all conveyed with genuine enthusiasm, interest, warmth and friendliness. Also—a big bonus for me—Ian is an architect and expertly fielded my questions about, for example, buildings’ brickwork/corbeling, glazed terracotta tiles and limestone details. In addition, in light of my questions, he said I might enjoy a tour that another tour purveyor offers. I think that this, alone, demonstrates that they have a great deal of integrity, and that they do this because they’re passionate about it, and want to share their passion. Highly, highly recommended!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rebeccakn9352yw
Dec 9, 2023
Great opportunity to learn something new! - Henry and Ian were so knowledgeable and the tour was so comprehensive. We had such a great afternoon getting lost in the history or the area and discovering places we never knew existed in the city. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J3109jvdanieln
Nov 27, 2023
A fun and educational experience - Super educational and interesting! I went in with only a general knowledge of Chicago and its history and this tour gave me a more in depth understanding of the city’s development and cultural significance. Both Henry and Ian took their time to answer our questions and they did a fantastic job of connecting ideas together to great a really cohesive and educational experience. Also, we made several pit stops in local shops, which allowed us a chance to interact with locals and truly immerse ourselves in West Town’s environment.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
483leopoldog
Nov 20, 2023
Walking tour great experience - Great tour and very knowledgeable guides. We had a great time and learned a lot about the history of the neighborhood. Definitely recommended. Also got the chance to visit some nice local stores that you wouldn’t find normally.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sdombar
Nov 20, 2023
Awesome West Town Tour - Henry and Ian were awesome tour guides. They had a perfectly paced tour for our company outing. I recommend this tour to locals and out of towners visiting Chicago. I’m very excited for other tours they are working on.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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May 2024
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