Historic Chicago Walking Bar Tour

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4.38 | 8 reviews

164 Have Dabbled

ABOUT THIS EVENT
Event Category

Education

Event Overview

Join us for a historic Chicago pub crawl with an educational twist! You’ll explore Chicago’s entertainment history and learn about prohibition, jazz, theater, vices, and social clubs, all while enjoying drinks and appetizers.

Guests interact with historic photos and videos on shared iPads and visit historic buildings for three drink stops. We don’t walk far on our evening walking tour, giving us more time to engage with Chicago history and look at architecture. The limited walking distance on the tour gives us time to enjoy our appetizers and choice of wine or beer.


Tour groups see magnificent lobbies and really engage with some beautiful historic architecture. Many tour guests enjoy the social dynamic of this unique tour. Solo travelers often join the tour. Also as a great Chicago date idea, it can be a fun thing to do in Chicago with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Groups of friends make the tour into a cool weekend event as it’s more than a Chicago pub crawl – you’ll eat, drink, and learn about architecture, Prohibition-era history, and culture.

Stories and Ideas on the Historic Chicago Pub Crawl Tour:

Architecture as a cultural artifact
The “Hex of the Billy Goat”
Chicago jazz era
History of Chicago breweries
Prohibition and gangsters
Historic restaurant trends
1960’s nightlife
Private clubs

What to Bring

Each guest must choose a beverage option and bring cash ($23 for beer, $29 for wine, $3 for water). Covers 2 regular size drinks, 1 sample-size drink, and server gratuities on the drinks and the appetizers (apps are included in the tour).

Minimum age

All ages welcome

Prerequisites

IMPORTANT: After registration, please send a message to us (using the link on the event page below) with your email address so we can send along a map and other event details.

Cancellation Policy
Location

There are currently no upcoming dates scheduled for this Dabble. Log in to an account message the host or add to your bucket list to be automatically notified when new dates are posted.

MORE ABOUT YOUR HOST

We are a group of educators, historians, artists and story-tellers. Founder Amanda Scotese launched Chicago Detours in July 2010 after close to a decade of travel in Italy as a Tour Guide and Guidebook Researcher with Rick Steves’ Europe. She decided to bring her travel expertise back home with tour experiences that are fun, educational, and truly make us feel connected with our grand city. Our professional Chicago tour guides are highly trained and educated, and we know how to spark discussions and create a lively group dynamic on our public and private group tours of Chicago. Today we are a community of Chicagoans passionate about sharing the architecture, history, and culture of Chicago through the Chicago Detours blog and our guided walking and bus tours.

EXPERIENCE REVIEWS

  • Default user photo
    Christopher L.
    Reviewed on 03/31/19

    What a great time! My friends and I are trying to be more “tourists in our own city” and this was the perfect fit! Very engaging and personal, had a wonderful time.

    What a great time! My friends and I are trying to be more “tourists in our own city” and this was the perfect fit! Very engaging and personal, had a wonderful time.

  • Default user photo
    Rebecca R.
    Reviewed on 10/10/18

    It was a nice day - so it was fun to walk around and we visited a few cool places! There was more drinking that food -- perhaps you could charge a bit more and get a few more snacks. I felt light headed at the end of the tour.

    It was a nice day - so it was fun to walk around and we visited a few cool places! There was more drinking that food -- perhaps you could charge a bit more and get a few more snacks. I felt light headed at the end of the tour.

  • Default user photo
    Mary H.
    Reviewed on 06/30/18

    This was such a fantastic tour and the perfect summer outing! I live in and am from Chicago, but I still learned so much on this tour. The stops were great, the beer was copious, and the Morgan our tour guide was just delightful.

    This was such a fantastic tour and the perfect summer outing! I live in and am from Chicago, but I still learned so much on this tour. The stops were great, the beer was copious, and the Morgan our tour guide was just delightful.

  • Default user photo
    Ali M.
    Reviewed on 07/19/17

    This was a more enjoyable tour than I thought it might be - focused on architecture and design but also the fun behind the scenes stories of Chicago's mob life and restaurants, etc. There are many interesting facts provided and of course, the beverages make it all the better!! And you get to enjoy a little outdoor time! Make sure check forecast as you do walk from a few key places, but still relatively close together. A positive and memorable experience.

    This was a more enjoyable tour than I thought it might be - focused on architecture and design but also the fun behind the scenes stories of Chicago's mob life and restaurants, etc. There are many interesting facts provided and of course, the beverages make it all the better!! And you get to enjoy a little outdoor time! Make sure check forecast as you do walk from a few key places, but still relatively close together. A positive and memorable experience.

  • Thumb 12045584 10103247265271469 421570657054666032 o
    Kateland G.
    Reviewed on 05/31/16

    This was such a fun way to be a tourist in my own city! :) I think whether you are out of town or a lifelong Chicagoan, you could have a great time and learn something from this class! It was fun, interactive, entertaining, and I learned some really cool stories about some Chicago staples (and a couple off the path places). I'm not the typical history buff who wants to learn the details and facts and years, but I do love hearing stories. While Elizabeth did know the facts, she also told them in an engaging way. :) I would definitely recommend checking this out!

    This was such a fun way to be a tourist in my own city! :) I think whether you are out of town or a lifelong Chicagoan, you could have a great time and learn something from this class! It was fun, interactive, entertaining, and I learned some really cool stories about some Chicago staples (and a couple off the path places). I'm not the typical history buff who wants to learn the details and facts and years, but I do love hearing stories. While Elizabeth did know the facts, she also told them in an engaging way. :) I would definitely recommend checking this out!

  • Default user photo
    Maeve R.
    Reviewed on 05/08/16

    This was an excellent tour for tourists and locals alike.

    This was an excellent tour for tourists and locals alike.

  • Default user photo
    Ashley K.
    Reviewed on 06/15/19

    This tour isnt what my friends and I expected. Per the description, it stated it was a historic pub crawl with an educational twist. We didnt go into any pubs during the tour. The tour guide walked very quickly ahead of the group and started stating facts before the group was all together. We couldn't hear her well.
    The appetizers consisted of a 1/4 burger, a bag of chips, and a roll with fondue poured on top. Not really what we were thinking when this tour cost $40. I am confused why you have to pay additional money for wine or beer.
    My group wouldn't recommend this. There are so many options in the city for tours and we feel the description is not true to what we did today.

    This tour isnt what my friends and I expected. Per the description, it stated it was a historic pub crawl with an educational twist. We didnt go into any pubs during the tour. The tour guide walked very quickly ahead of the group and started stating facts before the group was all together. We couldn't hear her well.
    The appetizers consisted of a 1/4 burger, a bag of chips, and a roll with fondue poured on top. Not really what we were thinking when this tour cost $40. I am confused why you have to pay additional money for wine or beer.
    My group wouldn't recommend this. There are so many options in the city for tours and we feel the description is not true to what we did today.

  • Default user photo
    Miriam G.
    Reviewed on 02/06/17

    Do it a warmer day because you do spend a lot of time outside. Even if you're a local, you'll learn some interesting things you never knew about Chicago history.

    Do it a warmer day because you do spend a lot of time outside. Even if you're a local, you'll learn some interesting things you never knew about Chicago history.

  • Show more
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{"commenter_avatar":"/assets/fallback/default_user_photo-7844ce7f6060bc35d96b520c91dde332223314399368a367699ab784f5d8e1fa.png","reviewer_name":"Ashley K.","created_at":"almost 5 years","title_link":"\u003cstrong\u003eHistoric Chicago Walking Bar Tour \u003c/strong\u003e","positive":null,"review_content":"This tour isnt what my friends and I expected. Per the description, it stated it was a historic pub crawl with an educational twist. We didnt go into any pubs during the tour. The tour guide walked very quickly ahead of the group and started stating facts before the group was all together. We couldn't hear her well.\r\nThe appetizers consisted of a 1/4 burger, a bag of chips, and a roll with fondue poured on top. Not really what we were thinking when this tour cost $40. I am confused why you have to pay additional money for wine or beer.\r\nMy group wouldn't recommend this. There are so many options in the city for tours and we feel the description is not true to what we did today.\r\n","teacher_response":null}
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