Bizarre Wicker Park: Medicine and Mobsters Self-Guided Audio Tour
- 0.8–1.3 hour
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
This 45-minute self-guided walking tour explores the bizarre history beneath Wicker Park’s elegant surface. Led by a longtime resident, you will discover the neighborhood’s transition from a wealthy enclave to a gritty artist hub and its modern gentrification. Key Highlights: * Radical History: Learn about labor leader Lucy Parsons and the search for hidden bombs in the park. * Beer Baron Row: Hear tragic tales of murder and madness tied to grand Victorian mansions. * Quack Medicine: Discover how Theophilus Noel’s "Vita-Ore" empire funded iconic local architecture. * Mob Intrigue: Visit the former Russian Baths where mobsters met in steam rooms to avoid FBI wires. * Massacre Connections: See where the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre was planned and its getaway car destroyed.
Inclusions
What's included
- Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
- App for Android and iOS
- Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
- Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
What's not
- Smartphone and headphones
- Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour
- Food and drink
- Transportation
Itinerary
Stroll past this iconic Art Deco skyscraper, formerly known as the Northwest Tower. You can learn about its history as the neighborhood's first skyscraper or enjoy rooftop cocktails with panoramic city views. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
Pass by this majestic bookstore housed in the historic Noel State Bank building. Visitors can browse a massive collection of books and gifts beneath the beautifully restored architectural details of a 1920s bank. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
Walk along North Avenue to find this award-winning staple serving New Haven-style thin-crust pizza and house-brewed beers. Learn about their unique collaborations and enjoy a lively, "hopping" atmosphere popular with locals. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
Stroll past this triangular landmark, a former artist colony established in 1979 to revitalize the area. You can explore contemporary galleries and perhaps hear stories of the resident ghosts. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
Pass by this community hub located within the neighborhood's namesake park. You can learn about the park’s donation by the Wicker brothers or participate in seasonal sports, workshops, and local garden events. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
Walk along Hoyne Avenue to admire the opulent 19th-century mansions built by wealthy German brewery owners. Learn about the area's brewing history and spot vintage features like "carriage stones" near the curbs. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
Stroll past this historic venue, once a 19th-century brothel with a secret tunnel connection to a nearby bathhouse. Today, you can catch live music acts and see the original Tiffany chandelier above the dancefloor. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- The tour begins at the Wicker Park park. It's just steps from the Blue Line 'L' train, or the Damen Ave bus line. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- VoiceMap Audio Tours
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The total tour time includes walking the route and passing by the attractions
How it compares in Chicago
- Its from-price is 87% below the median of the 524 experiences we list in Chicago.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Chicago
Chicago is a Great Lakes city on Lake Michigan, famed for skyscraper architecture, deep-dish pizza, blues and jazz and a long lakefront of parks.
Chicago rebuilt itself after the fire of 1871 and became the cradle of the skyscraper. The Chicago River runs through the Loop, where tall towers rise, and boat tours explain the architecture from the water. Millennium Park's mirrored Cloud Gate sculpture, known as the Bean, and the Art Institute of Chicago, with its Impressionist paintings, are close together. Willis Tower has a glass-floored observation deck.
Top-ranked sights in Chicago: Navy Pier, Wrigley Building, The Magnificent Mile.
Special offers in Chicago
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
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