It was super enjoyable. Learned a lot of history about the city of Chicago. Max is so energetic and just good time! You won't regret it. Take the tour. read more

Review for the WALKING TOUR: went with my family. The stories and the locations were not the only highlights, but the skill and presentation of the storyteller as well. Sophia was amazing, engaging and was full of energy/passion. We saw a deal at Groupon for $28 and we decided to take a chance on the activity. You don't go in any buildings, except one - the Palmer House Hotel. It was a good place for a break in the tour, though no scary stories were told about it. My feedback for the tour company is to add more stories if possible, I feel like there could be a little bit more added compared to the other tours I've been on. Parking: Use spot hero beforehand to find the best deal closest to Hoyt's tavern (meet up spot). Picked the spot near Dunkin Donuts for $10.99 and 5 min walk away. FYI: The tour does NOT circle back close to where they originally started. We ended the tour about 20 min walk away. So just keep that in mind. We were fine with it and even got to stop by one of our favorite Gelato places in Paris, Amorino on the way back. Discovered they have a store here along the walking tour. read more

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Welcome to Cook County A Nice Place to Visit (...and maybe leave quickly). Historic Attractions * The Courthouse Carousel: Spin round and round with endless motions, appeals, and continuances! Fun for the whole (legal) family. * The Political Machine Museum: Where yesterday's scandals fuel today's exhibits -- and tomorrow's headlines. Natural Wonders * The Forest Preserves: A scenic escape from subpoenas, perfect for picnics... or avoiding service of process. * Lake Michigan Shoreline: Gorgeous views, fresh breezes, and a perfect backdrop for contemplating why property taxes feel like admission fees. Local Flavors * Deep Dish Pizza: Heavy, cheesy, and just as layered as the paperwork at the Clerk's Office. * Neighborhood Eats: From pierogis to pupusas, you'll taste the world -- unless you're stuck waiting at the DMV, where snacks are not permitted. Entertainment * Courtroom Theater: Daily matinees starring your favorite prosecutors, defenders, and "colorful" judges. Critics call it Kafkaesque meets improv comedy. * Downtown Politics Parade: Floats of egos, marching lobbyists, and candy tossed only to "preferred" constituents. Adventure Tours * Red-Light Camera Safari: Collect photos of yourself in the wild, mailed directly to your home! * Parking Ticket Treasure Hunt: Explore side streets and alleys. You may never find your car again, but you'll collect great stories. Traveler Advisory Extended stays may include: * Random gag orders * Property tax-induced vertigo * Sudden appearances in court dockets you didn't know you were on Cook County: It's everything you imagined, and everything you didn't ask for. read more

Terrible customer service. They have no one you can call to reschedule or change anything. They tell you to email and then no one responds for 24 hours... I asked for a refund and they said no because of our 24 hour cancellation policy, kindof ironic. Will never use them again. Highly suggest you don't either read more

Did this tour this past Halloween weekend. Ty was our tour guide and he was great! Very knowledgeable and also cracking jokes along the way. This tour is mainly heavily focused on gangsters, especially Al Capone. They do mention some ghost stories but not as much as I would hope. Maybe Chicago isn't as haunted as I thought it was! They did mention The Devil in the White City which was great (as it is one of my favorite books!) It is a walking tour and it is a very doable walk for everyone. They can modify the tour is exclude stairs in someone in the group cannot walk up stairs, which is very accommodating. Overall, I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Chicago and wanting to learn for about our gangster history! read more

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We were looking for something different to do while in downtown Chicago. This was a great activity. Matthew our tour guide was wonderful. We all walked away knowing so much more about the city and its mob related and darker side. Great activity for a small or large group. read more

We had a nice time with Taka our tour guide on this tour. We saw a lot of really neat things by foot (I don't want to ruin the tour for the person reading this). She had an in depth knowledge and really added a great flair to each story. I would definitely recommend her and this tour for anyone looking to know more of Chicago. read more

Chicago Gangsters and Ghosts Tours - Historical Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really enjoyed our night tour with Grant. We walked around Chicago and heard some really neat stories about ghosts and gangsters. We stopped at the Palmer Hotel for a bit and it was really nice. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting the city! read more

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My boyfriend and I went on a very cold night, but it was so easy to dismiss the cold because Max was very engaging and knowledgeable! He is so profesional and incredibly confident in his delivery of the stories and facts. While the night ended with one of the more devastating stories, he was able to respectfully transition to a lighter mood before ending the tour. There were a few stories I knew but I was still surprised by some details. And the stories I didn't know were cool to hear. It was a great blend of both the gang history and ghost stories. I would highly recommend the tour and especially, Max as a tour guide! Thank you for braving the cold for us! read more

We had a great time! Karinna was a great storyteller. I only rate this a 4 out of 5 because we have been on several other similar tours and we felt that we didn't hear as many stories as we had on other tours. But, for my children, who had never been on a tour before, it was 5 stars. read more

George is a great story teller and bonus points for being hilarious! I learned so much today, and the story of Al Capone mixed with Chicago history was told in such a captivating and new way. Although kids 6 and under are free, and the tour is listed as family friendly, I learned the hard way that our kiddo thinks that's "a lie!" I should have known when I realized my kid was the only child in the group. Murder, kidnapping, suicide, hauntings, people burning to their deaths, and so much more violence was discussed in great detail. So please keep this in mind if you're thinking of taking the littles, or if you yourself are the least bit spooked. This was a birthday present for my spouse who loves all the gore. Me not so much, but even I thought the tour was amazing and one of the best I've ever been on. Enjoy! read more

Great minibus tour with Avery. Very informative and entertaining tour with a lot of Chicago history.

We took the 4 pm walking tour. At first I was worried as the group size was rather large (20+), but it ended up working well. Our guide, Sophia, was very friendly, knowledgeable, and funny. Tour was a nice length and the mid-tour stop at the Palmer house was great. Definitely try a brownie (original recipe created for the World's fair)! The brownies lean towards fudge texture (more so than cake). Late afternoon was not as spooky as I imagine after dark would be. Suited me just fine though. Tour includes some time on the river walk, the loop, and millennium park. Very fun! read more

We had a great time this morning on the walking tour. George was our guide. He was fun, friendly, easy to understand, and could raise his voice above the street noise. Totally recommend this. It's about an hour and a half about 2 mi so not super strenuous. Beautiful weather this week too. read more

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We took this tour last weekend. Sophie from Louisiana was our tour guide and she was darling.! She was very knowledgeable of the city, and very personable and easy to talk to.! I highly recommend this tour for anybody who has never been to Chicago as well of those who have made multiple trips. Just make sure you wear your walking shoes. read more

Chicago Gangsters and Ghosts Tours - The haunted Congress hotel. Now I want to go there and stay in room for 441! - Historical Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Such a fun time learning some nefarious Chicago history. Sophia was a delight and just a wealth of information! Five+ stars, highly recommended. read more

At first we had a hard time finding the ghost and gangster tour meetup point because we thought that it was inside the hotel but it was actually next to the hotel and outside. Our tour guide for the ghost and gangsters tour was Allan, and he did a fantastic job. It was about an hour and 40 minutes of walking around pointing out historically significantly buildings that had some association with either ghosts or gangsters with one break at the Palmer hotel. One of the coolest things we learned was that al capones ghost is somewhere lingering around the bar at the congress hotel. A couple of the saddest things we learned Included a fire where hundreds of people had to jump off the 4th floor to their deaths, as well as a meat plant tbst used to just dump their left over meat organs and fat into the river only to eventually cause a grease fire that killed everyone that was on the lake one day. The tour was educational, fun and funny too, and the tour guide had a great personality for the job. A+ read more

Seriously - we are locals. Been on many Chicago tours. The architectural river tour has always been a favorite and this is now another fav!!! Skip the other city bus tours and do this one. We did it at 6p and it was perfect. Love. Love. Love! HUGE shout out to Matthew! He was incredibly entertaining and knowledgeable. read more

Great tour led by Willis. Knowledge and enjoyable to walk a mile and a half with! Learned a lot about the history of Chicago and Capone I was unaware of. read more

This was a great way to get to see the Loop and learn some fun history about the city, our tour guide Max was knowledgeable and friendly and overall this was fun! read more

Chris was a fantastic tour guide! He really knew the history and secrets of Chicago, and was an excellent storyteller. We had a great time. Highly recommend this tour. read more

This is a fantastic walking tour. It's a great tour through downtown Chicago's history of gangster activity and major tragedies. Our tour guide was Brandon and he was purposefully loud and clear. He brought great energy to the narration of historical facts. This tour is not a loop. You will not end the tour where you started so plan appropriately. My husband and I were also surprised at how long this tour felt on our feet despite only being "1.5 miles" over a 2 hr period. We did walk to dinner first and then to this tour so we had some extra steps beforehand but be prepared for it to feel a little more than 1.5 miles. It is also helpful to bring a bottle of water. Midwest summers are hot and humid. This tour is a unique way to explore Chicago and worth the ticket! Photos: gangster activity at the Chicago Theater and tragedy at Death Alley/Nederlander. read more

Chicago Gangsters and Ghosts Tours - Gangster activity at the Chicago Theater - Historical Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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avery was a great tour guide. energetic and knowledgeable. He had the best delivery and " stage " presence. We enjoyed the tour and will suggest this adventure to others. Way to go Avery ! read more

Max was an awesome tour guide. It was a.fun and informative tour. Max made sure everyone in the group could see and hear him and what he was showing us. If in Chicago take the tour read more

Chris was amazing!! Could tell the tour was already great but he took it above and beyond. Came out for my birthday with my family and it's a memory I'll hold for my whole life. Thank you, Chris and crew! :) read more

It was a great introduction to the city. The tour guide was super knowledgeable and funny. read more

Our tour guide, Sarah was absolutely amazing. She really knew her stuff. She is well read on the topic, and extremely knowledgeable. What really shined about Sarah was her personality and sense of humor. She was awesome! read more

A really fun guide yay Sarah! We learned a lot about Chicago and gangster history on a beautiful day in our fair city

Fun tour, a bit long and a ton of walking (hence walking tour) but we had a nice break in the middle. Ty our tour guide was excellent read more

I can't believe it has taken me this long to write a review for such a wonderful experience. This tour was one of the highlights from my trip to Chicago in October. Our tour guide, Kai, was wonderful. I loved how she spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear and that she was a good storyteller as well. I also like that she has a graduate degree in history. This makes her more than qualified to be a good tour guide. I learned a lot about Chicago and different things that happened there over the course of time. I definitely gained a new perspective at the conclusion of the tour. One of the things I learned on this tour that was never taught in any history book growing up was the Eastland tragedy in 1917. I also didn't know that the company who hosted the party would go on to become a very big name corporation in America. It was also great to have an intermission at a historic hotel and purchase their delicious brownies. The intermission or break gave ample opportunity to get a refreshment, purchase a brownie, explore part of the hotel or to use the restroom before resuming the tour. Kai also made sure that everyone was accounted for before resuming the tour. I was impressed by this. Not the, too bad we're leaving although everyone isn't back at the designated time. You get plenty of steps in while walking around various parts of the downtown area. I enjoyed learning more things about Al Capone as well and how he got to Chicago. I definitely knew that he was born in NY and migrated to Chicago via organized crime. The tour does end with a tragic story that I wasn't aware of prior to attending this. Find out what it was by attending yourself. History is filled with tragedy and Chicago is no exception. It's part of the human story. If you're on the fence or want to know about the "shadow" side of Chicago, I highly recommend this tour! I loved the stickers that were offered at the conclusion. I would actually consider signing up for this again, the next time in Chicago. You will definitely walk away educated from this! Again, kudos to Kai! She was great! read more

Karinna was the best tour guide! We were a group of 20 exploring the streets and riverwalk, squeezing into corners and alleyways, and taking in the beauty of old buildings. The 2 hours flew by quick with all the stories Karinna had to tell. I highly recommend it! read more

We really enjoyed this tour! Connor, our guide, was knowledgeable and personable, and he did a great job projecting his voice to the group over the cacophony of downtown noises. I know some chicago history but most of the stories Connor told, I had never heard before. I always love walking around in the Loop anyway because the architecture is amazing, and then knowing the stories behind some of the buildings makes it so much better. The tour lasts about 1 1/2 hours and you get a little break in the middle at the Palmer House if you need to warm up, get a snack or use the bathroom - or just go in and marvel at the beauty of the place! I recommend this tour! read more

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This tour was so fun and engaging! Not only were the stories amazing, our tour guide Matthew was one of the best we've seen! Thank you so much Chicago Gangsters and Ghosts tours! We highly recommend! read more

I had high expectations and these guys exceeded them. Avery was a hysterical, edgy, knowledgeable and amazing storyteller. Totally made the tour. There were at least six stops with in-depth stories of Chicago history on serial killers, gangsters, ghosts. I highly recommend the 8 PM tour when it's dark out. The time in Death Alley was actually creepy. Thank you for the awesome experience. read more

Usually look for these types of tours when visiting different cities. Glad we found Chicago Gangsters and Ghosts Tours. Our guide was Chris. He did a great job sharing info and stories, pleasant and was able to speak over the sounds of the city. Thank you ! read more

Captivating history tour of the city! Our tour guide Kai (like Cobra Kai) was phenomenal! She was very knowledgeable and had a great perspective making the tour even more fun. I definitely recommend checking the tour out. Make sure to wear comfortable clothing and shoes you'll be walking about 2miles. read more

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I'm not a huge tour person when visiting the city, but our aunt recommended this tour so we went with it. I'm so happy that we did because it was one of the coolest experiences we've done in Chicago. It's a walking 1.5 mile tour with a guide that tells all the stories about Chicago history. Our guide Kai was so awesome. She was so knowledgeable and gave the information in a organized manor. She was quick witted and funny too. The stop midway at the Palmer House was really really cool too. Honestly I would do this tour again sometime. Highly highly recommend for anyone in the city! read more

Chicago Gangsters and Ghosts Tours - Historical Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great tour! Taka was extremely knowledgeable and her voice carried well despite the noisy surroundings. Definitely enjoyed the tour and highly recommend it! read more

Great tour! Max was phenomenal. It was cold but he did such a good job I forgot about the Cold!

Taka, our guide was awesome!!! Lucked out on great weather! We both loved every minute!