I have done walking tours in other cities, but this one was the best. The secrets of the loop tour was informative, funny, and really opened our eyes to see the things sitting in plain sight while gaining an appreciation for the design and craftsmanship associated with Chicago architecture. Hillary is a gem: inclusive, funny, smart and really informed, but grounded and self deprecating too. Fourteen people were on our tour and she connected with all, answered questions, and made suggestions about things to do and see. What a fantastic experience and I would recommend starting any Chicago visit with her. read more

Hillary was an enthusiastic tour guide who's very passionate about Chicago. Full of insight that I don't think we would have gotten elsewhere. Well worth the money. We did the the tour "beyond the boat" and I do recommend doing a boat tour first. It gives you a good reference for the insight you will get. Will have to try one of her other tours the next time we're in town. read more

Friends visiting from Florida toured with Hillary on a Friday and insisted we join them on Saturday. They loved her so much thy did two tours with her. We have lived here for ten years and taken several tours in Chicago. This was by far the most insightful, educational but entertaining and informative tour we have done. The guide knows her stuff and was able to quickly adjust when one of the planned buildings was closed because of it being a holiday weekend. I will definitely be touring with her again when guests come to town or just for fun on our own. Give her a try - you will. Look at Chicago buildings in a new way. read more

Just took the "Look Up, Look Down: Exploring the Heights & Depths of a City" tour this past weekend. Adam did a great job! I grew up in the Chicago Burbs and I have a passing interest in history. So some of the basic information I did know, but he shared a lot of new information that I didn't know. He was open to questions, had a sense of humor and was very knowledgeable. The views from the looking down at the city added a different look at the city and was a new perspective for me. There is a stop that he tells you to trust him and not look at a building until he gets everyone to a certain point....well trust him and don't look, it is cool and I have seen this building several times before. Don't forget to bring a water, go to the bathroom before the tour starts, and enjoy! read more

Hillary, the owner and guide for most tours, has a phenomenal knowledge of Chicago and its architecture. For me, what sets her tours apart is the way she crafts them around themes, highlighting amazing buildings and showing how they relate to one another. Hillary brings history alive as she describes how each of the architectural styles rose in response to events going on in Chicago and the world at the time the buildings were built. The spaces you see are breathtaking, and the views are spectacular!!! You will not be disappointed. Hillary is definitely a storyteller, and her passion shines through in her fun, engaging style. She has a knack for reaching all ages with entertaining humor and many interesting facts. My friends and I have taken six tours and we live here! Hillary is always showing us something new. Yesterday we thoroughly enjoyed Adam as our guide on the Look Up, Look Down tour. He was incredible, telling the story of each building as he revealed its hidden and not-so-hidden marvels with his own impressive knowledge, friendliness and enthusiasm. We can't wait for the next tour! read more

Fantastic! I took 2 in 1 day & I highly recommend it! I've taken other tours on this Chicago trip but these tours are the most fun, informative, & memorable. Plus got groupon deal. Yay Hillary! read more

We did the Millenniumm Park Power Hour tour... very cool! First, I've been to Chicago a lot (being a Michigander) so I really like the idea of a new way to explore. We (three of us) were the only folks on this particular tour and it down poured right at the beginning! We didn't want to walk around all wet, so we stationed ourselves under a tent and 'talked' through the tour. It was fun and informative. Later that week, one of us got to wonder through the park. We didn't up having the full walking/site-seeing tour, on our request, however I am so grateful for the 'roll with it' attitude and fun spirit. We had a great time, I highly recommend and can't want to visit again - both the city and book another tour! read more

Our tour guide, Adam, was knowledgeable, witty and engaging. We loved all the interiors he shared and by the end felt like we had seen a local's view of Chicago. Very easy to book and so worth the price. read more

I have taken two tours with Hillary. Fabulous and educational experience. Highly recommended.

I was part of a very small group attending the inaugural tour for this project, and I had a great time. We walked from one side of downtown to the other over almost two hours that felt to me like minutes. Hillary has lots of experience and knowledge about the art and history of Chicago architecture, and she led an engaging, lively tour. As advertised, we saw indoor treasures that I had no idea were here, and learned fresh tidbits about the buildings I thought I did know, after walking around the city for nearly 20 years. I highly recommend this as a way to entertain your out-of-town guests looking for something to do here besides shop and eat (though you might be introduced to some fresh ideas for that too; I was), but don't wait for those visitors before you consider a tour yourself if you love the city. You know how it can be, living here, we sometimes forget what a treasure this town can be, and it's worthwhile to take some time now and then to appreciate it. Why not that Fifth Star of Sublime Perfection: This sort of outing isn't for everybody. There's a lot of walking (duh), it's a rain-or-shine trek through indoors and out, and even at that, it's just not possible to take in everything you might wish for in a reasonable amount of time. It might be worth offering a package deal for enthusiasts; I know I'd have a hard time choosing just one. read more

My husband and I visited Chicago recently for vacation and wanted to take a tour where my husband could get some good photos with his new camera. Hilary was awesome and took us inside some really neat buildings. She made sure to point out good photo opportunities and angles which my husband appreciated. She was funny and entertaining which made the tour go by quickly without any awkward pauses. This was a really unique experience and one of our favorite parts of the trip. We liked it so much we wanted to go on one of her other tours but couldn't fit it into our itinerary. Well worth the money! read more

This walking tour is phenomenal! Hillary provides the best cultural context of any tour I have been on and you can tell she is fascinated by the city. A really great way to spend a few hours on a nice day. I recommend the "Creating the Melting Pot" tour. read more

I've done both the Look Up Look Down tour as well as the Mixtape tour. Both were very fun and educational! Although I live in Chicago and have been visiting for years, I was shown parts of the city that I didn't even know existed. I also learned the history behind sites that I have passed countless times without appreciating. I highly recommend! read more

Hilary's tour was outstanding. I am an art professor and can be very critical of presentations and everything about Hilary's talk was great. She has a good understanding of her audiences and sets the context for those without a lot of historical knowledge, but she can also do deep dives for those wanting more information. What I particularly liked was how she links one building and its architectural style with another. By comparing and contrasting, our own appreciation is deepened. Her delivery is fantastic as she speaks clearly and loudly with humor and wit. Children, seniors, scholars, everyone will enjoy the tour. read more

Engaged, insightful and knowledgeable guide Hillary provides a first-rate review of what Chicago is world-famous for, it's historic architecture. Highly recommended. read more

My daughter and I took two tours from this group when we were in Chicago this week. The tours we took were The World Within: Dazzling Interiors of the Loop, which Hillary led, and Look up, Look Down, which was led by Adam. I have spent quite a bit of time in Chicago and have taken several other tours, but this tour took us to places that were off the beaten path from the regular tour route. I really appreciated seeing new places - I left both tours feeling like I learned something new. Also, both Adam and Hillary were knowledgeable, interesting and entertaining. I would highly recommend taking a tour from this company and will plan to take another next time I am in Chicago. Thanks! read more

Hillary's tours are as good as they get. Her love of the city and architecture show shine through her presentation. On the West Loop tour, we went from the origins of the city to future plans. Looking forward to my next one! read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour. Hillary was a fantastic guide and gives you the facts! not the fiction. Definitely would recommend.

Hillary took us on a tour of Chicago architecture. This might sound dull & boring but not the Hillary! She is so personable, interesting, and informative our time with her seemed too short. She makes you think of building design in a whole new way! read more

My husband and I both enjoyed the tour. It was our first one like this but I definitely want to do more. I grew up in Chicago and have walked these streets many times but never realized how much I was missing out on. read more

fabulous tour and guide. insightful, well-researched and fine story telling. not just nuggets of dubious factoids, these tours go deep. opens a lot of secret doors letting u in places u would never be able to get to on your own. adjusted to the specific audience and very in-tuned to the tour party. a real gem in our city. read more

My husband and I took "The World Within" tour last week, and learned so much from Hillary. She showed us little nooks and crannies of fascinating buildings that most people - tourists and people who live and work in Chicago - walk pass every day. She took us into a secret room in a popular hotel where huge names in entertainment have relaxed before a show - and showed us how Chicago's history has shaped its architecture. I only wish we'd had more time on our trip to take other tours with this company Engaging, fun and very informative! read more

I took the tour THE WORLD WITHIN: DAZZLING INTERIORS OF THE LOOP. Hillary, the tour guide/owner, is terrific. She is very enthusiastic about sharing her extensive knowledge of Chicago and its architecture, she speaks clearly and she is warm and friendly. Although I attended only this tour, I have no doubt all her tours are fantastic. I think anyone would thoroughly enjoy any of her tours. Len, New York. read more

My friend and I did the River North tour and we loved everything that Hilary showed us! This is not your traditional tour where the tour guide will just give you a laundry list of facts. This is an engaging, fun tour where you'll learn interesting tid bits about different kinds of buildings. Hilary is open to questions, very friendly and attentive. We really enjoyed ourselves and learned many fun facts about the city. I would highly recommend this tour (I'm sure the other tours advertised on the website are just as good) and I will certainly suggest doing this to my other out of town guests. read more

Hillary is a fantastic tour guide. We did the tour of the West Loop / Wolf Point and learned a ton. The walk is quite manageable. Hillary was fun, accessible. She stuck around after and gave us recommendations of new neighborhoods and restaurants to try. One of the best tours we have been on anywhere. We'll be going back for her other tours of Chicago. read more

My family and I booked two private walking tours with Hillary and if we had been in Chicago longer, we would have done more. Unlike some other tours that we have taken where the guide is just reciting from a memorized script, Hillary really knows and loves Chicago. She has done the research, and can talk about the buildings, their settings, and their styles from both an architectural and historical perspective. For the private tours, she asked us what we were interested in, and then tailored the walk to both play to our interests, and to expand our knowledge. We now know things like the importance of the Chicago Window, how post-modern architecture reflects surrounding buildings, and the importance of popping into hotels and building lobbies that you are most likely just going to walk by. I'm sure that thousands of people walk into the old Marshall Fields store in the loop and never look up to see the beautiful Tiffany glass mosaic--but we went up to take a close look. My family has been on many walking tours across the US and around the world, and this was by far the best. read more

My mother and I went on the river north tour over Father's day weekend and had a fabulous time! Being native Chicagoans, we weren't sure if we would learn very much but our guide Hillary shared some sights, facts and buildings that we didn't know about...I don't want to ruin any of the surprises. Hillary is very passionate about Chicago's history and architecture. Don't hesitate to take one of tours! read more

Hillary is a natural teacher for adults. This walking tour truly takes you "inside" Chicago. She takes you down alleys to capture amazing perspectives on some cool buildings. Great mix of facts, stories, and personal tid bits. She takes you "inside" some cool old buildings too. I highly recommend taking this tour. read more

We did the Loop tour with Hillary. It was very interesting. She took us into several buildings and showed us the exterior architecture on several more. She was very personable and really made the tour with her exuberance. The pace of the walking was perfect - not too fast and not too slow. I would definitely recommend this tour and will be returning for one of her other tours! read more

Personalized tour - fun and informative!! Thanks for the inside info on Chicago.

We were visiting Chicago for the first time and decided to start our exploration of the city with a walking tour. Hilary's enthusiasm, depth of knowledge, and excellent presentation skills made the tour interesting, while her personality and playfulness made it fun. Not only did I learn all kinds of secrets about Chicago's history and see the city's buildings and architecture from a different perspective, I had a blast doing the Cupid shuffle in Daley Plaza and photo bombing a wedding party on the Magnificent Mile! Hilary leads a great tour. All you need to do is show up with some curiosity and a sense of adventure. read more

A friend and I joined the Secrets of the Loop tour, and we very much enjoyed our experience. Hillary has an amazing knowledge of the city, and she made the buildings and hidden spaces come alive with stories and interesting bits of information. Her background in education was readily apparent, as she was able to present the information clearly and in an engaging fashion. We didn't have much luck with the weather--at one point it poured buckets and nearly soaked us all--but Hillary maintained her great sense of humor and worked around it. (Do be prepared with an umbrella if the forecast warrants it. The tour goes on, rain or shine! Also-- be prepared to walk briskly; Hillary has lots to show you and has plenty of energy.) Despite the weather, we were glad we went, and we'd be glad to join another Inside Chicago Walking Tour in the future. read more

My husband and I took the At The Heart of a City - Riverfront and Mag Mile walking tour today. Very enjoyable! Hillary is the tour guide and owner and is very knowledgeable and entertaining! I highly recommend it. We will definately be trying one of her other tours. I learned so much about buildings that I have gone by many times and never looked up :) read more

My daughter and I booked the Interiors tour with Hillary in July and I am so glad that we finally did this! I am originally from the area, we live in another state, but visit often and never took the time until then. Hillary could not have been more personable, knowledgeable, informative and friendly and she took the time to answer our multitude of questions. I liked that she keeps the groups to a manageable size too. We saw so many beautiful interiors, and exteriors as well, and learned so much through Hillary's passion for Chicago's architecture. I highly recommend this and will definitely book another tour with her! read more