I was 20 or 21 when I went on one of the Chicago tours. This tour guide Ken was amazing. I love history but this guy is an elite of Chicago history. I remember my mom telling me that she went on a few of the tours with Troy Taylor and a woman named Ursula. She told me they're great!! I would recommend these tours!!! I'm glad I met some people who aren't afraid to talk about what went on in Chicago even if it's disgusting. Chicago will always be my birthplace and my home. Keep up the good work Weird Chicago!!! Remember: Innovate, Adapt and overcome!!!! read more

We took this tour last night, and it was very entertaining! While it definitely has a ghost hunting flavor, this tour also highlights, as the name suggests, the weird places in Chicago. The tour guide we had, Ken, took us to the site of the Eastland disaster, the old Chicago gallows, and a few other places. He says he likes to mix it up for people, so you don't see every place you've seen before. In fact, some of the places we went have ONLY been toured by Weird Chicago (Ken has friends), so it felt like we were getting an exclusive on some pretty cool and otherwise completely unknown places. The guy knows his stuff and talks pretty fast - even then, he may not notice that he's been talking for the last 15 minutes straight and we're parked and the bus is off. ;) This is a fun way to spend an evening, and I wouldn't hesitate to bring more friends along for a 2nd tour. read more

Took the Devil in the White City tour with a friend and was impressed at the tour guide's knowledge of HH Holmes and the World's Fair. I was expecting a stop at the site of the Holmes Castle but the stops at the Congress Hotel, the Stock Yards gate and the Osaka Gardens were unexpected but much welcomed. Very informative tour even for those unfamiliar with Holmes or Devil in the White City. read more

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Because I had already read several reviews on Weird Chicago Tours I admit I was going into this with preconcieved notions. Look around and you will find that nearly all reviews on yelp end on very happy notes and ours was no less satisfying. What originally started out as a promise to ourselves to visit Chicago for a summer tour, myself and a few others decided to take the private tour. The public ones were sold out for the month of may and felt we since we could customize this one, we could justify the flat rate of 450.00 and just invite all of our friends as well and see exactly what we wanted to see. Among other perks of course was bringing alcohol aboard. Ken, who was our contact, would end up not being our guide. However, Clarence filled in nicely and we were on our way. I would say that even though we got to pick our destination points, I still did not know what to expect or how they would distribute between topics of interest which were divided into "devil in the white city", "chicago hauntings (mostly spent on the congress hotel, the eastland disaster sight, and death alley I think)", "capone/mafia hotspots". Needless to say, we spread ourselves a little too thin. Its a lot to cover in 3 hours. Not exactly a bad thing since we got to see a lot of what we wanted to but I would probably thin it down next time. Nobody at fault here but something to think about if you are thinking about booking a tour. Happy Dave was our driver and provided some of comic relief. The banter between him and our guide allowed for good breaking points when some of the historical information almost seemed to be too much to take in all at once. I would mention that they might want to saw open a giant sunroof so we could some of the buildings as we passed them by but that was all and I don't think anybody else seemed bothered by this. For anybody else thinking about booking a tour, we went with 13 slender bodies minus one or two (nobody was obese!) really tall people. This filled the bus plenty. Except for saving a few bucks, any more might have been a bad idea. I'm not sure if they do it for every tour but they did have once surprise which ended up taking us into the Congress Hotel. Whether they do this for every one and they make it look like a surprise or for our particular tour we were lucky enough our cards fell into place, it made for the most outstanding and memorable stop. Overall a great tour and I would do it again. read more

Super fun tour and very knowledgeable guide. Yes, you will be riding in a short bus, the tour guide encourages drinking, and may provide comments that are embarrassing especially when touring with your mom and teenage sister. It was a little uncomfortable when we ran into a rival tour group behind the Oriental Theater, and he didn't like my sister questioning his skills nor going off on the new paranormal shows on cable (one of which he is affiliated with). I think the straw that broke the camel's back was when I refused to give up the autographed book I wanted to buy from him for an out-of towner. That's ok, I liked the tour even if he thought we were the weird ones. He said he provides tours for private parties and special interests, which sounds pretty cool. I believe he said that cost for a four hour private tour is $400, and the bus fits 16 people so that's only $25 per person which seems like a great deal. read more

Took the "Red Light District" tour last month. $40. LOVED the tour guide Sunny. She immediately made everyone feel comfortable about taking a sex tour by getting us to admit our own kinks and fetishes. I have to say the highlight of the tour was visiting a dungeon (which is not at all what you'd expect, in that it was clean, had good lighting, and there were tons of things to look at, including the mistress and servant themselves!). I do agree with another reviewer that two of the three stops are places the public can visit on their own, but the history of Chicago's sex scene is why you take this tour. After the tour, I bought a book online that Sunny mentioned about the Everleigh sisters, "Sin in the Second City." My tour didn't notice any CVSs, but I live on the northside and see them often on a few streets (ahem, Lawrence). My confirmation email did say to meet outside the Hard Rock Cafe, and while the buses did line up next to the McDonald's across the street, someone did come collect those of us who were waiting at the HRC. The buses were very comfortable. I mentioned the other tours to an out-of-town friend, and we thought the Gangster tour sounded fun. You'll see me again, Weird Chicago. read more

We went on the Red Light District Sex tour with friends. Overall I would say it was OK. In my opinion, it was a bit more pricey than what it was worth but not overly so. The tour was on a comfortable bus and the tour guide kept things fun and interesting. The tour guide told lots of interesting facts and the tour seemed to keep on schedule, giving just enough time at each stop. If you aren't shy, this is a fun tour to take. read more

A few friends & I did the Devil in the White City tour. I think the best part of the whole experience was our guide, Sunny. She was really great. You can tell she truly enjoys her job. She's really knowledgeable and shares lots of facts, but also imparts her own stories and spin on what you see - especially when it comes to talking about serial killers. While this tour in particular isn't scary - there's definitely a creepy factor to it when you hear the more gory details about HH Holmes and his murder castle. *Shudder* The tour itself wasn't exactly what I was expecting. We did stop at a few interesting places - Congress Hotel, Japanese gardens in Jackson Park, and the stockyards - but there's not a lot left to visit that's still standing from the world's fair, and HH Holmes murder castle is now a post office. I guess I should have realized that ahead of time, but didn't so I was a little disappointed. But, that's not Weird Chicago's fault - those places just aren't there anymore and I think they do what they can to give you a feel for where it all went down, even if the buildings are gone. The bus we rode around on was actually really comfy. They also had a cooler with some soda & water for us which was a nice touch. Overall it was a very interesting experience and I would like to do another one. Preferably with a private group so we could bring booze :-) read more

I went on the Weird Chicago Haunted Tour Halloween night. Here is the list of the places we visited in order; *Site of Eastland Disaster on the Chicago River *Congress Hotel *Iroquois Theater alley *driving through/across what was City Cemetery *site of St. Valentine's Day Massacre *Biograph Theater alley *home/factory of the sausage king of Chicago For $30 it was worth the money. I wouldn't say it really classified solely as a Haunted Tour, I would say it was more of a Tour of Historical Haunted places. The tour guide was really enthusiastic, and she had a lot of great information. The one place I really didn't see the point of driving past was the home/factory of the sausage king of Chicago. Otherwise it was fun and I plan on going on their Devil in the White City tour. read more

I chartered a private ghost tour as one of the activities for a group of teenage girls during a Spring Break trip to Chicago. Overall, we had a fantastic time and I would recommend you take one of these tours. They picked us up at our hotel after a small snafu. (Evidently they usually pick up at Hard Rock & didn't realize we set up for hotel pick up.). But they were jovial and friendly when they did arrive. I agree with a couple of other posts on the bus. The first impression was pretty pitiful. We climbed into a raggedy looking short bus that has seen better days. However, once we got rolling, the tour was so much fun that it really didn't matter. Our tour was customized to focus on ghosts. So we visited everything from the Congress hotel to a highway underpass - all with interesting and vivid storytelling from our guide Sonni. The girls (15 & 16 years old) LOVED the trip and found the stops perfectly spooky. The other chaperone and I didn't find any of it scary but enjoyed every minute nonetheless. A nice touch was that the tour was well planned with bathroom and food breaks along the way. The only downside was that after paying hundreds of dollars for the tour, I wad told as we were getting off that I needed to tip the driver. I hadn't brought cash with me on the bus (only id & credit cards) so I was caught flat footed. That really should have been mentioned when I booked the tour because I believe in tipping well where it's due but don't like being surprised when I think I've paid in full for something. So it put a bad taste in my mouth at the end of a great experience. Luckily the other chaperone had some cash on her and I was able to give the guy a tip. read more

Took the Blood, Guns, & Valentines gangster tour. The tour guide was enthusiastic and informative, but at times, yelled a little loud for such a small bus. The information was great, but many of the historic sites "used to be there" and are now a parking lot, buddhist temple, or an office building. Go for the info....not the sites. Still a good way to spend the afternoon. read more

We attended the "Devil in the White City" tour a few weeks ago. Our tour guide was awesome! Very personable, bubbly, interesting to listen to. Having both read the book and being big into history, my girlfriend and I were very excited about the tour. For the money there was a lot of value! The tour was great and something that even someone who hadn't read the book could appreciate. There were some people on the tour whose spouses forced them to go and they hated it - BUT, they were courteous and weren't disruptive. My only complaint...and it is rather superficial...the bus sucked. It is an old school bus "Short Bus"...I think what I didn't like about it was that even though we got there 15 minutes before the tour started, we got the last seat....I would say "seats" but it was a seat - just the one...the 1/2 bench in the back by the emergency exit...a very uncomfortable 3 hour ride...they need to reduce their maximum tour capacity by a factor of one, otherwise some poor soul will be sitting with half their butt over open air for three hours. Would totally do it again though! It was a great experience and a fantastic value! read more

Loved the tour. You meet outside of McDonalds so you can grab a beverage if you get there early. Stay near the window facing Clark St and you'll see someone appear with a clipboard... that's probably the tour guide. Ours had flaming RED hair... knew it was her without asking. The tour lasted about 3 hours. We took the Blood, Guns & Valentines Crime Tour. Our guide was very friendly, informative, entertaining and passionate about her subject. She really made the tour fun. My husband was born & raised in Chicago. He learned some new things too. I loved the John Dillinger lore. I would recommend the tour to anyone interested in Chicago. read more

My mom came into town and wanted a tour, so we booked one with Weird Chicago Tours. Our tour guide, Eric, was great--- theatrical, funny, and weird. We learned a lot more about the city that we didn't know. My mom had a great time, which is the most important, but my husband even enjoyed it and I wasn't sure he would. We wanted to do the Blood, Guns & Valentines Tour but we only had 1 night free and that happended to be the Weird & Haunted Tour. We did get some gangster stories and some HH Holmes info, too, so we were happy. We went all over the city-- downtown, the Congress Hotel, the theater district, northside, Lincoln Park--- it was cool. Lots of creepy deaths here in Chicago! Mom wants to do the Blood, Guns & Valentines Tour next time she's in town. read more

We went on the Devil in the White City tour and it was amazing! Learned so much and our tour guide, Eric, was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. The tour played on both history and macabre; and as Eric put it, we were in the group that were interested in both of those things. Tour was on a beautiful air conditioned bus (which I'm sure also has heat during the winter). We go on a lot of tours both within Chicago and elsewhere, and this was by far one of our favorites. Not a typical touristy tour, so not a dry memorized speech, which I feel is much better. It was full of great information and to get off the bus and really be in certain areas was amazing! Weird Chicago Tours and Eric are highly recommended by two, off the beaten path, polymaths! read more

Let me begin by saying, if you are unfamiliar with Chicago history, you may enjoy this tour far more than our large party did. Our expectation was to be scared, or at least spooked by the tour - I felt like I was being lectured directly from the book Weird Chicago, and in the least interesting of ways. Our tour guide told someone that it was only her 3rd tour. We have been on haunted tours before, and your guide definitely makes it what it is. Drama, intrigue, excitement - none of which was present for us. Ours was very 'windy' in telling stories, slow to the point, would add things in the middle that she must have left out of the script and realized, and not particularly articulate. This made it very difficult to pay attention and stay interested, since we all already knew the majority of the happenings that were part of the tour, and she sounded more like a professor than a haunted tour guide. Overall, it was a total bummer. We left the tour while in Lincoln Park, as we just didn't see the point anymore, and we were closer to home than heading back to the starting point. This may be interesting to those that don't know very much of the history of the city, or none at all, really, with a different or more seasoned guide. read more

This tour was a huge disappointment. It was disorganized, difficult to hear, and there were a ton of distractions. First of all, the confirmation email says the bus will pick you up for your tour at "the entrance to the Hard Rock Café" but this is not the case -- It actually picks up at the Rock 'n' Roll McDonalds across the street, an extremely crowded corner with tons of tourists and other busses. Also, since our bus was a rental, it did not say "Weird Chicago" anywhere on it, causing even more confusion right from the start of the tour. Our tour guide was upbeat and fun, but she was also pretty young (23) and not so good at storytelling. She seemed a little nervous, frequently out of breath, and she kept skipping details and having to backtrack. It made listening to the ghost stories kind of exhausting. I knew things were going to go poorly when, at the very first stop on our tour, the guide's cell phone rang...and she actually answered it! For a minute I thought it might all be part of the "show" but it turned out it was a real call -- I found out later that it was the owner of Weird Chicago on the phone (aka our guide's boss), but it was still a really unprofessional way to start out the tour. Later, at the John Dillinger stop, the valet from the Mexican restaurant next door to the alley we were standing in kept interrupting the guide, telling her our bus was blocking the valet station and it needed to move. There was some awkwardness as we watched the guide stop the tour to plead with the valet to let it stay parked there for "5 more minutes" while she finished up the story. Again, this just made the tour seem unorganized and unprofessional. Additionally, (and I realize this is not the fault of the tour), there were some really obnoxious drunk girls sitting outside the Mexican restaurant, cackling louder than our tour guide could talk. We were in Lincoln Park at this point, over halfway through the tour, and several people from our group just walked off and left the tour there. A couple of my friends were ready to do the same, but I didn't want to be rude and convinced them to stay. Overall, I think I just had something different in mind for this tour, even though I had read all the Yelp reviews prior to buying my ticket. I thought we would be taken to out of the way haunted spots, and that it would actually be scary. Instead we ended up in crowded areas of the city, among tons of people, traffic, and noise, getting what I consider to be general information we could have researched online. It was definitely not scary, and at times it was just downright annoying. I realize Chicago is big city (I used to live there, and in fact one of the neatest parts of the tour I hadn't planned on was that I got to see a lot of places around town I hadn't seen in a while), and that many of the most haunted stories happened within the city, however, this just wasn't what I expected at all. One other thing to note: There are no refunds on tickets, so be sure you want to go before you buy! Also, you may not receive a confirmation email after you place your order. Mine was extremely delayed -- almost 13 hours later -- and one of my friends never received hers (I'm thinking the emails are not automatically generated and that the owners have to manually send you the email once they receive your reservation). When my friend called Weird Chicago to confirm they had gotten her reservation, she had a hard time getting them to answer the phone at first, and then when she did speak to someone, the gentelman was apparently very rude to her. (Which is in line with the other Yelp reviews I have read, though my friend did not read the reviews prior to calling, so I don't think she was expecting that.) Another friend of mine told me she just took a different tour -- Chicago Hauntings -- and she said it was "excellent."(www.chicagohauntings.com) You may want to spend your money there instead! read more

We did the Weird & Haunted tour with a group of friends a few weeks ago and had a great time with Sunny. She had a lot of very interesting stories and she really enjoyed telling the stories. She knew a lot about the history behind the stops we made with all sorts of crazy details to add. She fit in with our group well as I would imagine she can do with most groups. She has a great attitude and a whole bunch of cool stories to tell. I'd highly recommend!! read more

If I could give this company a zero or a negative number I would. We actually booked our tour through the hotel. We arrived 20 minutes early and checked in with one of Ken's assistants who assured us we were on the correct tour and told us to board the bus. (I confirmed this with her at least twice that we were in the correct location.) We boarded and while on the bus I commented to my husband about another tour leaving. Within minutes it was noticed that their was not enough room on bus...they were short 4 seats. Just enough for myself, my husband and my two children. We were then told that we were on the wrong bus. I reminded them that they checked us in and confirmed we were in the correct location. Ken's response was "Not my problem, not my fault!" He then walked away and boarded a bus. I could not believe the cluster that this business is and how they totally botched this experience. How hard would it have been to have say, "I don't see you on our list but you may be on that other bus?" After this experience we were informed that the company was started by some disgruntled employees of another tour company (the one we were actually booked with) so I don't know if they did this on purpose or if they are just that big of a mess but I would not and will not book with this company or the old school bus that is spray painted black ever. We also let the hotel know of our experience and they were disgusted. I hope they learn from this mistake as the hotel will be sharing our experience with future guest before they book. read more

I was looking for a unique birthday gift for my dad and found a voucher for this on Groupon. He chose the Blood, Guns, and Valentines tour. My mom came with us as well, and all three of us had a blast! You meet the bus outside the McDonalds on Clark Street. This is a great meeting place because it's a large, visible McDonalds with lots of other tours meeting there are well. Just look for the "Weird Chicago" sign in the window :) Our tour lasted slightly longer than three hours due to the crazy traffic (there were 3 festivals going on) and every minute was enjoyable! Even my dad, who grew up in the city, said he learned some new things! Our tour guide was enthusiastic and had TONS of information to share! Unfortunately, he didn't have a microphone so he had to spend a lot of time speaking over a loud air conditioner. We made several stops and heard even more stories. There are places where we got on and off the bus, which was nice because it gave us a chance to stretch our legs a bit! I gave it four stars just because there was a little confusion with our confirmation, but I called and the company called me back pretty quickly :) Also, while it was definitely one of the most interesting Chicago tours I've taken, I am not sure I would go on another tour without a Groupon or discount voucher, especially taking parking and dinner into consideration. But that is definitely a personal preference :) This is a great company to check out for special occasions! read more

Want some weekend entertainment? Great bang for your buck, I have been on a few tours, and they are always fun and amusing. I have brought various family with...parents, siblings, aunts and uncles. I have even bought tickets as gifts, my family loves it! Everyone has had a good time, every time. Eric is awesome. He is funny and knows how to tell a good story. Sometimes history tours can be dry, but he knew how to make it entertaining. It is a weird tour after all! And they delivered :) PS: Get there early! The bus leaves right on time. PPS: The guides work their tails off. It is not easy amusing a bus full of strangers for several hours. PPPS: I have always paid the regular price and ordered from the website, which I thought was very affordable. Book early if you have a group or it is busy Halloween season! read more

I went on the haunted tour the other night and I must say it was a great time! I learned a lot about Chicago that I didn't know before and felt entertained and informed at the end of the night. The negative part of the night was that it was so freezing outside. I would definitely suggest going when it isn't as cold because I thought that took away from the effect a bit. Sunshine did a great job getting us all loosened up and goofy for the tour which really made it more comfortable. She did short stops instead of long stops since it was so cold which was much appreciated. Some of the stories could have been shortened a bit with more "ghostly" details but it was still great and she knows her stuff. I suggest this for out of town visitors or locals- you will learn a lot about your neighborhood! read more

My partner and I went on the Haunted tour last Saturday with Weird Chicago Tours. Now this is tricky- I'm giving four stars but have some notes. They get four stars for having wonderful staff, being able to well handle a situation (bus having to be replaced in the middle of the tour) and humor. However, if you are from Chicago and especially if you are a horror nut, none of this will be new to you and likely you'll know more about the stories than what's being shared. This is not a bad thing, it's a tourist attraction. Because of that I know it would be shitty to give low stars. Did we have a good time? Mostly. Did we get bored? A few times. However, I can definitely see how this could be a really good time for out-of-towners, especially if they enjoy the macabre. read more

The Haunted Chicago Tour was awesome. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. I've lived here my entire life and learned so much about the city! read more

Bought a voucher and signed up for the true crime tour. Nice bus, comfortable seats, the tour was prompt. The information was sufficient and chilling, but the guides needed more practice. Maybe they were new? Either way they needed to do a little more work on performance, but they did know their facts. Got a nice evening view of Chicago at night and it's many landmarks which was cool. read more

Selzer and crew are some of the most knowledgeable dudes in the business about the bizarre and the macabre in Chicago. The bus is awesome, decorated with random bits of trivia that lead in to where they're taking you on the tour, and if Adam had been my history teacher in highschool, you'd better believe I'd have been paying more attention, because he makes history AWESOME. Last time I took the tour, I was sufficiently creeped out by a latenight crawl around the Congress Hotel's ballrooms and the site of the Eastland Disaster, and the ever omnipresent Death Alley, and you really get the shudders when informed of how these places got their reputation. You should go on this tour. read more

I want to start by saying that I have been on a Weird Chicago Tour once before (about a year ago) with a tour guide named Sunny. We were on an old school bus painted black with neat decorations in it. Sunny looked the part of a "Weird Chicago Tour Guide". She was very informative and kept me interested. This last weekend I decided to take a group of my friends on the same Weird Chicago Tour: The Weird and Haunted Tour. This time we got a guide named Greg who was very friendly and upbeat. However, the tour started out rough because It took us a while to figure out our tour bus was even there because this time it was an unmarked black bus. Did not say "Weird Chicago" anywhere on it. After waiting until almost the last second, we went over and asked if that was our tour bus since we had not seen a bus marked with the tour name. Turns out that was it. Our first stop was close by in the Death Alley. The stories were interesting, but difficult to hear. A couple of the patrons talked the entire time and I had to keep moving up to even hear. It was a bit further to get to the next stops which would have been okay since the guide entertained us with stories on the way there EXCEPT that the bus rattled so loud over EVERY bump that by the end of the tour I am sure every patron had a serious headache (I know I did!). It sounded like something was loose in the windows and in the back... REALLY loud! To make it worse, it appeared that the noise was making the tour guide flustered and there were several times he had to pause until the noise stopped which made the stories even harder to follow. At one of our stops, two gentlemen who had taken the Weird Chicago tour by mistake (not sure how that is possible), up and left. Apparently they had told the bus driver who did not relay the message to the tour guide. Our guide spent a good 10 minutes trying to find them before the message was passed on. Which meant our tour was cut short by ten minutes and the end was rushed... by no fault of ours. If I had never taken a tour prior to this one, I would have given it a lower score, but I decided to combine both reviews from the first tour and this last one. Especially since the first Weird Chicago Tour I went on was awesome! I loved the guide, the bus, and the stops. I really think that this tour would have been MUCH better had we been on a different bus. The fact that it was so loud made it difficult to hear the guide, gave at least my group headaches, and made the guide flustered. He really was a nice guy and tried to make light of the bus situation, but it really was difficult to ignore. He tried to include the group in his stories, but it was just too hard to hear him. I am still considering taking some other tours, but I am unsure as to whether I will since this particular time didn't seem to be worth the money. I felt bad for my friends who had never been on the tour and had no idea what the guide was saying. read more

My mom visited Chicago for Mother's Day so I was stuck with the task of planning an awesome weekend full of fun and mom-friendly activities. I know my mom likes gangsters so the Blood, Guns and Valentines tour was a natural fit! And, boy am I glad we did the tour. It was AWESOME! I learned a lot about this sketchy city I live in and the sketchy people that have lived here. Greg was the guide on the tour and it was very apparent that he really knows his stuff when it comes to Chicago's seedy underbelly. He was very entertaining. I'm a fan of pros and cons lists, so here you go: Pros - Getting to see Chicago while someone else drives! Getting to see the sites where gangster's brains got blown out! Learning about the crime, deception and deviousness of 1920s Chicago! The stop at the bar in the Congress Hotel! Cons - The stop at the cigar shop where Al Capone bought his cigars. If you don't like cigar smoke, go to the candy store next door instead. If it's a rainy and cold day, dress warmly. The bus makes stops and if you want to get your money's worth on the tour, you better get off the bus. If you are a Chicago native and want to hear some cool history or if you are a tourist and want to learn about some scandal, I highly recommend this tour! I plan on doing the Red Light tour or the serial killer tour the next time I have company. Thanks for the weirdness, Weird Chicago! read more

We went on the serial killer/mystery tour today. It was excellent! Our guide (I wish I could remember his name- had a neat goatee and a hat with a lot of pins on it.) was awesome. You could tell he knew his stuff and loved talking about it. I started taking notes during the tour so that I could go back and do more research. We visited Simon's Tavern and went into the basement, Fullerton Corridor and leaned about The Ritter Crew (the PG-13 version...) and about HH Holmes and his craziness. While traveling in a very clean and comfy a/c coach we learned more about John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer. The tour was peppered with gory stories and paranormal treats... I would love to go back and experience the other tours! read more

I was on the Devil in the White City tour and thought it was outstanding. Despite our tour guide being a little under the weather and it being 95+ degrees outside, the tour was engaging, fun, and rich with information. The storytelling skills of our tour guide were outstanding, the stops were relevant and interesting, and the time was nicely filled. There was a little bit of walking which was nice and many opportunities to ask questions and take pictures. Would recommend! Reading the book is entirely unnecessary before the tour but can make it a little extra fun to have a greater relationship with the places being seen. read more

I've been wanting to take a Weird Chicago tour for a couple of years now, so I took my Mom into the city for the day (we are from South Bend, IN), and took the Devil in the White City tour. The World's Fair is a topic we both have an interest in, and I am very interested in both history and serial killers. Eric was our tour guide, (Henry was our driver), and his enthusiasm for what he does made the tour very enjoyable. He is obviously very knowledgeable about the topic and if anyone had questions, we felt comfortable to ask them. Well worth the price of the ticket. I'll definitely be back for the gangster tour and prohibition tour, as that time in history is a particular favorite of mine. And perhaps the serial killer tour as well. Keep up the great work! Note: This tour was taken in February 2016. read more

Sites you will see on the Weird Chicago Haunted Tour: *Iroquois Theater alley *Biograph Theater alley *Site of Eastland Disaster on the Chicago River *Congress Hotel *site of St. Valentine's Day Massacre *driving through/across what was City Cemetery *home/factory of the sausage king of Chicago (NOT Abe Froman, FYI) I've always been a very skeptical person. I've been incredibly stubborn and had the "if I can't see it, if there is no proof, it ain't there." I get this bullheaded attitude from my dad, and for a long time I thought anyone who believed in anything (God or ghosts) was misguided. I am still on the fence about a lot of this paranormal activity, especially spaces that are well-known because of people like Al Capone or John Dillinger, but I've definitely become less of a hard ass and stopped rolling my eyes so much as the years have passed. This was a fun and educational tour. Our tour guide was exceptional. We were given lots of background information about what exactly makes each destination haunted, and she told us about her own ghost hunting experiences. I was particularly fascinated by the stories of H.H. Holmes being noted as the "first" serial killer (read "Devil in the White City" if you haven't already), and the drive over City Cemetery. Hint: the cemetery no longer technically exists and you have probably driven over it thousands of times. I used to think that the kids in my neighborhood who claimed our homes were built on an Indian burial ground were making up stories, but considering the passage of time and people, and the development of land, shoot, there's got to be bodies everywhere. There were two things I didn't like about this tour. First, and it's pretty minor, we didn't get off of the bus as much as I expected. For some sites, we just drove past and weren't able to take pictures, so if you had an aisle seat, your only option is to listen to the tour guide explain everything. It's still worth the $30/person and I'd do it again. Second, the tour quickly went from educational/paranormal/spooky to gory and voyeuristic. Our visit to the Iroquois Theater was the first stop, and it gets you really pumped and excited for the whole thing. Our tour guide provided great detail about the players in the theater, the number in the audiences, overall she was a lively storyteller. Unfortunately, it's been said that the parking garage next door has been the location of several suicides. Our tour guide showed us the body stain left behind from the most recent suicide a few weeks ago. This really left me feeling uneasy. Someone ended their life here, and I'm sure it had nothing to do with the theater. If Weird Chicago guides all so passionate and devoted to the subject of paranormal activity, they also should understand to have respect for the dead, even if they splattered themselves in the alleyway. To discuss the coincidence of suicide at this location is fine, but pointing out the body stain was not at all necessary, and taught none of us anything except that if you want people to talk about your suicide - do it here. I don't want to end on a bad note, though. The tour itself is easy to book and well-organized considering all of the buses and limos lined up outside. The Haunted tour isn't just for ghost stories, you will also get some lessons on Chicago history if you haven't had time (or interest) in watching 4-hour PBS documentaries. read more

Wonderful tour! Kevin was fantastic! Lots of history and humor. I highly recommend their tours!

My in laws came in town and I had heard great things about wierd Chicago tours, so I immediately booked the ghost goblins and gangsters tour for us. $30 a person may seem a bit much now a days for a tour but I promise you it is worth every penny! Our tour guide was amazing, he kept us engaged the entire time and this is no easy task as the tour was a little over 3 hours long! He was incredibly knowledgable and well ... just amazing! My husband and I had just moved to Chicago and we learned alot that we never would have if we went on any other ghost tour. Although I was on crutches (our driver was the sweetest lady helping me on and off at every stop) I loved the fact that we were getting on and off at almost every stop instead of being stuck on a bus for 3 hours. We also loved that we stopped half way for a cocktail. We highly recommend this to anyone who is into the ghost and gangster stuff, we are already planning our next tour (the haunted pub crawl)!! One last thing .. YOU MUST BRING YOUR CAMERA (best to use a real camera and not a smartphone)! My mother in law didn't seem to be much of a believer until we looked through the photos when the tour was over. At one stop "death alley" my husband took several pictures of the brick wall as instructed by our guide. I still am freaked out bc we have a picture CLEAR as day of a mans face on the brick wall! You do not HAVE to be a believer to enjoy the tour, but you just might find yourself being one by the end of the evening. read more

A friend and I went on the evening Haunted History tour with Eric (I think?) as our tour guide. It was cold out but he kept us so entertained on and off the bus that we barely noticed. It's a great on and off bus tour, stopping at several haunted places in the city. As someone who has lived in Chicago my whole life it was great to see something new, or something in a new way. Just when you think Geoffrey Baer had taught you everything about hidden Chicago (I watch alot of WTTW), our tour guide was there with so much more to teach! Will definitely go back. read more

Looking to see a side of Chicago that is out of the ordinary? Like going on tours that are off the beaten path? Then I would highly suggest that you go on a Weird Chicago tour! This tour will take you on a ride to some of the weirdest, spookiest and most notorious locations that Chicago has to offer. The mister and I went a couple weeks ago and since it was a Thursday night, we had the pleasure to partake in the "Ghost Hunter's Thursday" special tour which concentrates more on the spooky sites. Our tour guide Ken took us to several well-known haunted areas including the site of the Iroquois Theatre fire (now Oriental Theatre), the site of the Eastland boat disaster, John Dillinger's "death alley" next door to the Biograph Theatre, the Luetgert Sausage Factory murder site and the basement of Old Town Tatu tattoo parlor, a former funeral home where we explored the basement where the creamatorium once was. There were also stops for drinks at haunted bars including the Tonic Room and Liar's Club (the site of several axe murders) which was cool because I needed a drink before going into that haunted basement hehe. Ken was very knowledgable about each site that we visited and not only talked to us, he also pointed out various areas of ghost activity where we could take pictures to see if we could get some supernatural images. I think I got an "orb" but I need to check the pics again to make sure :). We did get to see one "weird" site, the stain under the Fullerton/Kennedy Expressway that is a shrine to the Virgin Mary. Another good thing about the Weird Chicago tours is that they have sites where they have exclusive access, and you will not get the same tour twice as Ken told us that he likes to change things around to keep it fresh. We cannot wait to go back and take another tour with some of our ghost enthusiast friends! P.S. Willie the driver...you rock!!! read more

Previously took the serial killer tour and had a great time. Tour guide made the tour interesting and kept us listening. This time I went on the Haunted History tour and Krystal/Crystal was not a good tour guide. She was boring, not loud at stops, and said um way too much. It was really hard to stay focused when she talked. It sounded like she was just reading off a script - not enough personality. Also the last time we took the tour we were on a nice couch bus. This time we were on a school bus. Come on. read more

Do yourself a favor and run. Our three-hour tour was an embarrassing waste of time, from a guy who seemed nice enough, but was humorless, misinformed, boring, and lacked even the most basic skills of story telling. Shame on him for taking such historic, interesting and eerie stories and failing to deliver on all levels. I'm guessing he/Weird Chicago gets a kickback from the Congress Hotel lounge -- we sat there for 45-minutes for no apparent reason. The last hour consisted of a rambling, incoherent bus ride, with the guide referencing, but failing to stop or show the things he was supposed to be featuring. One couple on the tour bailed after the Death Alley stop. Good move. The final painful 30-minutes, the host clearly had nothing more to add -- we sat silent. With topics ranging from ghosts to gangsters and all things "weird" -- all he could manage was to say over and over again, "Can't think of anything else. Any questions?" Stepping off the bus, we heard comments like "buzz kill" and "never get those 3 hours back" from other customers. The only redeeming part of the night -- once it was over, our group spent the rest of the night recalling the "worst of" our inane and inept guide. SNL should do a parody. Weird Chicago needs to do some quality control to make sure its guides deliver the goods. The guide's shaky performance should NOT be the weirdest part of the Weird Tour. read more

Went on a tour with Eric as our guide. Very entertaining and knowledgeable experience. We went as a group and had a very good time.

First off, let me just say that our tour guide Jennifer's reputation proceeded her-she was an absolute blast; fun, funny, and an all-around good time. My girlfriend and I took the tour "Weird and Haunted Chicago" tour on Halloween night (we were tired of the bar scene and we're new in town so we didn't have any parties to go to), and it didn't disappoint. I booked the tickets with some trepidation; yes, it seemed like fun, but I'm not one for kitsch, and some of the reviews painted the tour like your run-of-the-mill tourist trap (the location of the office, Ontario and Clark, doesn't help any) but I went ahead and booked it anyway. What we got was an interesting, informative, and (at times) chilling look at Chicago's sordid past. Jennifer's delivery of the information was articulate and succinct, and she succeeded in finding a happy medium (no pun intended) in just how much information she divulged. It reminded me less of a tourist attraction (I'm looking at you, guided Alcatraz tour) and more a great trip to a local mueseum. We left the tour sufficiently thrilled...and not a little chilled. All I'll say is that there was somthing that happened during a stop in a certain infamous Chicago alleyway (yes, you get to get off the bus and trapes around these places, snapping pictures at will) that left both my girlfriend and I wondering just how real some of this paranormal activity is... read more