Welcome to Chicago Elevated, thank you so much for stopping by. Peruse the tour offerings and if you have any questions, feel free to ask! Also, if you’re interested in a private or customized tour, just let me know.
Reservations are required for all tours: You can either purchase tickets on the website, or you can call me 773.593.4873 or write me at margaret@chicagoelevated.com
ALL TOURS ARE 90 MINUTES AND ARE $15.00.
THE PEDWAY TOUR
Monday & Thursday at 10:30
Chicago’s Pedway, a series of heated walkways, passages and tunnels, serve as the backdrop for an amusing and enlightening tour of some of the hot-spots (or a least warm-spots) of downtown Chicago. The tour focuses on interesting anecdotes and tales about some of the great buildings downtown, but it’s also a study of the city underneath the city. The Pedway is a strange and wonderful place and adds so much to the city’s personality. These are great tours for Chicagoans who want to learn more about the city and for tourists who want a full Chicago experience without ever going outside.
Starting point: The tour will meet at 40 W. Lake (corner of Lake and Dearborn), come inside the building that says “Gallery of Shops”.
Distance: About a mile and a half, good amount of walking
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THE PEDWAY TOUR
THE FOLLOWING TOURS RETURN MAY 2012
Although these tours MAY be booked for private or group tours during winter. If you are interested, please email me at margaret@chicagoelevated.com or call me at 773.593.4873
Disaster! Tour
What do Fort Dearborn, an ill-fated cattle bridge and Dave Matthews have in common? They’re all included on the Disaster! Tour. The tour takes you through a series of unfortunate incidents, from the birth of our fair city through the modern day tribulations of Dave Matthews and his ill-timed tour bus experience. Human folly and unfortunate timing lead us through some of Chicago’s greatest disasters and alternately, some of it’s greatest heroes.
Starting point: SW Corner of Michigan & Wacker, in front of Crains Communications Building, 360 N. Michigan Ave
Distance: A good amount of walking, quick pace, about 1.5 – 2.0 miles.
Printer’s Row Red-light District Tour (this is an R-rated tour, if you’d like to bring kids, make sure they’re mature enough to hear Chicago’s darkest secrets, not kidding, some of this is pretty serious stuff)
Printer’s Row is one of the great neighborhoods of Chicago. It was the playground of the Chicago School of Architects as they learned to build the new kind of building called “the skyscraper.” But Printer’s Row also used to be home to The Levee, or the red-light district of Chicago, the largest red-light district in the country. On the Redlight District Tour, learn about the original Mickey Finn who prompted the saying “slip him a mickey” or wander into the world of the Everleigh Sisters, the most notorious (and proper) of all the bordellos. From the highest highs to the lowest lows, the Printer’s Row Tour will show you the dichotomy of Chicago that was instilled into this prairie town from it’s start. This is definitely an off-the-beaten path tour.
Starting point: 47 W. Polk, in front of Dearborn Station
Distance: Minimal walking, less than a mile
The “Who Needs a Boat?” Architectural River Tour
The prettiest of all my Chicago walking tours, this tour uses the new and improved riverwalk to see the buildings usually only seen by boat. But this tour shows you the best buildings on the river using just our own two feet! We’ll see the Merchandise Mart, Trump Tower, 333 N. Wacker and the greatest corner of any city in the world at Michigan and Wacker. This will be a heavily architecture-influenced tour, we’ll be talking about building styles like Modernism, Art Deco and Beaux-Arts. We’ll also see the city from the prettiest vantage points around.
Starting point: SW corner of Wacker and Wabash in front of the statue of George Washington (and friends!)
Distance: About a mile, good amount of walking, stairs and ramps included
