Walking Tour: Chicago Prairie Ave District - Street of the Elite | La Vacanza Travel

Walking Tour: Chicago Prairie Ave District - Street of the Elite

Duration: 4 hours
Destination: United States, Illinois, Chicago
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  • 4 hours
  • Chicago
  • E-Voucher
  • Lowest Price
  • Not-Cancellable

Overview

This extraordinary tour of the Prairie Ave District is one not to be missed.

Get a sense for how Chicago's wealthiest residents lived around the turn of the century and what remains today. This unique Chicago tour begins with an exploration of one of the city's newly-revitalized spaces: The stunning Chicago Athletic Association Hotel.

A short ride on the Green Line takes us to the Prairie Ave District, home to many historic sites such as Motor Row, the former Chess Records and the oldest house in the city. As we wander along Prairie Ave, we're treated to historic mansions and a beautiful park. The highlights of the tour, however, are TWO private, docent-led mini tours at the national landmark Second Presbyterian Church (with its many Tiffany windows) and the Glessner House. We'll also take a mid-tour break at a local employee-owned/woman-owned cafe. Then we board the train back to the Loop for our final stop (and a sweet treat) at the elegant Palmer House Hotel.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Chicago Athletic Association - The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, 12 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603, USA

Meet your guide and kick things off with a tour of this historic hotel. Then we'll head to Washington & Wabash to board the Green line train to the Prairie District.

Duration: 50 minutes

Stop At: Chess Records, 2120 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60616-1713

After a brief stroll from the Cermak L station, guests will learn about the building that produced some of the most well-known and influential Blues music of Chicago.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Second Presbyterian Church of Chicago, 1936 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60616-1604

Guests will receive a private docent-led mini tour.

Duration: 40 minutes

Stop At: Spoke & Bird Cafe (South Loop), 205 E 18th St, Chicago, IL 60616, USA

Take a break and enjoy a snack at this unique employee-owned/woman-owned cafe (purchases optional).

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Glessner House Museum, 1800 S Prairie Ave, Chicago, IL 60616-1320

Guests will receive a private docent-led mini tour.

Duration: 40 minutes

Stop At: Clarke House Museum, 1827 S Indiana Ave, Chicago, IL 60616-1308

Guests will see the oldest house in Chicago and learn how elite Chicagoans lived at the turn of the century.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Palmer House Hilton Historic Lobby, 17 E Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60603-5608

After our train ride back to the Loop, we'll explore the beautiful interior of this famous building and end the tour with a sweet treat.

Duration: 40 minutes

Inclusions
  • Transit tickets
  • Church and Glessner House donation/fee
  • Local expert guide
  • Entry/Admission - Glessner House Museum
  • Entry/Admission - Chicago Athletic Association - The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
  • Entry/Admission - Second Presbyterian Church of Chicago

Exclusions
  • Gratuities
  • Food and beverages
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Should be able to climb stairs as not all train stations are equipped with elevators
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Departure Point

Chicago Athletic Association - The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, 12 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603, USA


Departure Time

10:00 AM


Return Details

Palmer House a Hilton Hotel, 17 E Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60603, USA

Voucher info

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Duration

4 hours


User's Reviews

Brian_M

10 Apr, 2024

I've lived in Chicago/Chicagoland for 40+ years, and I always wanted a tour of the Prairie Ave. District. Much of the city's history - especially post-Civil War - is linked to this area. The tour did a great job of not only explaining the area, but also other important landmarks along the way (for example, Chess Records, Second Presbyterian Church, the Chicago Athletic Association, and the Palmer House). One of the remaining, original Prairie Ave. District mansions is Glessner House, and the tour here was excellent. BTW, the preservation of Glessner House is impeccable; they have done an excellent job preserving this home. The Prairie Ave. District tour includes a brief ride on the elevated train, which is something you should do while in Chicago. If you are new to Chicago, you are better off starting with a tour of the basics, like an architecture tour. But if you are a local, or a prior Chicago visitor, you should consider taking this tour to broaden your understanding of Chicago's important history.

436bobz

05 Nov, 2023

Unique tour! I have lived in the Chicago area for most of my life, yet I learned so much about Chicago I never knew. Tom, our tour guide was enjoyably terrific! Great historical perspective - he even brings his iPad to show us vintage pics demonstrating before vs. current. One highlight that sticks out: we visited 2nd Presbyterian Church and saw 9 amazing refurbished Tiffany stained-glass windows. Not a dull moment. :-)

cynthiaee

04 Nov, 2023

Tom was amazing. He was so knowledgeable and friendly. My sister and I want to take a personal “Under Chicago” maybe in the spring. Tim is me of the best tour guides I’ve met

H8155RZnicoled

02 Oct, 2023

Tom's tour was lovely. We enjoyed all the sites, hidden gems, and history stories! Such a wonderful time to spend the day. The meeting location and learning to ride the L were super fun too!

Nicole_D

01 Oct, 2023

Tom was a wealth of knowledge about Chicago. The meeting location at the Chicago Athletic Association was so cool. Beautiful building, as were the others on the tour. Enjoyed the lesson on riding the L. We had a great time and really enjoyed all the places we visited.

User's Picture Gallery

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Hidden gems!

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Unique way to see Chicago neighborhoods

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