Chicago Architecture and True Crime History Tour
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Chicago, USA
- 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
There are lots of ways to take in Chicago’s architectural sights, but most tours don’t mix things up by teaching you about the city’s dark criminal past. On this combination architecture and true crime walking tour, explore with a local guide and listen to intriguing stories as you explore downtown landmarks such as Chase Tower, Palmer House, and much more.
- A walking tour helps you uncover details you’d otherwise miss
- Explore the city without having to plan a route or handle logistics
- Learn a city of Chicago that most guidebooks don’t teach you
- Enjoy the chance to socialize with like-minded true crime-lovers
What's Included
- Local guide
- Gratuity
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 118 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60603, USA
We’ll meet under the Palmer House canopy on the Wabash side, right next to Poké Poké.
End point
- 1n N LaSalle St, Chicago, IL 60602, USA
5 minute walk from starting point
Itinerary
1
Palmer House Hilton Historic Lobby
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Downtown / The Loop
1 hour 10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Chase Tower
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 999 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 580 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Ronda_M, Aug 2026
Really enjoyable tour exploring wonderfully designed buildings and interesting local crime stories.
Wear walking shoes. Walking is on flat surfaces in downtown Chicago. There are a lot of stops along the way, so not constantly walking.
John_D, Aug 2026
This experience made our trip to Chicago a lot more memorable. So many interesting stories that made each place 10x better. Grant was very knowledgeable and super great at telling his stories. Felt something like a Netflix series in real life or a an interactive documentary.
Esmeralda_G, Aug 2026
Bring comfortable shoes since theres quite a bit of walking. Our tour guide was very accommodating and kept it fun
MKLandrum, Aug 2026
What a great experience! We got to see all the top highlighted places, and even some bonus places you would never think about! Joseph the owner has created something special here mixing the architecture in crime knowledge together into a fun and interesting walkabout. The pace was also fantastic. We didn’t do for too long or walk too fast. Everything was just perfect.
Kelsey_P, Aug 2026
Joseph was an excellent tour guide! It is obvious that he has a passion for history and art thoroughly enjoyed this tour. It was the best one I’ve taken in Chicago.
Debra_N, Aug 2026
This was such a fun tour, and Joseph was a wonderful host! We went to so many beautiful Chicago buildings, and got to see the architecture up close, inside and out. That would have been enough, but learning stories of true crime from different eras of Chicago’s history really made this tour something special.
Sherri_J, Aug 2026
Informative and fun way to see different parts of city. Liked inside of several buildings such as original library.
Amy_K, Aug 2026
Great amount of time. Many of the other tours I looked at were 3-4 hours. We were only in Chicago for the weekend and wanted to do several things so this was great that we got a taste of some architecture without committing to a 1/2 day time frame.
Tara_R, Aug 2026
Super interesting tour. We got to see gorgeous locations in Chicago we never knew about and hear fascinating local lore. Grant, our guide, was so entertaining!
Jacque_L, Aug 2026
Great stories, nice walk and an inside view of Chicago. Tour guide made tour fun and kept us engaged.
Heidi_P, Aug 2026
I enjoyed our tour, I’ve never been to Chicago but want to learn some history about it and this tour was great at balancing both history of the buildings and true crime.
Rebecca_R, Aug 2026
We had a fabulous tour guide. The history of the locations we were taken were very interesting. Would truly recommend this tour.
Jennifer_C, Aug 2026
Interesting material and enjoyable tour- be prepared for walking and to visit some captivating interior spaces.
Mark_R, Aug 2026
This was a very entertaining tour filled with some amazing architecture paired with some truly gruesome stories. Our guide, David Factor, is clearly passionate about sharing the darker side of Chicago’s past. He held us all captivated as we awaited the next grisly detail. It was so much fun! What we really loved was getting inside these buildings that you typically just walk by without knowing the treasures inside. David spent time giving us the stories behind these landmarks and how they tied into infamous murders. You feel much enlightened (and a little disturbed!) by the end. Friends will be going to Chicago next month and this is the one tour I specifically recommended and told them to request David if possible!
Mark_A, Aug 2026
Grant was knowledgeable about Chicago's darker side if history. And he enthralled of with his architecture stories.
Abbey_C, Jul 2026
We had a great time learning about the architecture of the city along with some of its grizzly past. We appreciated being shown spaces that we would not have known to go in on our own. And the tour was the perfect length!
Yolannda_R, Jul 2026
Grant was awesome, very energetic and informative. Great experience for people wanting to learn about Chicago in a fun interactive manner.
Robin_N, Jul 2026
It was very interesting , informative.Im very glad we went . I would go again if there were different options
Karen_L, Jul 2026
This tour really is exceeded our expectations!
Roan was an excellent guide and story teller, explaining the architectural history of the buildings toured as well as the stories behind some of the most notorious crimes and tragedies in Chicago’s history.
My teenagers really enjoyed it also!
Natalia_E, Jul 2026
My dad and I did this tour this morning and it was the best idea! Joseph was a great guide and we got to see so much of the city even the locals don’t know. Would 100% recommend this to anyone looking for an activity with family or visitors, or even just looking to see a new side of Chicago.
Helen_V, Jul 2026
This was a fun way to learn more about one of my favorite cities! The walk was filled with famous and infamous history and our guide Roan did an excellent job of sharing information and answering any questions we had.
Lisa_M, Jul 2026
It's an easy walking tour that does include some stairs. It perfectly combines Chicago history and architecture with interesting true crime stories. The building interiors held so much beauty. Our guide David was fabulous!
Fred_W, Jul 2026
The tour guide did a very good job. Imo the overall tour was good but not great. It's fairly limited and no mention of Capone. I guess I expected more.
Goli_M, Jul 2026
It was really nice to see some of these buildings from the interior. The stories about the history really helped to connect to the experience
milcah_y, Jul 2026
david was amazing! super knowledgeable, funny, and had amazing recommendations for things to do in chicago.
Jim_G, Jul 2026
This tour was one of the highlights of our trip. Informative and enjoyable, and Joseph, the owner and our tour guide, was very knowledgeable and entertaining with a great personality. He kept the tour fun and provided local tidbits as only a native of the city could. Highly recommend!
Carol_H, Jun 2026
We had a fantastic time on the Chicago Architecture and True Crime Walking Tour! Our guide, Gus, was an outstanding storyteller—knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely entertaining from start to finish. He blended fascinating architectural history with gripping true crime stories, making the tour both informative and fun. His enthusiasm and sense of humor kept everyone interested, and we came away with a much deeper appreciation for Chicago's history. I highly recommend this tour, especially if you're lucky enough to have Gus as your guide!
Carol_T, Jun 2026
Fun tour! Loved learning lesser known facts about the architecture and the true crime in the area. Joseph is a great guide!
danny_p, Jun 2026
Joseph is amazing! If you’ve never been to Chicago, you must do the walking tour. The crime history is incredible. And, the architecture is second to none on this continent.
Sandy_S, Jun 2026
This was a good tour of some beautiful architecture, the guide was fairly knowledgeable about the subject, and a likeable guy. There was a little true crime spread through here and there. The only downside is, he left us not where we began the tour, we had to figure out how to get back to the parking garage not knowing the city at all. It would be helpful to return to the starting point. Overall we enjoyed it.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Darn, l shoulda done a better job directing you after the tour. While we don’t finish where we start, it is only a 7 minute walk back to the Palmer House from the end point. Will make sure to emphasize giving people directions after more.
From $35.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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