Chicago Architecture Tour: Underground Pedway and the Loop
Description
This tour explores some of the best hidden details, secret buildings and spaces, and untold stories that add wonderful bits of color and texture to the overall narrative of Chicago. On this tour, we will explore the famous and mysterious Chicago Pedway, a system of underground tunnels connecting 40 blocks downtown, popping in and out of buildings to see beautiful and fascinating interior spaces. You'll learn to use this system that most locals don't even fully know or use, and you'll be encouraged to continue exploring Chicago on your own after the tour!
Tour Options
Itinerary
We will follow the tunnels and stairs that take us under many blocks in downtown Chicago, accessing buildings like City Hall, with all of its interesting interior details.
We'll get a close-up view of this famous public art piece, given by Picasso to the city of Chicago as a gift, before diving down into the Pedway again.
We will walk through one of our favorite parts of the Pedway under the old Marshall Field's (now Macy's). On WEEKENDS, we will see some interior as well; on WEEKDAYS, we will skip this interior for a different one.
On WEEKEND tour offerings, we will see the interior of this beautiful 19th century building near Millennium Park.
We will access this massive commercial complex via the Pedway, checking out a few favorite spots.
We'll keep the rest of the tour a secret! Come join us on an underground adventure!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Reviews(500)
Adam shared a lot of great energy and interesting information on an otherwise cloudy day. He was very interested in answering questions (and even repeating things we forgot...), and navigated some unexpected "blips" along our path (not his fault) in a way that felt like we actually saw an even better version of the normal tour. He paced the walking well for our group, too. There are several times you go down/up 1 or 2 flights of stairs at a time spread out throughout the tour, so mobility in general is required. I believe that most of the stairs do not have elevator access, unfortunately. But that is because we learned that each section of the pedway is managed by the building it is located under (not the city), so there are inconsistencies (which is what makes it very interesting). I was the only non-local on the tour - I definitely feel I know more now than some native Chicagoans. Thanks, Adam!
Adam, our tour guide, was incredibly knowledgeable, personable, and patient with all our questions. We thoroughly enjoyed learning about hidden treasures, and the library and glass domes were breathtaking. We’ll definitely book other tours through this group during our stay! Thanks again!
Spencer was SUPERB - one of the best tours I’ve ever taken. He was incredibly knowledgeable, and he clearly loves Chicago. He was very open to questions and taking more time when we were interested in a specific detail. His knowledge was deep and he made his talking evocative of the history. My highest recommendation!
Some interesting facts and unique places, but lots of standing over a two hour period. Recommend the boat tour instead.
Thanks for your feedback. Please be aware that a walking tour is just that -- walking -- and that if you aren't comfortable being on your feet for 2 hours, then a boat tour or bus tour is better for you. I always recommend to guests to do both a walking tour with us to get an insider's perspective, and a boat tour to get the relaxing overview without exercise -- rather than an either/or type thing. I'm glad you enjoyed the tour itself, though!
Henry was a wealth of factual information. I’m a Chicagoan pretty well versed with the city and it’s history, but had my fiancée from Massachusetts with me. I had very limited knowledge of the Chicago pedway, and was very eager to learn how to navigate through it. We learned a lot!! Even learned how to navigate to the Chicago Cultural Center to which I had never gone before. It was an eye opening experience for both me and my fiancée. The weather was rainy and we needed the exercise, and since most of the tour was underground it fulfilled multi purposes (over 8,000 steps to and from). Great exercise! Great experience! And factual information!!! 👏🏾👏🏾
Awesome experience! We thought Heath did an amazing job!! He was knowledgeable and enthusiastic the entire tour. This is a must do while in Chicago and you learn so much in just a couple of hours!!!
Heath was entertaining and full of educational facts. Never knew the pedway existed. A great way to experience Chicago
Adam was incredibly knowledgeable. I was born and raised in Chicago and had no idea the pedway existed! Definitely a Must do if you want to see hidden history in plain sight.
Great, informative and entertaining tour of the pedway! We learned history and really useful informatin to help us navigate the city. Adam was an amazing guide. I highly recommend this tour!
My husband and I took the tour of Chicago's Pedway as a Father's Day gift. While we were already pretty familiar with the parts our group covered, our guide did a great job with information about the history and additional details about the construction of the Pedway and the buildings we visited so we wound up learning a lot. Something to keep in mind: on weekends, parts of the Pedway are closed. If possible, schedule your tour on a week day to explore as much as possible.
