Chicago Walking Tour: Ghosts, Gangsters, Death and Disasters

This tour explores a worldwide phenomenon called “Dark Tourism” — the field of interest in visiting sites of death and tragedy. On this 2-hour walking tour, we will cover the real stories behind some of Chicago’s darkest characters, like rival gangsters shooting each other in front of a church where they had just prayed, and psychopaths who went about life as if nothing had happened after murdering innocent people. We'll talk about the origins of ghost stories, and present-day hauntings of buildings in downtown Chicago. We’ll talk about how places can unfairly get labeled as “haunted” simply because of their eccentric design. Covering just under 2 miles on foot, we’ll explore where ghosts have made their presence known, and where gangsters welcomed fellow criminals as they ran the city. We’ll visit sites of the real-life tragedies that stain Chicago’s storied past, like the Iroquois Fire and the Eastland Disaster. Chicago has its beautiful side: come see the darker side with us.