DISCOVER CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS THIS SUMMER WITH HALF-DAY EXCURSIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY

05-20-2008

 

 

Featuring New Public Art Tours; Greek Town, Chinatown & Little Italy;

Devon Avenue; Garfield Park; Great Cemeteries; and Literary Chicago

 

Take a trip to Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods this summer with Chicago Neighborhood Tours. These affordable half-day bus excursions travel all over the city including visits to Garfield Park, Hyde Park & Kenwood, Devon Avenue, and Pilsen & Little Village. Special Interest Tours feature Literary Chicago, Chicago’s Magnificent Churches, Polish Chicago, and Great Cemeteries of Chicago. Other options include four Summertime Sampler Tours that each visit three neighborhoods in three hours: Humboldt Park, Wicker Park & Ukrainian Village; Little Italy, Pilsen & Little Village; Uptown, Andersonville & Lincoln Square; and Greek Town, Chinatown & Little Italy.  

 

New this year are Public Art Tours that highlight Chicago’s renowned collection of sculptures, murals, paintings and other artwork located in neighborhoods throughout the city. Tours visit a broad range of work and illustrate why Chicago is considered a free, “open-air” museum of art.

 

To make reservations for Chicago Neighborhood Tours, Chicagoans and visitors can call 312.742.1190 or visit . Tours depart by motorcoach from the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St. at Michigan Ave., at 10 a.m. (check-in at 9:30 a.m.). Neighborhood Tours and Special Interest Tours return either at 2 p.m. or 2:30 p.m.; Summertime Sampler Tours return at 1 p.m. A schedule of tours in June, July, and August follows:

 

NEIGHBORHOOD TOURS

Neighborhood Tours showcase the arts, culture, history, and people of Chicago’s neighborhoods.  Admission is $30 for adults and $25 for seniors 65+, students with valid I.D., and children 8-18 and includes light refreshments. 

 

June 14

Hyde Park & Kenwood

Experience two charming lakefront neighborhoods, Hyde Park and Kenwood. View the distinct architectural styles of historic homes and Hyde Park’s St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, designed by noted architect Barry Byrne.  Enjoy a guided tour at the Oriental Institute Museum and a short visit to view Rockefeller Memorial Chapel.  At tour’s end, walk through the enchanting Osaka Garden in Jackson Park’s Wooded Island

 

June 14

Wicker Park & Bucktown

Full of energy, Wicker Park and Bucktown offer visitors a charismatic, eclectic mix of art, architecture, and culture.

At beautiful St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church in Bucktown, take a short tour and discuss the church’s architecture. Spend personal time in fashionable boutiques and shops. Then, explore historic Wicker Park on an architectural walking tour highlighting the area’s homes and mansions.

 

June 21, August 9

Devon Avenue

While Devon Avenue’s surrounding neighborhoods feature many cultures, this tour spotlights the area’s vibrant

Indian community. It begins with a traditional welcome at the Indo-American Center. On a guided walking tour, shop at international grocery stores, delis, jewelers, and sari stores. Revisit the Indo-American Center for a discussion of Indian culture in Chicago, and a traditional Indian dance and sari-wrapping demonstration. 

 

July 12

Pilsen & Little Village                                                                  

Pilsen and Little Village form one of the nation’s largest Mexican and Mexican-American communities. Absorb this culture and heritage on a guided walking tour of Pilsen to view the area’s colorful murals. In Little Village, browse one

of the city’s liveliest shopping districts on 26^th Street. Wrap up at the nation’s largest Latino museum, the National

Museum of Mexican Art.

 

July 12

Pullman Historic District                                                                 

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