The Wicked City: Vice, Crime and Gangsters in Nineteenth-Century Chicago

You may think you know Al Capone and Eliot Ness, but you don’t know the Chicagoans who came before and educated them. On this walking tour, you’ll go back in time to the city’s earliest days and hear about the first crime bosses, sex workers, card sharks, con men, saloon keepers, corrupt police officers, opium addicts, and crooked politicians. This circular walk takes you through the River North and northern Loop neighborhoods with views of some of Chicago’s best-known public sculptures and structures. Get up close and personal with Tribune Tower, the Wrigley Building, Merchandise Mart and the city’s other top tourist attractions, as well as lesser-known ones, including: • Brothels and bagnios • Gambling resorts • Cheap saloons • Squatter settlements • Fleabag boarding houses There are plenty of cafes, restaurants and bars along the way for a quick or lengthy stop, including the enigmatic Billy Goat Tavern. Why was nineteenth-century Chicago known as the “Wickedest City in the World?” Take this tour and find out!

MORE INFO / BUY NOW