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Chicago's Gold Coast Hidden History: A Self-Guided Audio Walk

Chicago's Gold Coast Hidden History: A Self-Guided Audio Walk

Overview

Amy Bizzarri, author of 111 Places in Chicago That You Must Not Miss, takes you on a fascinating self-guided audio tour of hidden historical spots in Chicago's gilded Gold Coast. Peep behind the gates of the original Playboy Mansion, walk along a wooden block-paved alley, sip a Faster Pussycat in Chicago's oldest piano bar and more as you enjoy a delightful walk through time in this exclusive Chicago neighborhood.

The starting point is the Chicago History Museum, located at 1601 N. Clark Street. The tour is ready whenever you are and the audio plays automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smartphone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline.

City: Chicago

Thu 05 Jun

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $5.99

Make a reservation

Thu 05 Jun

Starting at $5.99

Make a reservation

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What's Included

VoiceMap Application

Lifetime access to Hidden History in Chicago's Gold Coast tour

Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

What To Expect

Chicago History Museum

While at the Chicago History Museum you'll want to check out the newly restored dioramas which depict Chicago's rise from a desolate frontier outpost to the bustling city of today. You'll also find the South Side Elevated Railroad. Its the first-ever elevated rapid transit line in Chicago and was used to shuttle fair goers to the World's Columbian Exposition. You'll also be able to view the deathbed of Abraham Lincoln.

International Museum of Surgical Science

For anyone looking to have chills sent up their spine, the International Museum of Surgical Science delivers. The exhibits here deal with various aspects of Eastern and Western medicine. The museum itself is housed in a 1917 mansion designed as a Chicago-style interpretation of the Petit Trianon of Versailles.

Zebra Lounge

An outstanding Chicago night out on the town always ends piano side, sipping Lemondrops and singing along with the piano man into the wee hours at the Zebra Lounge. Hidden in the lobby of a vintage apartment building in the glam Gold Coast, the Zebra Lounge has been swinging with live piano players seven nights a week since 1929.

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (7)

Daniel_O

Jul 2019

I really enjoyed learning the history of the Gold Coast and finding hidden treasures on this tour. The information selected was excellent, from the city's public graveyard and the Couch Mausoleum, which survived the great Chicago fire, to the wood plank street experiment on Astor. Lots of good history of the monarchs that built Chicago during the 19th and 20th Century. I liked how the old and new were integrated with suggestions to stop in the 3 Arts Cafe in the Restoration Hardware store (more like a museum than a store) and a drink in the Zebra Lounge. The GPS tracking lost track of me a couple of times and I had to zoom in on the map and figure out which way to go to continue the tour. This happened twice but I was easily able to turn around and find where I was supposed to be and then the track picked up where it left off. I would allow more than 50 minutes for this tour (the suggested time in the directions). If you want to stop and take a look around a few places I would allow 1.5 hours for this tour. I recommend this tour and know you'll enjoy it as much as I did.