Tour Chicago Blog

9 things to look forward to in Chicago in 2023 Dog shows, immersive exhibitions and new Guinness brews await you. Written by  Emma Krupp  &  Jeffy Mai As we near the end of 2022, it’s time to start looking ahead to what’s coming in the new year. Lots of big projects are in the works, including a Guinness brewery, several new music venues and NASCAR’s first-ever street race. So don’t let the winter blues get you down—there are plenty of bucket list-worthy activities on the horizon. While delays can, and invariably do, happen, we’re optimistic that the next 12 months will bring the city a wealth of notable openings. Without further ado, here are the things we’re most looking forward to in Chicago in 2023 Photograph: Winter Churchill Finding out who’s best in show at a new dog show coming…

by: Mack Liederman   Hilary Marzec has long introduced Chicagoans and tourists to the beautiful interiors of lesser-known Loop buildings. Longtime tour guide Hillary Marzec shows people Chicago’s artful interiors.Hillary Marzec Credibility: Original Reporting Sources Cited DOWNTOWN — Chicago’s peak tourism season has come and gone, but local tour guide Hillary Marzec still wants to take you inside some of the Loop’s most stunning buildings. Marzec runs her tour business, Inside Chicago Walking Tours, out of a Rogers Park office and calls herself a Downtown “architecture nerd.” For years, Marzec gave architecture tours via river boat but branched out on her own to “help people see the details up close,” she said. Inside Chicago Walking Tours offers $35 tickets throughout the winter and pay homage to the lesser-known buildings of the Loop, which people may pass over en route to “the big hitters”…

Lincoln Park Zoo Is on Lion Watch, New Cub Due in January Patty Wetli | December 9, 2022 12:41 pm Zari, Lincoln Park Zoo’s 4-year-old African lion, is expecting a litter in January. Here she is with her cub, Pilipili, born in March 2022. (Lincoln Park Zoo / Diana Miller) Lose a Cub (so long, Willson Contreras), gain a cub. The Lincoln Park Zoo announced Friday that its pride of African lions is set to welcome a new arrival, or arrivals, in January. Staff confirmed via ultrasound that 4-year-old Zari is pregnant. She and her 5-year-old mate, Jabari, are also parents to 9-month-old Pilipili, who was born in March. “This is a very exciting time for the lion pride at the zoo but also for the entire zoo population. A birth represents preservation of a species that has faced many challenges…

Colin Boyle The 109th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Millennium Park on Nov. 18, 2022.Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago MILLENNIUM PARK — As flurries created a Chicago snow globe Friday night, the switch was flipped on Millennium Park’s Christmas tree for the first time this season, drawing an eruption of cheers and fireworks. Thousands crowded into the park to kick off the holiday season with the 109th annual lighting of Chicago’s official tree. The star of the show was a 55-foot Colorado blue spruce donated by the Glisovic family of Morton Grove. The tree stands in the park, near the corner of Michigan Avenue and Washington Street. It will be there until January 9. Before the park echoed with the tree lighting countdown there were musical performances by Son Monarcas; “Wicked” cast members Lissa deGuzman (Elphaba) and Jennafer Newberry (Glinda); DJ…

Coast Guard crew carrying Christmas Tree Ship load is crossing Lake Michigan Tanda Gmiter | [email protected] Members of the Cheboygan community and a local high school helped the Mackinaw crew load trees for its annual Christmas Tree Ship run to Chicago. Photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard. The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw is motoring down Lake Michigan today and nearing Chicago, where its load of more than 1,200 Christmas trees will be used to recreate the holiday spirit of Michigan’s ill-fated Christmas Tree Ship, which sank in late November 1912. The rugged, 240-foot icebreaker left Cheboygan, Michigan on Saturday after volunteers from the nearby Wolverine High School and the community helped the Mackinaw’s crew load the hundreds of net-wrapped trees onto the cutter’s fantail. For the commemorative trip, the Mackinaw is also flying a custom-made…

Written by  Jeffy Mai The holiday season is right around the corner and this year, Chicagoans have the rare opportunity to step onto Wrigley Field. Winterland at Gallagher Way, the annual festive experience that takes place outside the home of the Cubs, is expanding into the ballpark for the first time this year. Starting Friday, November 18 and running through Sunday, January 8, 2023, visitors will be able to celebrate the season with a host of programs and activities. Popular winter attraction Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville returns as one of the headliners and will offer hand-crafted ornaments and unique holiday merchandise plus a taste of traditional German fare and hot spiced wine. While Winterland’s ice skating has customarily happened next to the stadium, the festivities are moving onto the field in 2022. Attendees will be able to make their way through a special gate filled…

13 Chicago Airbnbs Worth Bookmarking, From Frank Lloyd Wright-Built Homes to Modern Lofts For solo trips, family vacations, and more. BY CLAIRE VOLKMAN August 9, 2022 courtesy of Conde Nast Traveler If you’re interested in exploring the breadth and depth of Chicago’s renowned architecture, there’s a good chance you can start in your Airbnb. For a city that’s known the world over for its eclectic architectural collection of modernist meets gothic meets neoclassical, many examples of the Windy City’s historic cityscape lie outside the downtown corridor. From industrial lofts with soaring ceilings in the West Loop to a restored prairie-style home built by Frank Lloyd Wright to bright and airy condos in Oak Park, the Airbnbs below offer a taste of what makes this city so spectacular. Use them as your home base for some of the city’s best activities: an architecture boat tour…