Tour Chicago’s Historic Old Town Area

One of the best ways to experience Chicago is by foot. The city is incredibly accommodating to walkers, with its lakefront path and sidewalks that wind through it’s iconic neighborhoods.

This summer, Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood will have a new Old Town InstaGreeter program where volunteers give free walking tours of Old Town. The tours are coordinated by the Chicago Office of Tourism and will start from Second City (1616 North Wells St.; map it).

Every Saturday from May 29 through October 9, stop by the Second City lobby anytime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. for a one-hour “walkabout of Old Town guided by a friendly, knowledgeable volunteer Chicagoan.”

Tours are on a first-come, first-serve basis with no reservations needed.

According to the Chicago Office of Tourism, “Chicago Greeters will provide ‘insider orientations’ to Old Town through the informal walking tours, which are limited to groups of six or less.”

About Old Town
Old Town is where the famous Second City improvisational comedy club (and the training ground for several famous comedians including John Belushi, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, and Steve Carrell) is located and is also home to one of the few places that survived the Great Chicago Fire of the 1800s: Old Town’s “German village,” including St. Michael’s Church (built in 1869) that survived the fire because it was made of brick. History lesson: Old Town was settled by German immigrants in the 1850s.

Old Town is home not only to Second City, but also to several other iconic Chicago landmarks, including:

- The Tony Award-winning Steppenwolf Theatre (1650 N. Halsted St.; map it).

- Piper’s Alley Theater (known for showing “indie” movies; 1608 North Wells St.; map it).

- The Old Town Aquarium (1538 N Wells St.; map it), which has one of the largest selection of fresh and salt water fish.

- The historic  Old Town Ale House (219 W. North Ave.; map it) – a great place for a pint.

Photo credit: SXC