Experience history, together.
Stories are always better when shared. Bring your group to the Chicago History Museum and walk in the footsteps of the city’s past together. Groups of ten or more receive a discount when reserving at least four weeks in advance.
Whether you are a professional tour operator, group planner, or you simply have a lot of friends and family, we have an experience for you. Customized itineraries, Museum tours, city tours, and a variety of lunch options are just some of the ways in which we can specialize your group’s visit.
Current Offerings
Our expert Group Sales team has carefully crafted tours that tell Chicago’s story both inside the Museum and out in the city.
Note: In-person tour offerings are subject to change based on compliance with current state health guidelines. Read more about how we are keeping you safe.
Virtual Group Experiences
Delve into Chicago history from wherever you are! Our new exclusive lectures with Chicago History Museum curatorial staff can be enjoyed from the comfort of your home, your virtual office, or incorporated into your next virtual event. See our full list of offerings.
Chicago is a city of neighborhoods with each one featuring distinct buildings and residences. Now that more of our house history resources are available online, you can get a personalized walk-through of them with Ellen Keith, CHM director of Research and Access. Get more information.
Museum Tours
For 2022, tours are available Tuesday, July 5, through Tuesday, November 1.
Tours happen rain or shine. Attendees should dress appropriately for the weather.
Tour options:
- Jaffee History Trail only
- Jaffee History Trail + guided tour of permanent exhibition Chicago: Crossroads of America
- Jaffee History Trail + guided tour of a feature exhibition, such as City on Fire: Chicago 1871 or any other temporary exhibition
- Jaffee History Trail + self-guided exploration of CHM (the discounted group rate)
Group size: Minimum 10, maximum 25 people
Duration: 30 minutes. For group rate, please inquire through the online form below.
Highlights of Chicago
Discover the city’s vast history in Chicago: Crossroads of America. Whether you want to explore the grandeur of the world fairs of 1893 and 1933, or Chicago innovations that changed the world like skyscrapers and modern retail, or the diverse neighborhoods and lively cultural scene, this exhibition is a must see!
City on Fire: Chicago 1871
A rapidly growing city built of wood. A summer-long heat wave. An exhausted and misdirected team of firefighters. Racial, social, and economic tensions bubbling just below the surface. All Chicago needed was a spark. Learn more about our exhibition, which opened on October 8, 2021, the 150th anniversary of when the Great Chicago Fire began.
Back Home: Polish Chicago – Opening May 20th
Through the lens of Chicago’s Polish communities, experience the journeys immigrants have taken to get to the city, the ways they have established themselves in its neighborhoods, and the duality of feeling a deep connection to two places at once.
Duration: 50–60 minutes
Group size: Minimum 10, maximum 45 people
Cost: $21 for adults; $19 for seniors (65+) and college students
Kukla, Fran, and Ollie
Chicago’s beloved television series Kukla, Fran, and Ollie celebrated its 75th anniversary of its first broadcast in 2022. Join a guided tour of the Burr Tillstrom Estate, donated to the Chicago History Museum in 1985, to see a wide variety of Kuklatopian artifacts and awards, as well as rare examples of Tillstrom’s earlier puppetry work.
Duration: 60 minutes
Abraham Lincoln
Did you know Abraham Lincoln was an honorary member of the Chicago History Society? Explore artifacts related to the life and death of the United States’ sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln, from our internationally recognized Charles F. Gunther collection and beyond.
Duration: 60 minutes
Costume Collection Storage
The costume collection of the Chicago History Museum is one of the largest clothing collections in the country. Get an inside look at rarely seen objects and learn how they are stored, cared for, and prepared for exhibition. Depending on circumstances, some special requests to tailor to tour group interests can be accommodated. Group size is limited due to space constraints within the storage facilities.
Duration: 60 minutes
Behind-the-Scenes at CHM
Only a small fraction of CHM’s holdings are on display in our exhibitions. Join CHM staff on a behind-the-scenes tour to see more the many amazing collections in our storage facilities. We’ll feature some of our favorite items from the decorative and industrial arts, costume, and archival collections, including both long-term holdings and (when available) a sneak peek at some of our recent acquisitions.
Duration: 60–90 minutes
World’s Columbian Exposition
2023 marks the 130th anniversary of the World’s Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893. Learn more about the architecture, attractions, and planning that went into the fair and shaped the city, as shown through the Museum’s maps, manuscripts, and artifacts.
Duration: 60 minutes
Guidelines
- Subject to availability.
- Please contact grouptours@chicagohistory.org for pricing.
- Minimum of 4 weeks’ notice, and subject to review and confirmation from Collections staff.
- Tour groups must be limited to 10‒15 people for both human and collection safety (no exceptions).
- No more than one tour per day.
- No children: students must be university level and up.
- When student groups attend, teachers/professors must be present and engaged in managing the group.
- Because the Collections storage spaces can be congested, we request that those going on behind-the-scenes tours wear masks (just as they do for the Abakanowicz Research Center).
Back Home: Polish Chicago – Opening May 20th
Group size: Minimum 10, maximum 100 people
Duration: 2–4 hours. The group rate of $17 for adults and $15 for seniors/college students applies.
Cost: $2 per person in addition to the self-guided tour fee.
City Tours
Masks are recommended and social distancing of 6 feet must be observed.
Tours subject to availability. Please schedule 4 weeks in advance. The following tours are available from May to October 2022.*
*Note: Cemetery Tours are now available through October 31, 2022.
Historic Old Town
From postfire recovery to the hub of Chicago bohemianism in the 1960s and ’70s, Old Town reveals diverse stories about the city’s past. Highlights include a shelter cottage, St. Michael’s Church, the Midwest Buddhist Temple, and numerous historic residences. Minimum 10 participants.
Meet at the Chicago History Museum.
Glitterati on the Gold Coast
Whisk away to a time when Chicago’s rich and famous caroused on the coast. Gaze at ornate architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan, step onto a rare wood-block alleyway, and take in Chicago’s early mansions, including the Archbishop’s Residence. Minimum 10 participants.
Meet at the Chicago History Museum.
Pilsen Murals
Walk through Pilsen with local guide Luis Tubens and get the larger meaning behind the artwork in Chicago’s capital of Mexican cultures. The tour weaves the history of Pilsen with vibrant large-scale murals and lived personal experiences. Minimum 20 participants.
Meet outside the National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 West 19th Street.
Bronzeville
Did you know that Bronzeville is home to many of Chicago’s treasured landmarks? This tour gets you up close to the culture, history, landmarks, and great stories in a great neighborhood. We’ll see the Walk of Fame, celebrate the music, learn about how the Black Belt became the Black Metropolis, and celebrate the cultural institutions that existed and endure. Minimum 20 participants.
Meet at the SE corner of 35th Street and Martin Luther King Drive.
Graceland Cemetery
Discover the remarkable stories of the Chicago elite buried in this famous cemetery, including Marshall Field, Louis Sullivan, George Pullman, and Potter and Bertha Palmer. Minimum 20 participants.
Meet at 4001 North Clark Street.
Rosehill Cemetery
Featuring beautifully landscaped grounds and grand monuments, this walking tour led by CHM volunteer Scottie Perry reveals the history of the city’s growth and its diverse inhabitants. Embark on an architectural journey through the Victorian-era section of one of the city’s most notable cemeteries. Encounter some of the most complete commemorations of the Civil War, including the graves of fourteen Union generals, six drummer boys, and hundreds of Civil War soldiers. Tour is 2 hours. Minimum 20 participants, maximum 25.
Meet at 5800 North Ravenswood Ave.
Scheduling Your Visit
Groups of ten or more—social organizations, hobbyists, even huge families—can enjoy savings by booking at least four weeks in advance.
Your group will have access to a dedicated entrance, including access for motor coaches and buses. A CHM representative will meet your group, answer any questions you may have, and get your visit off to a great start.