Day 1 - Chicago Southland and Beyond

Fifteen miles south of the Chicago loop, at the center of the historic planned industrial Pullman community, the Pullman Historic District and the Pullman State Historic Site use historic structures and public programs to showcase 19th and 20th Century industrial society. The signature Clock Tower Administration Building and Assembly Shops and the grand four story Hotel Florence give tangible evidence to the national and international influences of Pullman -- on transportation, industrial design, architecture, labor, urban and town planning and landscape design -- in the contemporary context of America's post-industrial economy, where much of the evidence of the industrial age has already disappeared. Visiting Pullman for a private walking tour is a wonderful way for your group to immerse themselves in the town while learning about this unique chapter in history. Before starting the walking portion of your tour, visitors will start at the Visitor Center where they will have the opportunity to:

• Watch a fifteen-minute introductory audio/video presentation that gives an historical overview of the town of Pullman and the preservation activity in the community today.
• View the on-going exhibit of historic photos and artifacts: Pullman . . . The Man, The Car, The Company, The Model Town, The Strike, The Landmark Community in Chicago.
• And, members of your group can stop by the sales desk where they can purchase select books and gifts related to the Pullman area.

Your group will then take a guided walk of the town and learn about the history of Pullman, its architecture and the landmark community today. During the tour, visitors experience a walk back in time - almost all of the original 1880s housing and many original public buildings comprise the district today. Your group will also visit the interior of the Greenstone Church and the Hotel Florence (based on availability). Tours are conducted by trained volunteer guides who are residents or admirers of Pullman.

Your group will enjoy an afternoon of infinite amazement at The Museum of Science and Industry, the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere with over 800 captivating interactive exhibits. Discover the Museum of Science & Industry’s fascinating history and architecture (It is housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition) and explore several popular exhibits including a full-size replica coal mine, German submarine U-505 captured during World War II, a 3,500-square-foot model railroad, the first diesel-powered streamlined stainless-steel passenger train (Pioneer Zephyr) and the Apollo 8 spacecraft that carried the first humans to orbit the Moon.

Following an afternoon of learning, your group can enjoy a night out at the ball game. Take them to SeatGeek Stadium, where your group can watch the Chicago Red Stars or a take short drive to Guranteed Rate Field to cheer on the Chicago White Sox!

• Enjoy a game with one of the American League's finest, Chicago White Sox. The team was established as a major league baseball club in 1900. The club was originally called the Chicago White Stockings, but this was soon shortened to Chicago White Sox. The team plays home games at Guaranteed Rate Field on the South Side of Chicago for the eight decades. World Series championships: 2005, 1917, 1906. 

Other evening options depending on the season include: Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bears, Broadway in Chicago and various performing arts centers.

Day 2 - Chicago Southland and Chicago

On the second day of your Chicagoland tour, split the group up and let them enjoy what they like best. Whether it be shopping or golfing, the Chicagoland can has it all!

For the shoppers in the group, a quick train ride to Chicago's Magnificent Mile will meet their every shopping need. The Magnificent Mile is one of the top ten hospitality, fine dining and retail districts in the world, making it one of the Great Avenues of the World. The Magnificent Mile is rooted in the 1909 Plan of Chicago, Daniel Burnham's historic vision for a great metropolis and features spectacular gardens along a tree-lined boulevard with some of the world's most distinctive buildings, both old and new. From major fashion houses to trendy retailers, Michigan Avenue shopping fulfills everyone's retail fantasy. Whether it be "the little black dress," the latest "it-bag" or the newest "gotta have gadget," the retailers of The Magnificent Mile offer everything your closet and home desires. Three vertical shopping centers tower over a district overflowing with luxury retailers, unique shops and popular stores; making for pure retail bliss.

For golfers in the group; the Chicago Southland is rich in golf tradition and has been known as a golf destination by Chicagoans for generations. Some Southland communities were built around golf courses and became summer destinations for Chicago's early captains of industry and their families. Southland courses have played host to many major championships, including Western Opens, the U.S. Senior Open, and in 2003 the region proudly hosted the U.S. Open Golf Championship. Qualifiers for these national competitions are regularly held in the Southland. Over 32 public and semi-private courses dot the landscape, with courses for players of every skill level. Many offer early-bird savings, so the early bird truly does get the worm!

Day 3 - Chicago

Spend the day at Chicago's Museum Campus. With terraced gardens and broad walkways, Chicago's Museum Campus at the southern end of Grant Park makes it easy for pedestrians to visit three of the city's most beloved institutions: the natural history museum, aquarium, and planetarium. The Museum Campus was created after a reconfiguration of Lake Shore Drive in 1998 -- previously, lanes ran through the middle of the area, dividing it up and creating some tricky navigation from the parking lots to the museums. Now the lanes have been moved to the west, and the major attractions of the Museum Campus -- the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, and Soldier Field -- are all tied together by green space.

• The Field Museum moved to its current location on the Campus in 1921, courtesy of its largest benefactor, Marshall Field (hence the name). The Field Museum's collection of biological, anthropological, natural, and historical items is one of the largest and finest in the world with over 20 million specimens. The museum also hosts excellent touring temporary exhibits.
• In the early part of the 20th century, millionaire John G. Shedd wanted to give a tremendous gift to a tremendous city. It took seven years and $3 million (the equivalent of $35 million today), but in 1930 the Shedd Aquarium opened to the public. Since then, the Shedd Aquarium has added several permanent exhibits to the main aquarium, effectively doubling its size and is now one of the premier aquariums in the country
• The Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum was founded in 1930 by Chicago businessman and philanthropist, Max Adler, and is the United States' first planetarium. It's also one of the only ones that feature two full-size planetarium theaters. The Adler Planetarium is quite the educational experience, and a little reminder of the grandness of our universe.
• Soldier Field is an honorary member of the Museum Campus, since the vast majority of the Campus parking is located underneath the stadium's hulking mass. On your way to the Field Museum from the parking garage, you'll walk by the Veteran's Memorial Water Wall, one of many tributes to American soldiers.

For dinner your group will be welcomed at Tommy Gun's Garage Dinner Theater and Chicago's roaring twenties. Not long after the turn of the century, in a decade known as the Roaring Twenties, the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages was outlawed and strictly prohibited. Nevertheless, men like Alphonse Capone and his mafia family, refused to adhere to the law, opening illegal speakeasies across the city of Chicago, offering alcohol, gambling and hotbox entertainment. Tommy Gun's Garage is an Audience Interactive "Speakeasy" that offers a musical comedy review wit da gangsters, da flappers and YOU! After a delicious sit-down dinner, join "Vito," "Gloves" and da "gangsters" and da "flappers" for non-stop comedy and dangerous fun. You will be transported back to da 1920s complete wit da boss's 1928 Model "A" Ford, Roaring Twenties music and memorabilia from da Twenties. Da mugs and da molls dance and sing da Charleston and udder musical selections from Cole Porter to George Gershwin, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington and more. All played by Chicago's Sinfully Orchestra. Be ready to hide your hooch (alcohol) cause we could get raided by da coppers at anytime. Be careful, you could get pulled up on stage at any time to perform a sobriety test given by Officer Murphy.

**Please note: Itinerary may be modified to meet your group’s specific needs. Locations and selections are subject to availability. Please contact Tobie at Tobie@VisitChicagoSouthland.com or 708-895-8200 to obtain current pricing and confirmation of dates and locations.