Dark Tales of Bucktown: A Self-Guided Chicago Tour

40 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes (approximately)
Offered in: English and 1 more

Bucktown has a knack for keeping secrets - and most of them are deeply unsettling. On this self-guided walking tour, you'll hear the true stories behind the neighborhood's murders, hauntings, and disappearances, encountering a real-life fugitive, the ghost of a pub owner who still tends bar, and a winged creature with red eyes spotted across Chicago.

Starting at the former Lincoln Tavern, where a 1980 robbery ended in multiple murders, you'll pass the spot where a 12-year-old boy was killed by a train in 1902. You will see where residents still report signs of his presence, and walk by the only Opus Dei-operated church in the country.

The tour ends at Club Lucky, where three bullet holes still visible in the bar mark the spot where a Polish immigrant named Walter met his unfortunate end in January 1967. Sweet dreams.

What's Included

Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
App for Android and iOS
Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
Smartphone and headphones
Transportation
Food and drink
Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

This tour starts at Former Lincoln Tavern. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.

End point

Tour ends at Club Lucky

Itinerary

Duration: 40 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes (approximately)
  • (Pass by)

    You'll pass St. Mary of the Angels, a Romanesque church run by the secretive Opus Dei, the only one they operate in the entire country. Please note that admission to the church interior is not included in this tour.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    Visit the site of the Bucktown Pub, haunted by its former owner Wally, a cantankerous man who shot himself upstairs. Discover the ghostly stories that still surround this former neighborhood watering hole.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    End your tour at Club Lucky, an Italian restaurant where three bullet holes still visible in the bar mark the spot where a Polish immigrant named Walter met his unfortunate end in January 1967. Take in this chilling final stop on your journey through Bucktown's darker history.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    Pass by Drummond Montessori Magnet School, a 117-year-old building that became Chicago Public Schools' first public Montessori program in 2004. Take in this hulking neighbourhood landmark, one of the area's older surviving structures.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    Pass by Bucktown Market, a longtime neighbourhood corner store on Wabansia Avenue serving the community for decades. Take in this everyday fixture of local life amid the neighbourhood's more unsettling history.

    Admission ticket free
  • (Pass by)

    Walk along Wolcott Avenue past the Bloomingdale Trail overpass, where a 12-year-old boy named Otto Scholk was killed by a train in 1902. Discover why residents still report signs of his presence here today.

    Admission ticket free

Additional info

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Supplied by VoiceMap Audio Tours
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Tags

Private and Luxury
Private Sightseeing Tours
Audio Guides
Cultural Tours
Historical Tours
Walking Tours
Short term availability

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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