Tours

Walking Chicago’s Alleys

August 30 (SOLD OUT); September 13 (SOLD OUT), 2025, 2025

Plenty can be learned by walking Chicago’s streets, but a whole hidden history can be seen in its alleys. Discover how Chicago became the alleyway capital of the country, dig into the history of urban trash, and see Chicago architecture from a new perspective on this alleyway walking tour. This tour with curator and historian Madeline Crispell will trace a route through the Gold Coast and end at the Driehaus Museum, covering everything from how activists like Jane Addams worked to clean up the alleyways to how a new generation of green alleys can help the city adapt to a changing climate.

The tour will be offered on the following dates:

Saturday, June 28

Saturday, July 26 (SOLD OUT)

Saturday, August 30 (SOLD OUT)

Saturday, September 13 (SOLD OUT)

About the Speaker:

Madeline Crispell is a curator and historian whose work uses material culture, decorative arts, and the built environment to explore the history of Chicago and the region. Currently she is the curator at the Chicago Maritime Museum and her exhibitions across Chicagoland have focused on subjects ranging from American travel, to historic preservation in Pullman, to the Thorne Miniature Rooms, among others.