Little Italy Walking Tour

REGISTRATION AVAILABLE BEGINNING APRIL 25TH

Led by local preservationist and first-generation Italian-American Erica Ruggiero, this tour will dive deep into the history of the Italian immigrant experience in Chicago while weaving through one of the most distinctive areas of Chicago's West Side.

Beginning in front of the Hull House Museum (800 S Halsted St), you'll discover a wide spectrum of architecture: glamorous churches, historic hospitals, modernist educational buildings, bustling commercial corners, and humble homes resplendent with Italianate details. Housing history will be a core topic of the tour, from the tenement districts Jane Addams fought to improve, to early public housing, and the widespread demolition of the 1960s that cleared communities to build highways and expand UIC. The afternoon will end at Carm's Little Italy (since 1929!). Participants are encouraged to join their fellow tour-takers for a light bite before continuing about their day.

​Chicago for Chicagoans happily exists as a "pay-what-you-can" tour service. A suggested tip of $10-20 per person is always appreciated, but reviewing us on Yelp, liking us on Facebook, spreading the word, and attending future tours tells us how much you love us too! We are a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates inclusive walking tours by & for Chicago residents, designed to represent the histories of all Chicagoans. Donate online fee-free at chicagoforchicagoans.org/donate.

To view our tour route maps, click here! Please note: routes are subject to change at any time.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Chicago for Chicagoans