Printer's Row Walking Tour

REGISTRATION AVAILABLE BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 15TH

Chicago for Chicagoans is excited to bring back our popular Printer's Row tour, freshly upated for 2024! Join our Executive Director (and hobbiest letterpress printer) Patti Swanson for a walking tour that explores the important history of this inky pocket neighborhood.

You can probably guess what industry once dominated Chicago's Printer's Row, but do you know what they printed there — or how they did it? Discover how printing works, how the printing press revolutionized the world, and how the needs of Chicago printers fueled the invention of the world's first skyscraper. Along the way, you'll also learn stories of the neighborhood's early beginnings (as a key part of the salicious Vice District), and all the trials and tribulations that paved the way for the vibrant community found there today. The walk will end with an on-brand visit to Sandmeyer's Bookstore, one of the city's best!

Looking to learn printing for yourself? Check out classes & programs offered by this tour's co-partner, Spudnik Press.

​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.

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

Host or Publisher Chicago for Chicagoans