About this experience
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.
At a glance
- Duration: 40 min–1 hr 20 min
- Private experience
What is 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
Not included
- Smartphone and headphones
- Transportation
- Food and drink
- Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour
Itinerary and highlights
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Meeting and pickup information
- 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.
Languages and tickets
- English — Audio
- English — Written
- Mobile Only
Tour operator
- VoiceMap Audio Tours
Meeting points and locations
Accessibility and practical details
- 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
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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