Ride along with Chicago native Crystal Guerra, a journalist, researcher, and artist who holds a master’s degree in Latin American studies. She’s ready to guide you through the intersectional history of the iconic South Side from the post-Civil War era to the Great Migration, to the development of the steel industry, its bust, and the cultural renaissance that followed.

What you thought you knew about South Chicago is just the surface. This bus tour features steelworkers and urban gardeners in bordering neighborhoods, the first Vietnam War memorial in the US, the James Beard award-winning Calumet Fisheries, the rise of the cultural corridor, and concludes at Steelworkers Park, with much more in between (like the Blues Brothers!). You’ll come to appreciate the scrappy and enduring culture of Chicago’s great South Side.

Tour runs 3–3.5 hours and begins and ends at Steelworkers Park, E. 87th St. at Lake Michigan, Chicago, IL 60617. Parking is available upon entry to the park after turning onto 87th St. from S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr. For directions via public transportation, visit the Chicago Transit Authority website. 

$55; $45 members