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    Chicago Mahogany

    4.4 (17 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Rick P.

    Yesterday I had an incredibly educational and fun tour of Pilsen and Little Village hosted by Dilla and Chicago Mahogany. Dilla really knows his stuff and adds such an amazing perspective to Chicago history. I cannot recommend them enough.

    Note the small arrow to the right--this denotes that Roseland is the west.
    Aesha E.

    I've been looking forward to taking one of these tours and I'm pleased I finally have been able to get on the bus! The tour guide, Sherman "Dilla" Thomas, has gained a huge following in Chicago and online in the last couple years. He's an amateur historian who focuses on the south side of Chicago, which is much maligned but has so many hidden jewels and stories that few people want to tell. Dilla is working to fill that gap. The tour I went on was in Pullman, which is a neighborhood that I find pretty fascinating. As a result, I'm fairly familiar with Pullman and even I learned a few things I didn't know. I've been down in Pullman several times but for some reason never noticed that along Champlain (I think it was) the houses change from some of the more typical housing in Pullman to more "typical" Chicago architecture. They aren't new--built in the late 1800's or so--but they are a distinctly different style. What's interesting about them is that they were destroyed at some point in the 19th century and rebuilt, and they are wood frame structures. Chicago has had ordinances against building wood frame homes/buildings since the aftermath of the Great Fire, and these were built 20 years or so later--but they were not in the town of Chicago, since this was still at the time Pullman and yet to be annexed by the city. That was pretty cool to learn! I would have liked to hear more about some of the newlywed housing and housing for single men that was built in Pullman, which wasn't mentioned, but there was a lot of other good content on the tour and some good humor and personality to boot. There are several other tours that CMT does, including one of Bronzeville that I'd be interested in taking sometime. I worked in Bronzeville for 11 years and learned some trivia and tidbits about the neighborhood simply because I went looking for it, but there's certainly a lot more I could learn. There's also a Pilsen one they do, and probably a few more neighborhoods that are far too often neglected by Chicago and the wider world. The tour lasted about 90 minutes or so. It was a bus tour, which was great for the winter months, but I think they're usually by bus. The aisle is super tiny but otherwise it's great that it's something accessible. It's also pretty comfortable.

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    5 months ago

    This tour was amazing. I could listen to Dilla talk history all day. didnt want it to end.

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    1 year ago

    Tour was a great time! Entertaining and incredibly informative. I highly recommend for anyone trying to learn more about Chicago history!

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    Review Highlights - Chicago Mahogany

    Dilla is entertaining as hell, blending history with personal stories and experiences into a really fun package.

    Mentioned in 12 reviews

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    Family Secrets Tour - Frank Jr

    Family Secrets Tour

    5.0(66 reviews)
    0.8 miNear North Side

    This was probably one of the best tours I've been on, and my fiancé (who has very high standards…read moreabout these things) agrees. We booked a tour for Saturday at 2 pm. There were some technical difficulties and the TV system on the bus ended up not working. Mr. Frank Calabrese Jr was very professional and good-humored about the situation. He offered everyone on the bus the opportunity to come back free of charge so that we may have the full experience with the photos he had been intending to show us. He proceeded to do the tour without the presentation, which honestly was great in itself. He is a very good story-teller, and had a great narrative. He had notes with him but only referenced them a few times to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything. Everything was super authentic and off the cuff. I loved that we went around Chicago and we were able to get glimpses of how the city was like in the 60s-90s. What made this tour so great was that these stories were first-hand. It didn't come from someone who spent hours studying the history; this was his real life. He was very genuine about his experiences, and his anecdote about his kids at the very end of the tour made me tear up a bit. He even invited us to stay for happy hour at the Chop House to have a drink with him to talk. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone, regardless of whether you know the mob history or not. I personally didn't know too much, and still was captivated by his stories. He does have a book (which I definitely intend to read) and a movie in the works!

    I'm a huge fan of true crime and Chicago history, so I'm surprised to say that this was my first…read morecrime tour ever. But everything happens for a reason, and it seems that reason was that I was meant to wait until the perfect one came along -- that, my friends, happened to be the Family Secrets Tour. I met Mr. Calabrese Jr. weeks ago when he presented some of his intriguing life stories at an event at Chicago Chop House, and I knew that evening that I had to book and experience the real deal, aka his bus tours. My friend and I booked a tour for a Friday afternoon recently that started at 2pm, and though there was a bit of a delay because our bus's TV monitors weren't working, Mr. Calabrese Jr. smoothly filled the time with some behind-the-scenes stories he said he usually doesn't share on the tour. I was hooked immediately. To be honest, before this tour, I had no idea the stories his family was involved in were so high-profile (I even talked to my family afterward, and they ALL knew every detail and were mad I didn't invite them! Sorry family!). But even while he showed us news clips, a lot of photos, and told all of his stories, he remained modest, which made the entire experience endearing. Mr. Calabrese Jr. is super charismatic and a great storyteller, and you can tell he genuinely loves telling his story and showing everyone around the neighborhoods where he grew up, and where big moments happened in history to people who were in "the life." I truly enjoyed this tour and I recommend it for anyone who wants an real, honest, non-theatrical recap of Chicago's mob history. The Family Secrets Tour is engaging and delightful. Thank you so much for captivating us, Frank! Can't wait to bring my family along some time!

    Photos
    Family Secrets Tour - Aftermath of the car bomb attached to the underside of Michael Cagnoni's silver 1979 Mercedes-Benz.

    Aftermath of the car bomb attached to the underside of Michael Cagnoni's silver 1979 Mercedes-Benz.

    Family Secrets Tour - Assistant State's Attorney William H. McSwiggin a.k.a. "Hangman Prosecuter"

    Assistant State's Attorney William H. McSwiggin a.k.a. "Hangman Prosecuter"

    Family Secrets Tour - Tina Cruz and Liz Cote with Frank!!

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    Tina Cruz and Liz Cote with Frank!!

    Tea Around Town - Tea Around Town Chicago Experience

    Tea Around Town

    1.7(98 reviews)
    0.3 miThe Loop

    Even after so many negative reviews, bestie and I decided to give them a try. We believe in finding…read moreout for ourselves and not listening to hearsay knowing that each experience is different. The bus is so pretty and picturesque. Lots of PINK and pretty flowers everywhere. The table scape is beautiful and they serve Aqua Panna water, if you know, you know. We paid for the VIP selection which offers additional food and a glass of virgin Rose'. Mike our driver explained that we would have a 90 minute ride exploring Chicago. Eliot was our entertainer during the ride. He has a beautiful singing voice and would crack a joke or two. Lola was our beautiful tea hostess and made sure we tasted four different flavors. We each received a beautifully decorated plastic tumbler for our samples. Every single flavor was amazing! I do love a good tea. We started with Maple Apple Cider, Breakfast in Paris, Moroccan Mint and finished with a nice Chai. Again, each tea flavor was amazing! On to the food. The scones were good and came with clotted cream and preserves. VIP included lobster rolls. Smelled like fish but it was a pink spread, not good. Each finger sandwich had hard bread which seemed to dry out after being exposed to the air. Each tart that was supposed to have a hard crust was soft and mushy, not good. The deviled eggs had no flavor at all. Bottom line on the food, not good at all. Not sure how long it's sitting before being served. Everything that was supposed to be soft was hard and what was supposed to be hard was soft. Overall, the concept of a mobile tea party is great. Maybe find a way to cover the food. Get real lobster rolls.

    We had a disappointing experience. Our tour package included two souvenir cups. While I didn't…read morenecessarily need another cup, it was something we paid for as part of the experience. When we arrived, we were told a shipment hadn't come in and were told, "sorry, but at least one of you in your party gets a cup," which was not acceptable. The tea portions were extremely small - literally about two sips each. The package advertises 5 teas, but in reality you only receive 3 tastings. For the price, it felt very misleading and overpriced. Yes, the space is cute inside, but that alone doesn't make up for the poor value. To make matters worse, the food was stale. Lastly, there was no AC, so the bus was hot and stuffy the entire time. I would not recommend this tour.

    Photos
    Tea Around Town - Tea Around Town Chicago Experience

    Tea Around Town Chicago Experience

    Tea Around Town - Tea Around Town Food & Drinks

    Tea Around Town Food & Drinks

    Tea Around Town - Tea Around Town Bus in Chicago

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    Tea Around Town Bus in Chicago

    Gray Line Sightseeing Tours - View from our Lincoln Park stop over looking the beautiful Chicago skyline (Scenic North Side Tour)

    Gray Line Sightseeing Tours

    2.3(68 reviews)
    0.1 miThe Loop

    This company did not provide the services I paid for due to employees who have no idea what they…read moreare doing. if I could give zero I would. Specifically, I ONLY went back to Dubai to go to the Louvre in Abu Dhabi because it was not open on my first trip. I selected the tour that provided this and it was all set up for Sunday. Without asking me someone changed my tour ( I did not consent to this change) to Monday'; the museum is not open on Mondays. i was told this was a mistake but since I only went to see this museum this was a MONUMENTAL MISTAKE. I took off work, paid for their services and flew to Dubai for a specific reason. I did not get to see the museum, not because it was a holiday or it was under maintence but because some employee had no idea what they were doing. When I complained and asked for a partial refund since I did not get what I paid for, I was offered a free trip to Abu Dhabi when I come back to Dubai. This is unacceptable since i have no intention of returning to Dubai any time soon or know if I ever will. This is a very large company and while mistakes happen, the cost for me should not be so high. They screwed up a trip I carefully set up for my purpose due to incompetence and then refuse to accept responsibility. Be very careful in choosing this company for dream vacations because they could get messed up and then they will do nothing about it

    Candace is the best driver and tour guide. She made our ride entertaining and fun. She puts her…read morewhole heart in her job. She new passenger by name. We had trivia questions and prizes.

    Photos
    Gray Line Sightseeing Tours - Abraham Lincoln Statue

    Abraham Lincoln Statue

    Gray Line Sightseeing Tours - Buckingham Fountain

    Buckingham Fountain

    Gray Line Sightseeing Tours - Chinatown

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    Chinatown

    The 312 Limo

    The 312 Limo

    4.8(159 reviews)
    1.4 miWest Loop, Near West Side, West Town
    On-time commitment
    Beat or match prices

    I was on party bus duty for my daughter's recent high school dance. I priced out a few companies…read morewith party buses and 312 Limo was the most reasonable price. To be honest it was still a little expensive considering they were driving from Wilmette to Northfield to Glencoe, but less than the other: $840 for a 3 hour minimum for a party bus of 28. We also didn't need it for the entire 3 hours, but the options I found were either one way or 3-4 hour minimums so this was the best deal. I found their communication to be stellar both via email and text. The bus driver was on time and the kids had no trouble locating the party bus when they came out of the dance and I've heard it was one of many party busses. A few of my daughter's friends hopped on for the way home and commented that this bus was way nicer than the one they took to the dance from another company. Overall, it was a success. The parents could have easily driven these kids ourselves, but the party bus elevated the experience and the kids all seemed to enjoy the VIP treatment.

    For the finale family event for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary, we wanted to surprise them…read morewith a limo into Chicago for lunch and to the cathedral where they were married. After researching local companies, I decided to go with The 312 Limo, and everything was an exceptional experience. After setting up a quote online, I was able to reserve the date and put down a deposit. All the policies were clearly explained and the communication was in a very timely manner. Since the limo was a surprise for my parents, I was able to note that when making the reservation, as well as select the stops and approximate timing for the day. I received confirmation reminders prior to the reservation. When the big day arrived, I received a text from Harris letting us know that he was down the street. He wanted to be sure that he didn't arrive too early and spoil the surprise. I was able to let him know how the timing was going, and he was ready with the door open as my parents came outside. They were so surprised that it didn't really sink in until they got inside and saw how incredible everything looked. There were waters and sodas with ice for us, and Harris had set the air at the perfect temperature. The ride to lunch was so smooth. Even in horrible Lake Shore Drive traffic, Harris navigated through the turns like a pro. He opened the doors for us and we agreed to communicate when we had 10-15 minutes of lunch remaining. Although getting our bill for lunch took longer than expected, Harris was so patient and had the limo ready when we finally made it downstairs. From there, we made a quick stop for photos at the church where my parents were married and then headed back home. Harris was absolutely outstanding for the whole afternoon and made the trip flawless. I will definitely be using The 312 Limo if I ever need a ride for a special occasion in the future. My parents are still gushing about how lovely it was, and it made the end to their 50th wedding anniversary celebrations truly memorable!

    Photos
    The 312 Limo - Inside of trolley bus - red lights on top and color changing lights on ground, 1 small TV at front, two small areas for storing drinks/ice

    Inside of trolley bus - red lights on top and color changing lights on ground, 1 small TV at front, two small areas for storing drinks/ice

    The 312 Limo
    The 312 Limo

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    Chicago Mahogany - bustours - Updated July 2026

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