Great tour! Our…read moreguide, Katie, was funny, friendly, and knew so many cool (and creepy) facts about Chicago's crime history. We hit everything from Al Capone and the Chicago Outfit to the Tylenol Killer and the crazy history of Streeterville. Loved hearing about speakeasies like The Bad Apple, the Rock n' Roll McDonald's drama, and wild stories like Johann Hoch and H.H. Holmes. Highly recommend if you love true crime with a side of Chicago history!

Nice tour, informative. Tour bus was new, clean and the A/C was on for the hot and humid Chicago…read moreJune afternoon. Enjoyed the commentary by the tour guide. Learned alot. Made two stops which was nice to get out and stretch and see some historical sites.

Our tour guide Spencer was terrific! He was very knowledgeable about the buildings we visited and…read morehe had lots of fun and interesting stories about Chicago history. We visited the Chicago Board of Trade, the Marquette Building, the Rookery, the Alexander Calder sculpture and buildings near it, the Palmer House Hotel and the Marshall Field Building. Tour was a solid two hours and we walked about one mile. Definitely a five star experience!

Not just architecture facts, good intro or review of Chicago generally. Henry met us on time, was…read morevery clear and paced the tour perfectly.

Keith and captain Joe were a delight. Good entertainment with good history of the city. Highly…read morerecommend.

A fantastic tour with Hillary, did not feel like 90 minutes! so knowledgeable and fun, we had a…read moregreat time.

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!

took the tour yesterday and it was fascinating. I enjoy baseball but not a huge fan. Steve, one…read moreof the best guides we ever had, was incredible. Besides the depth of his knowledge, he drew you in to the stories until you felt like you could see everything he described. it was worth twice the price. great way to start our vacation.

This was my first time in Chicago, and although I couldn't stop by a game during my trip, I had to…read morecheck out this historical field with a Wrigley Field Tour. This tour was super informative, and our guide was engaging. We booked this tour online for about $30 and picked a desired time slot. Once we arrived at the field, we entered the gate as directed, scanned our ticket, and went through security. We cut it short and barely caught the start of the tour. It starts off with walking up the stairs and seeing the field. The field was like no other and felt smaller than other stadiums. During this tour, we also went to left field and took a picture with the Ivy, went into the visitors' locker room, and went to the announce box up top with an amazing view. If you are visiting Chicago, I 100% recommend this tour; the facts you learn aren't boring but unique. Some of them quite surprised me, like this was the first field to allow you to take a ball back home or even start the pledge of allegiance for all sports. I wish I remembered the tour guide, but you can tell he is very passionate about the Cubs and loves his job. Like what! Lastly, if you show your ticket to stores and bars nearby, you can get a discount! Enjoy!

Awesome experience…read more Mike and his team were absolutely wonderful to work with. They created a custom tour for all our east coast family and friends that were in Chicago for our son's wedding. Todd our tour guide was funny, entertaining and extremely knowledgeable of all things Chicago. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Highly recommend this company. Knowledgeable, fun tour that taught us a lot about the city. The…read morewhole family was in town and we booked last minute. Everything was customized to what the family was interested in. Very professional staff that makes you feel like family. And super comfy accommodations. I would definitely book again.

In addition to composing captivating articles about overlooked/disappearing Chicago history, the…read moresavvy twenty-somethings running the Forgotten Chicago Web site have also recently begun hosting tours of the city. I have attended the last two FC tours, both of which were only a $5 "donation." The tours typically cover areas that aren't given much attention by other Chicago tour groups. The first tour I attended followed the trail of old Ogden Ave, and the second tour wove a meandering path on the south side from Chinatown to the ITT campus. These tours are quite different from those given by the Architecture Foundation. FC tours aren't as polished as the AF tours, but it doesn't matter because FC takes you places that you would have never otherwise known existed. On the south side tour, for example, we explored the vacant Michael Reece Hospital grounds, which was eerie at times. And how else would I have found the tiny memorial commemorating the first softball game (yes, it is located in the middle of a nearly deserted hospital campus - strange). The tours cover a lot of ground, so be prepared to do some walking. The south side tour covered about 4 miles, but every place we stopped was well worth the trek. This is not your grandma's walking tour. FC's tours are also growing in popularity. It is a great way to meet others with similar interests, and the guides always welcome input from the group. Large groups can make it difficult to hear, so make sure to get close to the guides at each stop. Once you try it, you'll want to go to every one.

What, you wanted a Frank Lloyd Wright architecture tour? Or, you were hoping to hear some juicy…read moregossip about Al Capone? Try a different tour group. These guys are neighborhood historians, and have their own nerdy, niche interests in Chicago history. You will find out a lot about the history of retail and industry in a particular area. In addition to the standard neighborhood history overview, they'll point out some interesting ghost sign, or an abandoned train entrance that tells a forgotten tale about the city. That being said, maybe not the best choice for an out-of-towner--you know--someone who doesn't know that a Mike Bilandic plaque is worth a chuckle.

Nice tripNeato host ' #Knowledgeable #LakeView #Chicago #yacht…read more#GoYachtI Don't hesitate just go book your trip. Have a #fun #Safe #memorable time

Absolutely Incredible Experience with Captain Liam!!!…read more After being sick for over a week, we hadn't made any plans for the 4th of July and thought we had completely missed our chance. I called what felt like 30 different companies, joined waitlists, visited marinas in person, and spent nearly a day and a half trying to find something for my wife, friends, and me. Everything was sold out. Then Captain Liam called me back with Yahti Adventure Tours. Even though it looked like there was no availability, he told us, "Actually, we can make this work." He offered us a smaller Navy SEAL boat, and honestly, it turned out to be the best possible experience we could have imagined. Booking was seamless, communication was excellent, and Liam made us feel genuinely welcomed. It ended up being an intimate group of just us, our friends, and Captain Liam with his girlfriend aboard. We were able to get incredibly close to the fireworks barge at Navy Pier during America's 250th Independence Day celebration. Despite the fog and earlier rain, being on the water made all the difference. Tens of thousands of people were gathered at Navy Pier, beaches, and rooftops, but many couldn't fully enjoy the show because of the weather. We had a front-row seat unlike anything else, and I truly don't think anyone could have gotten us closer than Liam did. Beyond being an experienced captain, Liam is simply a great person with a fascinating story and a genuine passion for what he does. He turned what could have been a disappointing holiday into a memory we'll never forget. Thank you, Captain Liam, for calling us back, opening up your boat to us, and making the entire experience feel so special. We can't wait to book with you again. Highly recommended!