Tours With Mike

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Tours With Mike

Making architecture, design, and history fun and interesting through in-person and virtual tours.
(6)

09/19/2024

On a recent Underground Chicago (Plus Rats!) walking tour, we saw a critter skittering around in the subway and (sort of) got a group selfie with them! You can see the rat a little in the red circle and then more clearly cleaning themselves in the lower pic. 🐀

You can search for rats with me on this one-of-a-kind tour next on Saturday at 10:30 am. Click the link in the comments to learn more and reserve your spot!

09/04/2024

Summer may be over, but the Chicago weather is still great for a tour! I’ve got a ton of Sunset Live Tours with Big Bus Tours on the schedule through October where you get amazing perspectives of the city on a double-decker bus. It’s pretty incredible seeing the iconic Chicago Theatre marquee at eye-level!

Click the link in the comments to see my public tour schedule and join me on this unique experience!

08/30/2024

I love how you can see these Kamala Harris posters in the foreground along with two of my favorite Wabash Arts Corridor murals in the background: Diosa’s “On the Wings of Change” and Jacob Watts’s “Moose Bubblegum Bubble”!

There is another Harris-related mural a block away featured on tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) Presidential Chicago: Lincoln, Obama, & More walking tour starting at 1:00 pm. It’s the last one on the schedule! Click the link in the comments to learn more about this one-of-a-kind tour and to reserve your spot.
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08/29/2024

I had a lot of fun yesterday on WGN TV’s DaytimeChicago with Tonya and Amy! We discussed my new Presidential Chicago: Lincoln, Obama, & More walking tour and played a little trivia game. Click the link in the comments and select the Presidential Chicago option to watch the interview and learn more about this one-of-a-kind tour. The last chance to experience Presidential Chicago this summer is on Saturday, and I hope to see you then! 🇺🇸🫏🐘🗳️

08/23/2024

Chicago just wrapped up its 26th presidential nominating convention, far and away more than any other city. Like at all of these national political events, there was a party nominee by the end of it. This time it’s Kamala Harris, and did you know she already had a Chicago mural honoring her?

Discover this pictured mural and so many other amazing art installations, historical sites, and stories on my one-of-a-kind Presidential Chicago: Lincoln, Obama, & More walking tour. The next departure is tomorrow (Saturday) at 1:00 pm, and the weather is looking great! Click the link in the comments to learn more and reserve your spot!

08/22/2024

Earlier this week, Fox 32 Chicago interviewed me about my new Presidential Chicago: Lincoln, Obama, & more walking tour! We focused on the presidential history at Tribune Tower, including this stone from the 1817 White House. Theodore Roosevelt officially dubbed the building the White House in 1901. Do you know any of its prior names?

Click the link in the comments and then select the Presidential Chicago option to watch the interview and learn more about this one-of-a-kind tour. It is only available on the public tour schedule through August. I hope to see you soon!

08/21/2024

On last weekend’s Presidential Chicago: Lincoln, Obama, & More walking tour, we saw downtown’s only Abraham Lincoln sculpture. Do you know how many others there are around Chicago? Can you name them and/or which neighborhoods they’re in?

Click the link in the comments to experience this one of a kind tour while it is on the schedule through August. I hope you can join this one-of-a-kind tour as we celebrate Chicago’s amazing Presidential stories!

08/20/2024

I’m loving all the Chicago attention this week from the Democratic National Convention! Click the link in the comments to reserve your spot on my very timely tour, Presidential Chicago: Lincoln, Obama, & More!

Please rise for the Chicago National Anthem performed by Jennifer Hudson, Nick Offerman, Sean Hayes, Jason Sudeikis, Robert Smigel, George Wendt and Stephen ...

08/15/2024

When you think of a presidential pet, who comes to mind? There’s a good chance it’s the one shown in the art above: Fala! This Scottish Terrier is one of the most famous presidential pets ever and is the only one honored at a Washington, D.C. presidential memorial!

Fala is also shown here with Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, a presidential couple with many Chicago connections, including:

✅ Three Democratic National Conventions,

✅ A major speech at the Lake Shore Drive Bridge,

✅ An important Soldier Field address, and

✅ Roosevelt University.

Discover amazing stories on my new Presidential Chicago: Lincoln, Obama, & More walking tour debuting Saturday and offered several more times throughout August! Click the link in the comments to learn more. 🐾

08/14/2024

Next week’s Democratic National Convention will be Chicago’s 26th presidential nomination convention, far more than any other city. These stories and so many others are the focus of my new Presidential Chicago: Lincoln, Obama, & More walking tour! Discover the amazing presidential history behind the sites, architecture, and art all around Chicago. You won’t find another tour like this anywhere!

Click the link in the comments to learn more and reserve your spot on this special tour. I hope to see you soon as we put a spotlight on Chicago’s amazing presidential stories! 🇺🇸🐘🫏🗳️

08/13/2024

Last weekend I gave my final Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tours for the year! It was wonderful collaborating with Choose Chicago on this one-of-a-kind, complimentary experience, and I hope to do more in the future!

08/11/2024

During yesterday’s Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tour, we had a fun stop in North Lawndale! First everyone on the tour got complimentary drinks and flautas from La Catedral Cafe North Lawndale. So delicious! Then we checked out a classic car show from Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum that included the 1960s Batmobile and Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine. Can you also see the Sears Tower in background?

It’s another beautiful day today for our last Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tour of the year. This free tour brought to us by the State of Illinois and Choose Chicago is fully booked, but you can wait standby by the starting point outside of the Art Institute of Chicago’s eastern bus drop-off (230 S Columbus Dr) and no-show spots will be filled on a first come first serve basis starting at 11:35 am. Even if you can’t get a spot on the tour, you can still get brunch at La Catedral Cafe - North Lawndale and see the free Klairmont Kollections car show. Details in the link in the comments.

08/08/2024

Fortunately I’ve seen many efforts in the 21st century correcting 20th century slop work.

08/07/2024

This classic car show will be a stop on Saturday’s and Sunday’s Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tours! All these FREE tickets are currently taken, but there may be cancellations a day or two in advance that you can book on the registration website. Alternatively you can show up to the tour’s starting point in case there are no-shows. Click the link in the comments for details.

We're teaming up again with Choose Chicago to commemorate the upcoming 100th anniversary of Route 66 with exciting pop-up events.

Join us on Saturday, August 10th, and Sunday, August 11th, from 11 AM to 2 PM in front of La Catedral (1407 S Washtenaw Ave, Chicago, IL 60608) for a special celebration of Route 66!

Plus, the first 100 attendees each day will receive a free snack and cold beverage from La Catedral in North Lawndale.

Don't miss out!

08/05/2024

On a recent Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tour, our vehicle pulled up to North Lawndale’s Dr. King Legacy Apartments as usual. I was ready to talk about Dr. Martin Luther King’s time in Chicago, but my friend Shermann Dilla Thomas was already there with one of his wonderful Chicago Mahogany Tours. Dilla then presented on the importance of King to the North Lawndale community and the rest of Chicago to both his group and mine. It was a fun, coincidental moment!

These Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tours are FREE for you through Choose Chicago, and the last three in 2024 are going on this weekend on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. All the spots are currently taken, but some may cancel a day or two before the tour that you can then reserve through the registration website. You can alternatively wait standby as the tour is ready to begin in case there are no-shows. Details in the link in the comments.

I hope you can join this one-of-a-kind tour!

07/24/2024

We had a lot of fun with last weekend’s Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tours! These tours are FREE for the participants and even include a delicious beverage from La Catedral Cafe! The orange drink I’m holding is their refreshing agua fresca de naranja con chia! 🍊

All of these FREE tickets for Choose Chicago’s Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley are booked, but there are cancellations generally a day or two before the tour with their open spots added back to the registration website. You can also show up waiting standby, and the spots for no-shows will be filled on a first come first serve basis. Details are in the link in the comments.

I hope to see you on this special tour this summer!

07/23/2024

Last night I attended the annual LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois boat cruise, and it was a perfect night for it! One of the things that never tires me is Chicago’s beautiful array vistas of its amazing skyline. You really get a different feel for the city depending on where you’re looking!

07/22/2024

On last weekend’s Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tours, seeing the number of downed branches and uprooted trees from the previous week’s intense storms was wild! Look at this huge one crushing the fence to Skinner Park! ⛈️

It will be interesting to see if this has been cleaned up in time for the next Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tours this Friday and Saturday. All the tickets for this FREE, one-of-a-kind tour are currently claimed, but if you show up and wait standby, you can get let on if there are no-shows. Click on the link in the comments for details.

I hope you can experience this tour soon!

07/20/2024

On today’s Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tour, we did a stop at Lulu’s Hot Dogs at 1000 S Leavitt St to check out a classic car show Choose Chicago organized. It included a mix of interesting vehicles in Klairmont Kollection’s cars, including this 1914 Ford Model T. So cool!

You can check out this free car show again tomorrow (Sunday) morning/afternoon. Although all of tomorrow’s FREE Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tickets are currently accounted for, you can also wait standby outside of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Columbus Drive bus area, and the tickets for no-shows will be given away on a first come first serve basis starting at 11:35 am. Click the link in the bio for more tour details.

I hope you can experience this one-of-a-kind tour sometime this summer!

07/19/2024

Chicago magazine just did this great profile of the new Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tours I’m doing with Choose Chicago! At the start of this tour, I ask what comes to mind when people think of Route 66. In this article, you’ll see I was stumped when someone said Efrem Zimbalist Jr. I was not familiar with this actor’s work in “77 Sunset Strip,” but I did later figure out that I know him as the voice of Alfred from “Batman: The Animated Series.” Click the link in the comments to read the article. 🦇

Although all the FREE tickets for the remaining Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tours are accounted for, there are occasionally cancellations with tickets added back to the registration page. There are also frequently no-shows, so you can also try your luck waiting standby outside the Art Institute of Chicago’s Columbus Drive entrance. Click the link in the comments for details.

I hope to see you in this special tour this summer!

07/13/2024

Today’s Route 66 Neighborhoods by Trolley tour included a stop in the vibrant Little Village neighborhood. While all of the tourees were exploring the area and/or grabbing lunch, I picked up their complimentary churros rellenos stuffed with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry from El Churro Shop. The strawberry one I’m holding is my favorite!

These free trolley tours are made possible by the State of Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and Choose Chicago. Eight more of these are offered this summer, and although they are all currently sold out, some cancellations may occur. If you click the link in the bio, you can see if new spots become available.

I hope to see you soon on this one-of-a-kind tour!

07/11/2024

I had so much fun leading this custom, private tour showcasing amazing architecture with an emphasis on governmental buildings!

07/02/2024

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Thanks so much to the 324 of you who have taken the time to write five-star TripAdvisor reviews for Tours With Mike! Because of your support, my one-person tour company has annually been in the top 10% of rated experiences on TripAdvisor. This kind of recognition means a lot for my small business!

If you’ve been on a recent tour and have not filled out a review on TripAdvisor, Google, and/or Yelp (you can copy & paste your review to all three platforms), that would help a lot. Click the link in the comments to fill out a review.

Thank you, and I hope to see you on another tour soon!

06/30/2024

Are any of y’all also watching a Pride Parade today? I always love seeing creative, colorful balloon displays, especially with the Chicago skyline in the background! 🌈

06/29/2024

We had a great group for this morning’s Downtown LGBTQ Stories walking tour! Do you see the Pride flag in the background? Additionally, we’re celebrating Caturday with the lion next to us named “In an Attitude of Defiance” looking quite proud! 🦁🌈

Although today is the last day of the year to get individual tickets to all of my LGBTQ Stories tours, they are available anytime as private experiences for your group. Click the link in the comments for details.

I hope y’all have a happy Pride weekend!

06/27/2024

What are your favorite outdoor spaces in Chicago?

I had enough time between private tours today to enjoy a lunch break in one of my favorite spaces: the Art Institute of Chicago’s South Garden! Laredo Laft is my fav Chicago sculptor, and his “Fountain of the Great Lakes” behind me is magnificent!

My lunch from a Monroe Street food truck was also very good! Raman birria is a mashup of Mexican and Japanese cuisines, and I’d definitely get it again.

Time to head to a private LGBTQ Stories walking tour. See ya later!

06/26/2024

After being closed for nearly a year for a resurfacing project, it’s great to have Cloud Gate (aka, The Bean) back! I just did a Millennium Park tour this morning at 7:30 am for a group of early risers ready to do a tour before their meetings!

Separately anyone know why I’m suddenly reminded that I need to rewatch “Adventures in Babysitting” soon?

06/25/2024

Thanks so much to those of you who joined Saturday’s South Side LGBTQ Stories by Trolley tours! It is the only day this year I’m offering it on the public tour schedule, and it is an important tour to me. There isn’t another experience like this putting a spotlight on these LGBTQ Stories.

Only two LGBTQ Stories tours are on the public tour schedule the rest of the year, and they’re both on Saturday: Downtown at 10:00 am and North Side at 1:30 pm. Click the link in the comments to celebrate Pride Month with me on these unique tours! 🌈

06/19/2024

Happy Juneenteenth, everyone! I have partnered with Unexpected Virtual Tours these last few years on many really incredible Diversity Equity & Inclusion experiences, and this week I’m doing I’m doing several “Juneteenth: Rise” virtual tours. On this tour, we recognize the history of this holiday and put a spotlight on the Black women who made it possible, including Ida B. Wells, who is honored in this Richard Hunt-designed monument behind me!

If you would like to book a “Juneteenth: Rise” or “She Innovates” virtual experience anytime for your organization, please reach out to Unexpected Virtual Tours and request me as your Chicago guide. The links are in the comments.

06/18/2024

Today is my birthday, and you can celebrate both it and Pride Month on Saturday’s South Side LGBTQ Stories by Trolley tour! The one-of-a-kind tour conveniently starts and ends at Millennium Park, and from there you’ll discover historical sites tied to vice districts, the ball scene, LGVTQ activism, house music, and so much more! You have two chances to experience this two-hour tour: 10:00 am and 1:00 pm. This is the ONLY DAY THIS YEAR I’m offering this unique tour. Click the link in the bio to reserve your spot!

I hope to see you then! 🥳🌈

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Videos

After yesterday’s Choose Chicago annual meeting concluded, there was a mashup of Chicago Blues and House Music in a gorgeous, architectural landmark! Can it get more Chicago than this??? The music was from Wayne Baker Brooks, Billy Branch, Chip E., and Lori Branch, and the architecture was from Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan. I will definitely remember this event! @choosechicago @waynebakerbrooks @bbranch103 @iamchip_e_ @djloribranch #chicagoblues #housemusic #blues #mashup #architecture #preservation #landmark #chicago #livemusic

Yesterday evening I went on a preview of the new Sunset Live Tour in collaboration with Big Bus Tours and The Chicago Tour Company! On this 90-minute highlights tour, you get spectacular views from the top of a double-decker bus as the sun sets. Our guide, Spiro, was a wonderful storyteller and really made it a fun experience. Get your tickets on the Big Bus Chicago webpage!

One of my favorite attractions at the Desert Botanical Garden is their wonderful Butterfly House. As part of this year’s “Majestic Mariposas” exhibition, we’ll see thousands of butterflies dancing about in the gorgeous landscaping. See them with me during tomorrow’s (Monday’s) Desert Botanical Garden virtual tour. The interactive live-stream begins at 11:00 am CST (5:00 pm GMT), and the recording will be available to watch for the following 48 hours. Click the link in the bio for details. See you soon! 🦋 #phoenix #arizona #desert #botanical #garden #virtualtour #livestream #butterfly #exhibit

The moon blocked approximately 94% of the sun today at 2:07 pm here in Chicago. This is what it was like outside of the Sears (Willis) Tower with the eclipse reflected off of it. 🌚🌝 #eclipse #chicago #searstower #willistower #skyscraper #reflection

Today would have been Cracker’s 16th birthday, but unfortunately he recently passed away on March 18. You may have seen this Cornish Rex who was filled with so much personality featured in prior Tours With Mike posts. Cracker was always near me when he was awake, especially when working at my desk, and he was my best buddy. His brother, Peeno, and I miss him a lot. 😿

☘️ Happy St. Patrick’s Day! ☘️ Ride elevated trains with me as I share some background on Chicago’s history of dyeing the river green for St. Patrick’s Day! The river will hopefully still be bright green tomorrow (Monday) when I give my live-streamed virtual tour along the Riverwalk. Click the link in the bio to register for free. I hope to see you tomorrow! 💚

Flyover Chicago is the city’s newest attraction, I love it, and I’ve already been on it twice! Make sure you experience it next time you’re around Navy Pier. @experienceflyover @navypierchicago #chicago #flyover #immersive #ride #attraction #chicagoboardoftrade #architecture #skyline #artdeco #whatsnew

Puerto Vallarta’s Malecón Boardwalk is a lovely stroll along the beach with lots of great public art and interesting sites. One of my favorite sculptures was the one opening this video, Jonás Gutiérrez’s obsidian and bronze “El Sutil Comepiedras” (The Subtle Stone-Eater). This video continues with a wonderful performance from Los Voladores de Papantla (The Papantla Flyers) and their ancient Mesoamerican ceremony/ritual involving them spinning around a pole upside-down on ropes while playing a flute and drums. I was so happy to get here when they were performing! I’ve got lots more to show you all on Monday’s Puerto Vallarta Highlights live-streamed virtual tour. Click the link in the bio to learn more. 🇲🇽 #puertovallarta #mexico #publicart #sculpture #mesoamerica #performance #boardwalk #beach #virtualtour #livestream

Art on theMart is the world’s largest digital canvass, and it is currently featuring “Season of Light,” a collection of displays from emerging visual and audio artists from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago! This is a portion of ”Out of the Sea Came Eternity” by Yorgo Alexopoulos, an ethereal display linking together geometry and the natural landscape. Tonight starting at 7:00 pm CST, I’ll be closing out my Christmas in Chicago virtual tour series with half focused on architecture beautifully lit up for the holidays and then show the first 30 minutes of the “Season of Light” projection. Register for free and then watch the interactive live-stream on Facebook Live. The recording will also be available on the Tours With Mike page for the following 48 hours. Click the link in the bio for details. I hope you can join this virtual tour focused on skyscrapers beautifully lit up for the season! @saicpics @yorgo_alexopoulos @themartchicago @loopchicago #christmas #chicago #holiday #lights #art #architecture #chicagoriver #virtualtour #livestream #facebook

Last Saturday I saw Honey Dijon DJ at Radius, a wonderful event venue that opened in 2020, and it was a phenomenal experience! The song in this video is called “C’s Up” and is Honey’s love letter to Chicago’s House Music scene she experienced while growing up here. This is the chorus laden with Chicago references: “Let’s ride / Let’s ride down Lake Shore Drive / To the Muzik Box / And the Power Plant / ‘85”. Honey is also a Grammy-nominated artist for her work producing Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” album. It’s fun showcasing Honey and House Music on my LGBTQ Stories tours, and I look forward to featuring them again on more experiences next year! #honeydijon #dj #housemusic #radius #concert #beyonce #renaissance #lgbtq #lgbtq🌈 #tour

I’ve been giving tours since 2005, and this is the first time I’ve been serendipitously serenaded by a children’s in the middle of one! Such a fun surprise for everyone on the tour! There are three more public Incredible Interiors - Christmas Edition walking tours left this holiday season. Click the link in the bio for details. See you soon! 🎅 #santa #christmas #chicago #holiday #tour #tiffany #louiscomforttiffany #tiffanystudios #choir

I love how the Marshall Field Building’s Walnut Room Christmas tree changes with the rotating colored lights! 🎄 The recording from today’s Marshall Field Building Holiday Traditions virtual tour is on the Tours With Mike page until noon CST tomorrow (Wednesday). The link in the bio has details. Check it out and let me know what you think! #chicago #christmas #christmastree #departmentstore #holidays #marshallfields #macys #virtualtour #livestream #facebook

THE LIONS WERE TOO CUTE ON THIS CATURDAY!!! 😻😻😻 This was my first time seeing the zoo’s new lion cubs (Pesho, Sidai, & Lomelok) who were born on January 9, and they were so playful! I loved seeing their mom, Zari, lie down on them right before cleaning her children! I’m doing a live-streamed, virtual tour of the Lincoln Park Zoo on June 5, and I hope the pride of lions are as fun then as they are today! While we’re on the topic of prides, I’m debuting three, in-person tours for June’s Pride Month focused on LGBTQ Stories: South Side by bus, Downtown walking, and North Side walking. Click the link in the comments to learn more about all these tours. I hope to see you soon! 🦁🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Happy Caturday, y’all! Yesterday was Peeno’s 8th birthday, so we celebrated how we do every day… by letting him do whatever he wants! 😹🎂🥳 The music in the background is “Évidemment” by La Zarra (music video link in the comments), France’s entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. I hope this bop wins the finals today! Who are you cheering for? 🇫🇷🎤🎶

Arcosanti and Cosanti are two of my favorite places in Arizona, and doing virtual tours there are definitely goals! Paolo Soleri had a truly original philosophical approach to architecure, art, urban planning, environmentalism, and so much more, and it lives on strong after his death. Cosanti is known for their signature bronze bells you can hear ringing in the background, and that is what they’re creating in this video.

Can you find the Julia, Zebra Longwing, and Seven Whites butterflies in this video? Around 1,600 butterflies from 10 species will be with us in the Butterfly House on tomorrow’s Virtual Tours With Mike: Desert Botanical Garden experience! Register for free and then watch the live-stream from Facebook Live. See you then!

Scabby’s story is featured on my Underground Chicago (Plus Rats!) walking tour! Click the link in the comments to learn more about this unique tour.

Join me on Heygo this Sunday, November 6 at 11:00 am CST (5:00 pm GMT) for a live-streamed architecture tour on our own private boat! There’s no charge for this quintessential Chicago experience, but tips are appreciated. Click the link in the bio to register in advance on Heygo’s website. See you soon! 🚤🏙