Chicago Weekend Explorers

21/10/2024

We love it when customers have a great tour experience. Check out some of our upcoming tours and see for yourself how we bring Chicago's vibrant history and culture to life!

18/10/2024

The view south from the pavilion at Lincoln Park Zoo, just one of Chicago's thousands of great spots for marriage proposals, selfies... or if you were Dennis Rodman, you could propose to yourself here and combine the two! Where are your favorite little photography spots in Chicago?

16/10/2024

Carpeting from London. A handmade bar from Italy. Parisian design. The Astor Club of Chicago is the definition of style and swank.

Join CWE Tours on Sunday, October 20th to tour the Astor,Club and 5 more fantastic sites from Open House Chicago 2024! Tickets on sale now at cwetours.com

13/10/2024

Our best of Open House Chicago 2024 Bus Tour just added two new stops! On Saturday we will also be visiting the Cliff Dwellers, an private club with a swank space, and on Sunday we will be checking out the digs of the Astor Club, housed in the old Maxim's restaurant space! Tickets are still available at https://cwetours.com/registration/

Pictured below are two stops on our tour, Ebenezer Baptist Church and The Fine Arts Building

07/10/2024

Stumbled across this abandoned elementary school on the Southeast Side last week and was amazed - how could such a gorgeous building in a busy residential neighborhood be not just empty, but so forlorn? The school was called Overton, after Anthony Overton, an early business titan and publisher of one of Chicago's first African American focused newspapers, the Chicago Bee.

The school itself... what teacher wouldn't love working in those huge, sunlight classrooms with enormous windows and such clean, modern design? There was some signage about a renovation project. Other than a pretty well-tended community garden, I did not see much going on. Hopefully that changes! Hopefully it changes before vandals or time claims the building and pushes it towards ruin. It is absolutely amazing how different the north and south sides of Chicago are sometimes. The South Side is awash in abandoned schools, but I cannot imagine a building with a great outdoor space like this, and such a nice classroom building, going empty for this long on the north side within walking distance of the lake.

25/09/2024

The Quincy Station on the Brown Line is one of the CTA´s oldest, and definitely one of the most interesting. Dating from 1897, the station has a lot of elements not present at most other stations: warm wood surfaces in the station itself, charming retro posters that tap into romantic memories of a Chicago that vanished long ago, and cool little details like the tiny wooden entrance doors into the ticket booth. Designated a Chicago landmark several years ago, the positive effects of its 18 million dollar renovation are obvious down to the elevator towers designed to match the station railing.

In a typical year I walk, bike, drive and scooter past dozens of CTA stations countless times without paying them any mind, but a slight change in routine can bring unexpected results! So glad I got off at the Quincy Station the other day and it caught my eye. That is one of the cool things about Chicago, you never really stop falling in love with the city, even after decades.

Join Chicago Weekend Explorers on a tour for more insight into the best city in the United States!
https://cwetours.com/registration/

24/09/2024

Chicago is home to one of the largest Ukrainian communities in the world, and we are extremely fortunate to have 2 traditional Ukrainian churches on our "Best of Open Houe Chicago 2024" bus tour! On Saturday October 19th we will be going to the stunning Church of Sts. Volodymyr and Olha, and on Sunday, October 20th, St. Nickolas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral will be among our 5 destinations. These architectural gems should not be missed. Tickets for both days are still available, and lunch is included! Check out our website for a full list of our 2024 Best of Open House Chicago Bus Tour.

https://cwetours.com/registration/

22/09/2024

Chicago Weekend Explorers is extremely thrilled to have the birthplace of Gospel Music as one of our Best of Open House Chicago Bus Tour stops! Join us on Saturday, October 19th as we visit Ebenezer Baptist Church, which is not only culturally significant but also one of the crowning works of one of the fathers of modern Chicago architecture!

https://cwetours.com/registration/

Curious about the celestial convergence of acoustical engineering, the Great Migration, Gospel Music and Judaism? Besides Ebenezer Baptist Church we'll visit 4 more wonderful sites not normally available to the public! Click on the link below and reserve your seat for this amazing tour with lunch included!

https://cwetours.com/registration/

19/09/2024

The Open House Chicago Tour Locations are here! Great lineup this year! From the cradle of Gospel Music to Chicago's only high school that predates the Great Fire, we've got an amazing bus tour lined up for you this year. Tickets are still available for our guided bus tour to the best of Open House Chicago 2024, and YES lunch is included. This 4 hour tour starts from the West Loop, you won't want to miss this fantastic weekend!

tickets here - https://cwetours.com/registration/

Saturday, September 19th - Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, Church of Sts. Volodymyr and Olha, St. Ignatius High School, Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center

Sunday, September 20th - Teatro Zinzanni, Fine Arts Building, St. Nickolas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, Glessner House, Avalon Regal Theater

03/09/2024

La ruta 66 es mucho más que la carretera más famosa en EEUU. Este símbolo lleva la historia y encanto de un tiempo perdido. Únete a nosotros y descubre cómo el sistema de autopistas cambió este país y abrió la imaginación de millones de personas!

01/09/2024

NEWBERRY - Indigenous: Chicago Has Always Been a Native Place

Although Chicago has long been a historic crossroads for Indigenous people, most Chicagoans are unaware of the city’s history as a home to diverse Indigenous communities. Developed in partnership with advisors from the Chicago Native community and representatives from tribal nations with historic connections to Chicago, our latest exhibition reflects the dynamic and complex aspects of Native life in Chicago from the seventeenth century to the present. Exhibition on-view September 12, 2024 through January 4, 2025.
https://www.newberry.org/

23/08/2024

I did not have the heart (stomach?) to go up with the group. Fine, I will wait here and keep the lobby company. Nevermind testing my limits! Lets just chill and wait for the charming Argentines to return. Side note: 11 dollars?? Is that caramel or gold? I denounce these prices!!

23/08/2024

The CTA's newest station is now open! Green is the theme with lots of wood and windows, and not a gum stain or cigarette butt to be found anywhere! Fellow Chicagoans, we now have a green line stop in the vast gap between the West Loop and the West Side!

For those of you who demand authenticity, the CTA powers-that-be took the charming step of having a non working escalator on the day I arrived, the 14th. Why wait? Also, something really cool: Divvy's 1000th bike rental site is at the Damen station!

This stop is going to put some serious energy in motion around the United Center! Hopefully the restaurant scene picks up the way it did when the Morgan Station appeared.

21/08/2024

The Hyde Park Jazz Fest is next month, and if you are a lover of good, live and accessible music, this is for YOU. Of all of the music festivals in Chicago, this has to be one of the most accessible and varied in terms of venue, style, and comfort. Check it out during the last weekend in September!

For the past few years, various locales on the South Side have been making a strong impact on the music scene. Be in the know and support local musicians and the Chicago Jazz community!

The Hyde Park Jazz Festival is a collaborative platform dedicated to supporting the presentation and ongoing development of jazz, particularly on the South Side of Chicago.

26/07/2024

🌉✨ ¡Embárcate en una aventura inolvidable por el río Chicago! 🚤✨
Disfruta de los emblemáticos puentes basculantes y maravíllate con la impresionante arquitectura de la ciudad. 🏙️ Desde atardeceres espectaculares hasta momentos inolvidables, esta experiencia es un tesoro que no te puedes perder. 📸🌇
👉 ¡Reserva tu paseo hoy mismo y vive la magia de Chicago desde el agua! ́tic

15/08/2023

Think you know Lincoln Park? Let us reveal the varied hues of this beautiful lakefront community and genteel oasis! This fun 2 hour walking tour covers Chicago's surprising connections to the Civil War and so much more! $40 includes the tour, an ice-cream treat and new friends! August & September tour dates are now bookable at https://cwetours.com/registration/