Biograph Theater Tours
3 Reviews
The large marquee of the Biograph Theater in the northerly Chicago neighborhood of Lincoln Park announces a regular slate of upcoming live performances. The building is a popular cultural destination for Chicagoans and features a 299-seat theater, a 130-seat studio theater, rehearsal hall and space for special events, but the building has enjoyed a long and storied history. First opened in 1914 with 942 seats, the Biograph Theater was one of the country’s earliest movie houses. It now hosts the Victory Gardens Theater.
During the Great Depression, the theater advertised a rare summer perk: air conditioning. Perhaps this is what drew notorious gangster, bank robber, and alleged murder, John Dillinger, to a screening of “Manhattan Melodrama” in July, 1934. Leaving the screening, Dillinger was killed in the adjacent alleyway by waiting FBI agents. As the site of Dillinger’s death, the Biograph Theater has also become a popular for ghost hunting tours.
Practical Info
The Biograph Theater is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. The area is serviced by several city bus routes, and the theater provides valet service one hour before curtain for $13 per hour. A nearby parking garage has rates from $6/hour. Admission is based on the performance and seating location, and children under the ages of 6 are not permitted. The venue has a concession stand and coat check.
Shows in season generally have a multi-week run, with popular show times at 3pm and 7:30pm — check the theaters’ online schedule for full performance listings, dates, and times. Subscription membership is also available.
Address: 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Hours: Varies by performance
Admission: Varies by performance
6 Tours and Activities to Experience Biograph Theater
Sort by:Featured
Chicago Crime and Mob Bus Tour
Explore Chicago's gangster past on this mafia tour in a coach vehicle. Drive around the Windy City to see where Al Capone, The Untouchables, Hymie Weiss, and John Dillinger, among other thugs hung out. A history-savvy guide introduces you to some of the most storied locations of Chicago’s criminal past, including Holy Name Cathedral, Biography Theatre, and the site of the bloody St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. You'll be able to get out and pose for pictures in front of a historic courthouse, among other infamous sites.
…More
From
$45.00
From
$45.00
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Chicago Night Crimes Bus Tour
Discover the ‘dark side’ of the Windy City thanks to this 2.5-hour, bus-based, nighttime crime history tour of Chicago. Explore the lives of notorious mobsters like Al Capone, Frank Nitti, Bugs Moran, and more as you explore infamous crime scenes like the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, learn about ‘The Enforcer’s Safe,’ and stop by local watering holes.
…More
From
$50.00
From
$50.00
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Windy City Ghost Tour
Windy City Ghosts walking Ghost Tour provides a look into the darkness that lurks below Chicago’s busy streets. Our Ghost Tour transports you back in time to an era of gangsters, bootleggers, bank robbers, and jazz babies. Windy City Ghosts nightly Ghost Tours take you through Lincoln Park, a beautiful North Side neighborhood with a twisted past. Learn about the forgotten burial ground that is the foundation of this bustling neighborhood. Check the bathroom mirrors in the Lion House of the Lincoln Park Zoo to make sure the ghost of a Victorian woman in white isn’t standing right behind you. Learn what spirit haunted Al Capone to the end of his days. On our Ghost Tour, you’ll hear the strange and disturbing tales associated with each of our carefully selected tour stops.
…More
From
$24.09
From
$24.09
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Private Haunted History of Chicago Ghost Tour
Discover spooky stories in the Windy City on a private haunted history tour. Visit places with names such as the Murder Castle and Death Alley, and hear about Al Capone and the Old Congress Hotel. See all three locations on one tour that reveals fascinating details about historical events, and rumors of murder and mayhem in Chicago.
…More
From
$330.00
Price varies by group size
From
$330.00
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regular temperature checks for staff
Private Al Capone Gangster Tour in Chicago
Chicago’s mob history has long been immortalized in popular media. Embark on this Chicago Gangster Tour to learn the true story. With an expert historian as your guide, you’ll visit notorious hangouts of John Dillinger, The Untouchables, and the legendary Al Capone. You’ll stop at former speakeasies, historic hotels, and epic crime sites like that of the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre.
…More
From
$330.00
Price varies by group size
From
$330.00
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regular temperature checks for staff
Chicago's Original Gangster and Prohibition Tour
Book in advance to take this popular tour that details the mob history of Chicago during the Prohibition Era (1920s-1930s). Learn about the exploits of gangsters like Capone, Dillinger, Moran, and others as you travel by minibus to sites like the Biograph Theater, Holy Name Cathedral, and St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Your guide adopts gangster attire and characteristics that add dramatic flair to the historical commentary.
…More
From
$41.60
From
$41.60
Things to do near Chicago
- Things to do in Illinois
- Things to do in Cleveland
- Things to do in Nashville
- Things to do in Pittsburgh
- Things to do in Toronto
- Things to do in Niagara Falls & Around
- Things to do in Niagara Falls
- Things to do in Buffalo
- Things to do in Branson
- Things to do in Greenville
- Things to do in Atlanta
- Things to do in Washington DC
- Things to do in Baltimore
- Things to do in Ohio
- Things to do in Ontario