Palmer House Hilton Tours and Activities

Experience a colorful side of Chicago history with this Gangsters and Ghosts Tour. With a historian as your guide, you’ll step back to the roaring 20’s, when the Chicago Loop was a hub for bootleggers, speakeasies, and gangsters like the infamous Al Capone. Visit onetime gangster hangouts and haunted sites like the Palmer House, Congress Hotel, and Death Alley.

Get an insider's introduction to Chicago's most celebrated buildings during this architecture-focused walking tour of Michigan Avenue and State Street. Revisit the heyday of the skyscraper and visit stunning, Art Deco-era interiors, from the Palmer House Hotel to the Chicago Cultural Center. Admission to the Chicago Architecture Center is included, with an introduction by the docent.

Stroll through Chicago's winter streets, lit up for the holidays, on this gourmet walking tour. Learn about Chicago's celebrated holiday traditions like the European-inspired Christkindlmarket, the beautiful decor and windows on State Street, and ice skating at Millennium Park. Sample generous tastes of classic Chicago foods and holiday treats as you walk. Seasonal craft beer tastings help you stay warm and toasty; please note this tour operates in all weather conditions, so dress appropriately.

Step off the typical tourist trail, and discover one of Chicago’s oldest and most scenic neighborhoods, on this walking tour of the Prairie District. Meet your guide in the morning at the Chicago Athletic Association, and set off with just a small group for company. The Prairie District is just a short L ride away; you can look forward to seeing the Second Presbyterian Church, Glessner House, Motor Row, and otherwise discovering how Chicagoans lived at the turn of the 20th century.

The Magic Parlour is Chicago's longest-running magic show. Performed by 3rd-Generation Magician Dennis Watkins, the close-up magic and mind-reading performance takes place inside the legendary Palmer House Hilton Hotel. The showroom seats fewer than 40 guests, placing each and every audience member right at the center of the magic.

Travel back in time to the 1920s, when Chicago was a prohibition era hub for lively speakeasies. Your guide, a local historian in period dress, will lead you through secret entrances to speakeasies once frequented by bank robbers and Chicago gangsters like Al Capone. Order prohibition era cocktails (additional cost) and listen to stories about bootlegging and racketeering in 1920s Chicago. Guests are welcome to come in period dress.

Go inside more iconic buildings than any other Chicago architecture tour. The Loop is not just famous for the L train circling downtown Chicago, it’s an iconic, vibrant neighborhood, steeped in history. Prepare to be awed at the towering Art Deco architecture that Chicago is most famous for but take it one step further and go inside the most inspired buildings. Discover the historical stories of Marshall Field, Potter Palmer, and Frank Lloyd Wright while you get an insider's look at the history and architecture of Loop.

Take a walk back in time through the history of Chicago's Loop on this app-enabled tour. After downloading the app and tour to you smartphone, you and your party will listen to author Amy Bizzarri, an author and expert in Chicago history, as she leads you through walking tour of the city. The GPS-enabled tour will trigger commentary at just the right times, and you can stop and start whenever you like for a flexible experience that lets you move at your own pace. Highlights include Daley Plaza, the Chicago Theater, Berghoff Restaurant, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Discover Chicago in a fun new way on this 3-hour scavenger hunt. Jump into the middle of an exciting adventure around the Chicago Loop — to the historic buildings, famous streets and plethora of real-life locations around town. Discover both well-known and overlooked sites, solving clues and completing challenges via smartphone while learning the local history of the Windy City. Teams of 2- to 5-people are welcome.