New Ways to See Our Town from Chicago Detours

Chicago Detours makes tours that are like mobile exhibits. Guests interact with each other, urban space, and historical media to engage with Chicago’s architecture, art, history, politics, entertainment, and city life.

Tours bring people to explore stories and places that locals don’t even know about. Highly trained guides share forgotten stories from the past, and create an engaging dynamic to spark discussions and learning. Private groups can also reserve the tour.

As a social venture, Chicago Detours guides do not take tips; rather they take donations for worthy causes, such as educational initiatives to give tours to local schools free of charge.Since launching this past fall, the company has received feedback from tour attendees that has been widely positive, with top ratings on both Yelp and TripAdvisor. One Yelp comment says, “We found it interesting, fascinating, eye opening, worth our time and money…and we live in Chicago!” Cathy Domanico, the Director of Tourism of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, said, “Very informative and fun! I learned a lot, too.” Another guest eagerly comments, “This is no stuffy all buildings tour” and New City Magazine journalist Kristine Sherred writes, “Guides encourage questions and conversation, fostering a collaborative educational environment unlike the talking head on run-of-the-mill tours.”

Scotese has 8 years experience as a tour guide, and especially honed her skills while employed as a guide and guidebook researcher with Rick Steves, one of the nation’s most well-known travel authors and television personalities. She enriched her knowledge of architecture, urban studies, and art history through her M.A. in the Humanities at the University of Chicago. Further information on Amanda Scotese and Chicago Detours is available on the website,www.chicagodetours.com.

The tours step off from the Tribune Store, 435 N. Michigan Ave. The two-hour walking tour goes 1.5 miles, ending at the intersection of State and Rush streets.

The tours run until October. In the months of May and October, there are tours on Tue. and Sat. at 10:00 a.m. and  at Sat. at 8:00 p.m. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. More tour times will be added in June.

There is a charge for the tours, and reservations are required, and can be made by phone (312.350.1131) or online (chicagodetours.com).