Our Guides

Explore Chicago with our free walking tours led by knowledgeable local guides. Our tours offer insights into the city’s landmarks, architecture, and history. Each guide brings their own expertise, ensuring an informative experience. Whether it's the well-known sights like Millennium Park or lesser-known areas, we cater to a wide range of interests. Learn about Chicago’s culture and stories from those who know it best. Below, you can read more about each of our guides. Interested in seeing Chicago through the eyes of a local? Book a tour with us today.

Hello, I'm Paul, a lifelong Chicagoan with a passion for my hometown. I love nothing more than sharing my experiences with groups of visitors. As a Certified Tour Guide (CTG) offered through the Chicago Tour Guide Professional Association, I've passed a three-part examination that took approximately one year to complete. I've provided over 300 walking tours in Chicago to guests from over 100 countries and 42 of the 50 United States.

Hi, I'm Maria, and I'm excited to meet you and share a bit of Chicago with you! As a Midwesterner through and through, I grew up with Chicago in my backyard and have been discovering new things to love about the city ever since. With a background in the performing arts, broadcasting, and experiential education, I have an interesting mix of experiences – ask me about working as an actor in hospitals or teaching international students in Prague, Vienna, and Berlin. I became a tour guide to combine some of the things I love most: meeting new people, spending time outside, and talking about Chicago's history, architecture, and beautiful landmarks. I might also brag about our theatre scene, food options, and sports teams. I've done a fair amount of traveling, but have many areas still on my "Places To Go" list. Tell me about you and your home. I can't wait to meet you!

Hi! I'm Jeffrey. I moved to Chicago in the 1980s, met my wife here, and settled down in my adopted hometown. I'm a longtime Chicago performing artist – classical singing, church music, and have played jazz and rock piano. Ask me about the major professional organizations I've sung with all over the area. I love hiking, camping, canoeing (and snowshoeing in our Midwestern winters). You'll often find me at a concert, or at one of the city's multitudes of restaurants from every culture in the world. Chicago is a world-class city, and some visitors may be surprised at all we have to offer here. I love showing people the places that I know and love in this exciting city! When we see sights in the Loop or Pedway, I can enlighten your trip both with historical knowledge and with stories from my experiences. For visitors from France, Quebec, or Haiti – "Je parle français!"

Hi, I'm Tom! I'm excited to have found an outlet for sharing my experiences in and enthusiasm for Chicago with SO many wonderful and diverse people! I moved to suburban Chicago back in 1963, attended schools at both ends of the city (Northwestern University AND the University of Chicago), had my first job at One IBM Plaza and drove Uber/Lyft in the city for three years, so I have lots of first hand experience here.

My professional life has many different chapters - sales, human resources, education and merchandising. Through it all, I've realized that one of my life's great passions is that of a story teller and entertainer, a communicator and connector of people. So thank you for giving me the opportunity to spend time together with you, walking the streets of Chicago!

Hello, my name is Terry! I am a devoted lover of the city of Chicago, having lived in or around the city my whole life. The Chicago of today is one of the most beautiful and popular cities in the world but I am equally fascinated by the history and the remarkable people and stories that made it what it has become.

In addition to giving tours on land, I have spent several years on boats, providing architecture tours to guests from all over the world (except Antarctica; I’m still waiting on someone from there) on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. For ten years, I was a minor league baseball play-by-play broadcaster and still work sometimes as a radio producer and on-air host. I’ve also spent time as a teacher and have written two books, one of them about the history of Chicago’s baseball rivalry between the Cubs and White Sox.