Tours

Chicago Labor History Tours

The Illinois Labor History Society can organize a truly memorable labor history tour of Chicago for your next union outing our convention, class outing, our group event.  Walk down the streets of historic Pullman, and learn about the lives and struggles of the workers who built the famed Pullman Sleeping Cars.  Visit the cemetery that is the final resting place of the Haymarket Martyrs and see the Monument that draws visitors from across the globe.  Stand at the stockyard gate and imagine the sights, the sounds, and smells of the place that once produced eighty-percent of the meat sold across the nation. 

Our guides will help bring this history to life and introduce you to some of the most significant figures in Chicago labor history. 

Would you like to arrange a labor history tour for your union members, class, or community group?  Contact ILHS with the proposed date, time, and a contact phone number.

How much does it cost to book a tour with Illinois Labor History Society?  ILHS does not have a set cost to provide a tour.  We do ask that organizations provide an honorarium, as this helps us to continue to provide quality public education programs.  Honorariums vary by length of the tour and number of participants.

What is the length for a tour provided by the Illinois Labor History Society?  There is no ‘typical’ tour from ILHS.  We work with our host group to ensure that our tour meets your needs.  Tours can vary from a couple of hours to a full day. 

What sites do you usually include on a tour? Each tour is unique.  The following are just some of the spots we can visit and we will work with you as we create the itinerary.

• Battle of the Viaduct site
• Bronzeville
• Haymarket Monument and Forest Home Cemetery
• Haymarket Memorial at the site of Historic Haymarket Square
• Historic Pullman and Visitor Center
• Jane Adams Hull House
• Memorial Day Massacre of 1937 and site of Republic Steel
• National A Philip Randolph Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porter Museum
• Steelworkers Park
• Stockyard Gate
• Union Row and Teamster City

How do we arrange for a bus or other transportation for our tour?  The ILHS can help you identify a bus or plan transportation for the tour.

Can ILHS provide tours for other parts of Illinois?  Yes!  We are glad to arrange tours to the many sites that tell the rich labor history of our state.  From the Mother Jones Monument in Mt. Olive to the Monuments that commemorate the Cherry Mine Disaster, we can work with your group to craft an itinerary.