The Best Tours Near Oak Park, IL (Updated 2024)

Architecture Tours

From historic homes to modern marvels, our architectural  tours offer a unique glimpse into the diverse architectural styles that define the area. Take a look!

Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture Tours - Oak Park

Home and Studio Tour

Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home and studio was the birthplace of an architectural revolution. Wright used his home to explore design concepts that contained the seeds of his architectural philosophy. In his adjacent studio, Wright and his associates developed a new American architecture – the Prairie style. There are two tour offerings, one solely for the home and studio interior and the other accompanied by a self-guided neighborhood tour.

Date(s): Everyday

Travel Type: Walking

Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm

Location: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio

Cost: $20-$30

Click here to register. 

Pedal Oak Park

Meet us where wheels and architecture become one on the Pedal Oak Park Bike Tour! Bring your own bike or borrow one from your tour guides at the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, who will lead you on a ride through many of Oak Park’s architectural wonders. You’ll meet your guide at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. After a short introduction, you’ll begin your pedal down a tree-lined street in a neighborhood where nearly 30 buildings were designed by Wright. 

Some of the Wright sites featured on this tour include Wright’s Home and Studio, Frank Thomas House, Heurtley House, Cheney House, Furbeck House, and more. You are welcome to add a Home and Studio Guided Interior tour after the conclusion of the Pedal Oak Park tour. It’s recommended to select a 12:20 pm time slot or later for the interior tour.

Date(s): Every Saturday and Sunday June through October

Travel Type: Biking

Time: 9:30am (duration 2 hours)

Location: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio

Cost: $55 ($45 Trust members)

Click here to register. 

Wright Around Oak Park

When the architecture experts at the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust describe Wright Around Oak Park as the most comprehensive of the Trust’s many tour offerings, you know you are in for an architectural treat. 

This 2.5-hour tour begins with an expanded tour of Wright’s Home and Studio. See where it all started with this exclusive expanded tour, which includes access to the studio balcony (not included on the standard tour!). Then, you’ll step into the neighborhood for an expanded walking tour that provides an expert’s description of the exteriors of ten Wright homes. 

See the evolution of the Prairie style as Wright transformed the neighborhood where he lived and worked with his innovative designs.

Date(s): Every Saturday and Sunday April through September 

Travel Type: Walking

Time: 12:00pm 

Location: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio

Tour Cost: $75 ($65 Trust member)

Click here to register. 

Unity Temple

Unity Temple is Frank Lloyd Wright’s only surviving public building from his Prairie period. Limited by a modest budget and an urban site, Wright created an innovative design and used unconventional materials to produce one of the most sophisticated accomplishments of his early career. 

The oldest Wright building is still in use for the same purpose for which it was built, and Unity Temple stands today as a masterpiece of modern architecture and design. The Unity Temple offers three separate tours — one fully self-guided tour of the interior, a regular guided interior tour, and an in-depth interior tour.

Date(s): Daily Monday to Saturday

Travel Type: Walking

Time: Tours offered 9am-3pm M-F and 9:30am-12pm on Saturdays. 

Location: Unity Temple

Cost: $15-$40

Click here to register. 

Ernest Hemingway Foundation Tours - Oak Park

In Ernie’s Footsteps: A Walking Tour of Young Hemingway’s Oak Park

This 90-minute outdoor tour takes you on a journey through young Hemingway’s connections to Oak Park. Sites to be visited include the Birthplace Museum, Boyhood home, Oak Park & River Forest High School, Oak Park Public Library, Congregational Church, and WW I War Memorial in Scoville Park. The tour is led by the renowned Dr. Nancy Sindelar, an educator and author of “Influencing Hemingway: The People and Places that Shaped His Life and Work.” Each registration for the walking tour includes one copy of the book Influencing Hemingway.

Date(s): July 26, Aug 9 , 23, Sept 6, 20

Travel Type: Walking

Time: 10:00am

Location: Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum

Cost: $40

Click here to register. 

Frederick Law Olmsted Society Tours - Riverside

Historic Olmsted Walking Tour

Frederick Law Olmsted is widely known as the landscape architect for New York’s Central Park and the grounds for Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, but some of his most significant work is right here in the near west suburbs. Riverside is one of the United State’s first planned communities and stems from Olmsted’s vision for the ideal suburb. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970, Riverside’s design and architecture are steeped in history. The Frederick Law Olmsted Society offers regular monthly tours. 

Come see the preservation of Olmsted’s vision for Riverside and catch a glimpse of his concern for humanity, nature, sense of community, and the innovative and thoughtful essence of his work. These tours are two hours long and rotate monthly, depending on which area of Riverside they cover. 

Immerse yourself in more than 150 years of rich architectural history with homes by famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, William LeBaron Jenney, and Howard Van Doren.

Date(s): August 27th, September 24th, October 29th

Travel Type: Walking

Time: 2:00pm

Location: Riverside Train Station

Cost: $25 per person ($20 for seniors 62+ and Olmsted Society members).

Click here to register. 

Local History Walking Tours

Step back in time with our history walking tours, where every street and landmark tells a story. Explore the rich heritage and captivating tales of the past as you stroll through historic neighborhoods and discover the events and people that shaped them.

La Grange Area Historical Society Home and History Tour 2024

Immerse yourself in the history and the architecture of the village of La Grange at the La Grange Area Historical Society Home and History Tour 2024. Visitors will enjoy touring through six unique, historic residences! The homeowners will be available to answer questions and chat about their experience living in their home. Get your tickets in advance – prices will increase on the day of the event!

Date(s): September 15th

Travel Type: Walking

Time: 12:00-5:00pm

Location: La Grange Area Historical Society

Cost: $50

Click here to register. 

Oak Park and River Forest Gangster Tour

Did you know that beyond the idyllic streets of Oak Park and River Forest lies a hidden history of notorious gangsters and illicit activities? Step into the intriguing world of gangsters and prohibition-era crime as we embark on a journey through the history of organized crime in Oak Park and River Forest. 

The 2.5-hour tour offers an immersive experience of the fascinating world of organized crime from the Prohibition era until the 1990s. You’ll visit the exteriors of 13 houses that were once owned by major Chicago gangsters, including Tony Accardo, Paul Ricca, Sam Giancana, “Tough Tony” Capezio, and “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn. 

These tours provide an opportunity to delve into the rich history and hidden stories of Oak Park and River Forest, shedding light on their connection to notorious figures like Al Capone. There is no walking tour, just a comfy bus tour that brings the intriguing gangster history of these suburbs to life.

 Date(s): Sundays: July 14, September 22, September 29, October 6, and October 27.

Travel Type: Bus

Time: 11:00am and 2:00pm

Location: FitzGerald’s

Cost: $40 ($36 for seniors and active military)

Click here to register. 

Oak Park and River Forest Museum Walking Tours

The Oak Park River Forest History Museum offers incredible walking tours that bring the rich history of the area to life. Led by knowledgeable guides, these tours provide fascinating insights into the local heritage, architecture, and notable figures of the past. 

"West of the River" Cemetery Tour

Join Oak Park River Forest Museum docents for a walking tour of the Forest Home Cemetery. Learn about the people, organizations and history found west of the Des Plaines River. You’ll hear stories about the Bill Posters Union and the Cigar Makers International Union, veterans’ and fraternal groups, ethnic areas, the founder of the world’s first blood bank, a well-known radio personality, and more.

Date(s): July 21, 2024 

Travel Type: Walking

Time: 10:00:am — 11:30:am

Location: Forest Home Cemetery- West Entrance

Cost: $10

Click here to register. 

"West Side Stories" Neighborhood Tour

Take a stroll with us through scenic, historic River Forest on West Side Stories: People and Architecture That Shaped River Forest! This walk up Edgewood Place and then south on Thatcher Avenue will demonstrate why these two streets are a living outdoor museum of architecture and village history. 

Hear fascinating and surprising stories about people who lived here, some of the renowned architects who created these remarkable homes, and the drastic changes that some of these houses have seen.

Date: July 27th

Travel Type: Walking

Time: 10am

Location: Northeast corner of Edgewood Place and Lake Street

Cost: $10

Click here to register. 

Gunderson Neighborhood Tour

Our stroll through southeast Oak Park's Gunderson Historic District will, of course, tell the story of how the Gunderson Brothers developed and promoted this neighborhood, but it will also include lesser-known stories, like the house once named the Oak Park Academy of Fine Arts, the controversial temporary homes built to ease the post-World War II housing crisis, why this neighborhood was once called “Fertile Acres,” and more.

Date(s): August 10th

Travel Type: Walking

Time: 10am

Location: Longfellow Park Pavilion

Cost: $10

Click here to register. 

"Ladies of Lake Street" Sidewalk Tour

Hear the impactful stories of local women who broke down barriers in the fields of government and civic life, cultural affairs, and social services. Stroll down Lake Street as the Historical Society guides introduce you to pioneers in fair housing and civil rights as well as a judge, a symphony conductor, and women on the war memorial in Scoville Park.

Date: August 24th

Travel Type: Walking

Time: 10am

Location: The corner of Lake and Linden

Cost: $10

Click here to register. 

Tales of the Tombstone Cemetery Walk

The Annual "Tale of the Tombstones" Cemetery Walk is back. Join The Historical Society of Oak Park & River Forest and experience the tales of the Home Forest Cemetery featuring actors portraying a handful of the notable people laid to rest there. Tours will depart from Forest Home cemetery's main gate in 10-minute intervals between 12 and 1:30 pm, and the tour will last approximately 1.5 hours. 

Date: October 20th

Travel Type: Walking

Time: 12:00pm

Location: Forest Home Cemetery

Cost: $20

Click here to register. 

Be on the lookout for more fall tours…

Check back here!

While You’re in Town

After stepping back in time to experience the fascinating history of western Chicagoland, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy in these charming suburbs. 

Wondering what to do next? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! 

Click here to plan the rest of your summer bucket list.