There’s always another side of Chicago to discover. Beyond the city’s iconic museums, architecture, and attractions, groups can get hands-on, step into an intimate magic show, learn the art of improv, or explore a neighborhood alongside a local. Whether you’re looking for an easy addition to a downtown itinerary or an experience that encourages your clients to venture into Chicago’s neighborhoods, these unique activities offer plenty of ways to customize a group program.
Experience Chicago’s magic scene
Magic has deep roots in Chicago, where close-up magic performed in bars and restaurants became known worldwide as “Chicago-style magic.” Popularized by performers like Jim Ryan and Matt Schulien in the 1930s and ’40s, this interactive blend of sleight of hand, humor, and audience participation lives on today at neighborhood venues and intimate downtown shows.
Venture north to Andersonville for the Chicago Magic Lounge, an immersive Art Deco-inspired venue dedicated to Chicago’s close-up magic tradition. The 7,200-square-foot space includes the 107-seat Harry Blackstone Cabaret Theater and the intimate 654 Club, along with a Performance Bar where magicians perform just inches from guests. Group rates are available for 10 to 50 guests, while private buyouts can accommodate up to 120, making the venue flexible for a range of tour-group sizes. Located about eight miles north of downtown, it’s also an opportunity to pair an evening of entertainment with dinner and exploration in Andersonville.
For an immersive option downtown just off The Magnificent Mile, The Hand & The Eye transforms the historic McCormick Mansion into a multi-level world of magic, dining, cocktails, and theatrical performances. Rather than a traditional stage show, guests move through distinctive rooms and encounter different forms of magic throughout their visit. Larger groups can inquire about private events, making it an intriguing option for tour operators looking to combine entertainment and dining in one premium experience within easy reach of downtown hotels.
Also downtown in the Chicago Theatre District, The Magic Parlour offers an intimate alternative starring third-generation magician Dennis Watkins. The long-running show blends close-up magic, mind reading, storytelling, and audience participation in a cabaret-style setting at 50 W. Randolph St. For groups, public-show tickets are available for parties of up to 50, while private performances and full-show buyouts can accommodate up to 100 guests, with food and beverage packages available. Guests looking for an elevated experience can add the Encore Room, a 25- to 30-minute post-show close-up performance limited to fewer than 26 guests. Its Loop location makes The Magic Parlour particularly easy to incorporate into a downtown itinerary, including a pre- or post-show meal nearby.
Roll up your sleeves and learn something new
Make your clients part of the experience with interactive activities where groups can cook, create, and learn something new together. These hands-on options also offer an opportunity to introduce visitors to neighborhoods beyond the traditional downtown visitor corridor.
In the West Loop, groups can try the art of glassblowing at Ignite Glass Studios, a working glass studio where participants create their own glass pieces with guidance from artist instructors. Group experiences are available for parties of 5 to 70, with the amount of time needed depending on group size and the project selected. Reservations require at least seven business days’ notice, an important consideration when building the experience into a tour itinerary. Ignite also offers private event spaces, artist demonstrations, and exclusive use of the Hot Shop, giving operators options ranging from a hands-on activity to a larger private function.
Head north to the Ravenswood corridor for another kind of hands-on experience at KOVAL Distillery. Visitors can see the grain-to-bottle process, learn about the distilling process, and finish with a guided tasting. Regular tours last approximately 45 minutes and accommodate up to 15 guests, while private events can include private tours, tastings, cocktail classes, and full or partial space bookings. KOVAL’s hands-on cocktail classes last approximately 90 minutes and teach participants to make several craft cocktails, making them another interactive option for adult groups.
For a hands-on taste of Chicago, groups can learn to make one of the city’s most iconic foods. Millennium Hall, conveniently located downtown in Millennium Park, offers private, chef-led pizza-making classes where guests stretch their own dough, select toppings, bake their pizzas, and enjoy their creations afterward, with customizable food and beverage options available for groups. For larger groups, Gino’s East offers a Build Your Own Pizza Party where each guest creates a personal deep-dish pizza with their choice of toppings. The experience requires a 30-person minimum, making it particularly well suited for larger tour groups.
Get in on the laughs
Chicago is the birthplace of modern improv, and groups can experience the city’s legendary comedy scene from the audience or get in on the action themselves. In Old Town, just north of downtown, The Second City offers its signature mix of sketch and improv, with group options available for 16 or more guests, including special pricing, guaranteed group seating, and optional food and beverage packages. Groups interested in a more interactive experience can also explore improv classes and experiences that introduce the fundamentals of “Yes, And” through games and collaborative exercises.
Nearby in Lincoln Park, iO Theater gives groups another way to experience Chicago’s celebrated improv scene, from attending a live comedy show to incorporating an improv-based workshop into their visit. The venue offers hands-on improv experiences built around games and exercises, along with six breakout rooms that can accommodate up to 30 guests each and larger spaces for bigger groups and private events. Tour operators can inquire about combining an interactive experience with a performance, giving visitors the opportunity to learn more about the art of improv before seeing Chicago performers take the stage.
Explore Chicago like a local
For FIT travelers and small parties, the Chicago Greeter Program offers a more personal way to experience Chicago. Local volunteers customize each visit around guests’ interests, whether that means exploring architecture and history downtown or venturing into one of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods.
Chicago Greeter visits are complimentary, typically last two to four hours, and accommodate a solo traveler or parties of up to six people. Visits should be requested at least 10 business days in advance, and travelers can select a neighborhood or interest area when registering. The program covers more than 25 neighborhoods and 40 interest areas and is offered in multiple languages. Because of the six-person maximum, Chicago Greeter is best incorporated as an FIT or small-party offering rather than a traditional group activity, giving tour operators another option for clients seeking a more personalized Chicago experience.
Make Chicago your own
From a magic-filled evening downtown to glassblowing in the West Loop, cooking in Lincoln Square, craft spirits in Ravenswood, or comedy in Old Town, Chicago’s unique experiences give tour operators plenty of ways to build an itinerary beyond the expected. Mix convenient downtown experiences with neighborhood excursions, choose hands-on activities that work for different group sizes, or add personalized options for FIT clients. However your clients want to experience the city, there’s always something new to discover in Chicago.
