Printer's Row Walking Tour

Join Chicago for Chicagoans for a walking tour of Printer's Row, covering neighborhood history, architecture, and current events. REGISTRATION AVAILABLE BEGINNING OCTOBER 25TH Chicago for Chicagoans is excited to bring back a special edition of our popular Printer's Row tour in conjuction with the first-ever Wayzgoose ORD! Join Executive Director (and letterpress printer) Patti Swanson for a walking tour that explores the important history of this inky pocket neighborhood. You can probably guess what industry once dominated Chicago's Printer's Row, but do you know what exactly we printed here? For generations, Chicago's printers and typesetters made an indelible mark on the industry — creating beloved typefaces like Cooper Black, inventing iconic presses like the Vandercook #4, and printing a nation's worth of everyday, essential ephemera. What other city can claim it printed everything from Playboy Magazine, to first-edition copies of the Wizard of Oz, Rand McNally atlases, and the Sears & Roebuck catalog? As you discover a bit about Chicago's legendary printed past, you'll also learn how the needs of Chicago printers fueled the invention of the world's first skyscraper, and hear some scandalous stories of the neighborhood's early beginnings as a key part of the salicious Vice District. The walk will end with an on-brand visit to Sandmeyer's Bookstore, one of the city's best! Looking to learn printing for yourself? Check out classes & programs offered by our friends at Spudnik Press. ​Chicago for Chicagoans happily exists as a "pay-what-you-can" tour service. A suggested tip of $10-20 per person is always appreciated, but reviewing us on Yelp, liking us on Facebook, spreading the word, and attending future tours tells us how much you love us too! We are a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates inclusive walking tours by & for Chicago residents, designed to represent the histories of all Chicagoans. (But yes, tourists are welcome too.) Donate online fee-free at chicagoforchicagoans.org/donate. To view our tour route maps, click here! Please note: routes are subject to change at any time.