Pullman National Monument Bus Tour

This bus tour in Chicago is designed to celebrate the achievements of Chicago manufacturing behemoths and illuminate their legacies. Join us to revisit these historic venues and learn about the South Side’s most important endowments to America’s socioeconomic culture. The Pullman District is the tour’s main feature and America’s first Planned Industrial Community dating to 1880s. The Pullman legacy is extensive, and its tentacles reach deep in many directions including: Labor Reform, Industrial Planning, Civil Rights, and Education.

However, like most things, the good times would not always last! As such, in the second half of the 20th century, we saw these robust industries shut down resulting in unrivaled unemployment and hardship for the “southsiders.” As part of the demise of the Great Lakes Manufacturing states, Chicago’s Southside would become a member of the Midwestern “Rust Belt.”

While sad but true, this tour does not wallow in the collapse of these manufacturing behemoths nor attempt to assign blame for their downfall. Rather, this tour is design to celebrate their achievements and most importantly, illuminate their indelible legacy. Come with us on a journey that not only revisits these historic venues but brings to live two of the Southside’s most important endowments to America’s business and socioeconomic culture.

For many, the name Pullman is synonymous with luxury train cars. While this is accurate, the Pullman legacy extends well beyond these elegant mansions on wheels. As you’ll discover, Pullman became a doorway to Civil Rights, Unionization, Planned Communities, and so much more.

In addition to exploring the Pullman Neighborhood, you also visit another ghost of Chicago’s manufacturing past – “South Works,” hand-in-hand with Chicago’s train and rail production, steel production was a major industry and employer of the city’s south side. Mistakenly, steel production was identified solely with the city of Pittsburgh. But when the Pittsburgh Plus was shut down by the government, the door opened to other markets. At its peak, Chicago’s steel production employed tens of thousands and accounted for roughly 20% of U.S. steel production and South Works was the largest steel production facility in the world at one time!

This three and a half hour tour journeys to the city’s far south side and immerses you into a thoughtful discussion of Chicago’s inimitable past and endless contributions to the American way of life. It promises to be informative, fun, and above all, entertaining.