Chicago Gangster Tours: Capone, Prohibition and the Mob
If you book one gangster tour in Chicago, make it the Gangsters and Ghosts walking tour. It is the most reviewed of the city's crime tours on GetYourGuide: about two hours in the Loop with a historian guide, rated 4.7 out of 5 by 1,880 travelers, from $31 a person (checked October 2026). It mixes Capone-era crime with ghost stories. If you want the mob and nothing else, including the site of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, take the bus tour described below.
Check Gangsters and Ghosts dates
What the tours can and can't show you
Prohibition ran from 1920 to 1933, and in Chicago it turned a few bootlegging gangs into a business run largely by Al Capone. The Beer Wars that came with it left hundreds dead, from the gang leaders to bystanders, and police and politicians were bought on a large scale. Capone was finally convicted in 1931, for tax evasion.
Very little of that Chicago is still standing. Capone's headquarters at the Lexington Hotel was demolished in 1995, and the garage on North Clark Street where seven men were shot on St. Valentine's Day 1929 came down in 1967. So the tours run on surviving buildings, the right street corners and the quality of the guide. That is also why the bus tours exist: the massacre site in Lincoln Park and Capone's South Side home are miles from the Loop, beyond any walking route.
Check dates: Gangsters and Ghosts walking tour
From $31 per person · 4.7/5 from 1,880 reviews · about 2 hours · free cancellation (checked October 2026)
Walk or bus: which gangster tour fits you
Book whichever fits your day:
Gangsters and Ghosts Walking Tour
A historian guide on how Capone ran his empire, Death Alley, the Palmer House and the Congress Hotel, with ghost stories between the crimes.
Check dates →Mob and Crime Bus Tour
Chicago Crime Tours' coach reaches the St. Valentine's Day Massacre site and John Dillinger's last walk, with Frank Nitti's safe in a mini museum stop.
See the bus tour →Gangsters and Food Tasting Walk
Three tastings in River North, from deep-dish pizza to a Chicago hot dog, and an old tunnel said to have been used by Capone.
See the food walk →Prohibition Speakeasies Tour
Three or four speakeasy-style bars, on foot downtown or by bus in the neighborhoods. Drinks are bought at each stop.
See the speakeasy tour →Prices, ratings and review counts from our October 2026 data check; operators use seasonal pricing, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Compare the three main tours
| Feature | Gangsters and Ghosts walk | Mob and Crime Bus Tour | Gangsters and Food walk |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | $31/person | $49/person | $75/person |
| Run by | Empire Tours & Productions | Chicago Crime Tours and Experiences | Empire Tours & Productions |
| Getting around | On foot, Loop | Coach, citywide | On foot, River North |
| St. Valentine's Day site | No | Yes | No |
| Included | Historian guide, visit inside the Palmer House | Guide, historic film footage, souvenir booklet | Guide, three food tastings, water or soft drink |
| Rating | 4.7/5 (1,880) | 4.5/5 (993) | 4.6/5 (295) |
| Book | Check dates | View options | View options |
After dark, on the river, or over dinner
- Chicago Crimes Night Tour: the bus tour's evening run, from $55 (4.6/5, 106 reviews).
- Historic Gangsters and Twilight Tales Night Cruise on the First Lady: the river at night with the darker side of the city's history, from the Great Fire to the Eastland disaster, from $46 (4.4/5, 174 reviews).
- Nitti's Supper Club: a three-course dinner show at Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse, in the building once tied to Capone's enforcer Frank Nitti, with a tour of the vault, from $88. It is new, with only a handful of reviews so far.
Prices and ratings checked October 2026.
Where the stories happened
A few sites are worth knowing about whether or not you take a tour. Most are only stories and street corners now; none has a museum attached.
- 2122 North Clark Street, Lincoln Park. The garage of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre stood here. It is a small lawn and parking area today, with no marker.
- The Biograph Theater, Lincoln Avenue. Federal agents shot the bank robber John Dillinger outside it in July 1934.
- Holy Name Cathedral, State Street. The North Side gang leader Hymie Weiss was shot dead across the street in 1926.
- 7244 South Prairie Avenue. Capone's family home, a private house; look from the street only.
- Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside. Capone is buried in the family plot west of the city.
What recent visitors say about the walk
"Max did a great job as our guide, with entertaining and educational details enthusiastically delivered at a perfect pace throughout the tour."
"Great activity on a fall night in Chicago! Peyton was engaging and informative. Tour was interesting and a good length."
"The tour was so interesting and was a great pace. Tanner was super engaging and a great tour guide. Would really recommend this tour, we learnt so much."
"Chris was great, knew the answers to any and all questions asked not just about the tour but also Chicago in general."
Before you book
The walking tours start in the Loop and are easy to fit around the Riverwalk, the Art Institute or a river cruise; the attractions map shows what else is nearby. Dress for wind off the lake in spring and autumn. Every tour on this page has free cancellation, but check each one's cut-off time before you book.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best gangster tour in Chicago?
For most visitors it is the Gangsters and Ghosts walking tour by Empire Tours & Productions: about two hours in the Loop with a historian guide, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 1,880 reviews and priced from $31 (checked October 2026). It mixes Capone-era crime with ghost stories. If you want the mob only, including the St. Valentine's Day Massacre site, take the Mob and Crime Bus Tour instead. Check walk dates.
Is the Chicago gangster tour worth it?
Yes, if you go in knowing what survives. Most of the buildings from the Capone years are gone, so the tours run on stories, a few surviving landmarks and good guides. At $31 to $49 a person (checked October 2026) the walking and bus tours are some of the cheaper guided experiences in Chicago, and reviewers mostly praise the guides by name.
Is there an Al Capone tour in Chicago?
There is no tour run by or about Capone alone, but every gangster tour in the city is built around him. The bus tours cover the most Capone sites because they can reach Lincoln Park; the walking tours stay in the Loop and River North, where his business and his hideouts were.
Does Chicago have a gangster museum?
Not a dedicated public one; the best-known mob museum in the United States is in Las Vegas. In Chicago, the Mob and Crime Bus Tour includes a small mobster museum stop with Frank Nitti's safe and address book, and Nitti's Supper Club runs a dinner show with a tour of the vault under Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse in River North.
Where is Al Capone's old house in Chicago?
Capone's family home is at 7244 South Prairie Avenue in the Park Manor neighborhood on the South Side. It is a private house, so you can only see it from the street, and it is a long way from the Loop.
Which hotel did Al Capone stay in in Chicago?
Capone ran his operation from the Metropole Hotel and then, from the late 1920s, the Lexington Hotel on South Michigan Avenue. Both buildings are gone; the Lexington was demolished in 1995.
Can you visit Al Capone's grave?
Yes. Capone is buried in the family plot at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, a western suburb of Chicago. The cemetery is open to visitors; please treat it as the working cemetery it is.
Where was Al Capone found dead?
Capone was not found dead in Chicago. After prison he lived at his house on Palm Island in Miami Beach, Florida, and died there in January 1947, after years of illness.
Where did the St. Valentine's Day Massacre happen?
In a garage at 2122 North Clark Street in Lincoln Park, on 14 February 1929, when seven men were shot. The garage was demolished in 1967 and the site is now a small lawn and parking area with no marker. The Mob and Crime Bus Tour stops there; the downtown walking tours do not reach it.
Do any tours go inside a speakeasy?
Yes. The Prohibition Speakeasies tour visits three or four speakeasy-style bars, on foot downtown or by bus in the neighborhoods. Drinks are bought separately at each stop, so check the age rules before you book.
How long are Chicago gangster tours?
The Gangsters and Ghosts walk takes about two hours. The bus tours and the speakeasy tour run longer; each lists its exact length on its booking page.
Are Chicago gangster tours suitable for children?
The walking and bus tours are history tours and many families take them, though the subject is organized crime and the walk includes ghost stories. The speakeasy and supper-club experiences centre on bars, so they suit adults.