Offbeat Street Art Tour Of Chicago: Urban Graffiti, Art, And Murals

No show. I changed my work day to take time off to do this. Charge was taken. Got confirmation day prior and an email after asking me to rate them. NO ONE SHOWED up. The tour company seems hasn't shown up for its tours since August. Company should remove ability to book and stop the automated emails that go with this tour when no one is going to show up. This ruined my day and now I have to chase my money with the credit card. I sent 2 voicemails and 2 emails. NO REPLY.

A day before the tour, we received an automated booking reminder via email. So the four of us took a ride over from the Loop just for this tour, only to discover that the guide was not present. Called the number listed on their website before getting there as well as while we were there, and nobody picked up. So there’s no direct way of getting a refund either. So please be aware that you might be spending your money for no reason and with no other way to get it back other than disputing the charge with your bank/credit card company if you book a tour with this unprofessional and unethical tour operator.

What a JOKE! Never one ever showed up for the tour. Tried calling. Tried texting! Spent $80+ to Uber both ways only to be stood up! I get things happen BUT instead of just not showing up, you should have just cancel the tour!!! I was so looking forward to this!!!

Came down to Chicago from Milwaukee on the 22nd,2026. Arrived at the meeting place at (early) 12:30; the tour was to be at 1 pm. I waited until 1:20; the gal at the coffee house meeting place (at G&G in Wicker Park) said the Tour guide didn't show up the day before either!!!! I have called the posted phone number 4 times in 3 days and have not heard anything from them!!

Brian gave an excellent tour of the varied street art in the area from Bucktown north toward Logan Square. I especially enjoyed his insights on the different artistic and social movements that have shaped contemporary street art practice.

I brought a group of 33 senior citizens on a motor coach and Brian met us at 417 North Ashland Ave. He took us on a 2 hour narrated walking/bus tour that highlighted many large painted murals. His personal knowledge of the artists and their work was impressive and his passion was apparent. As a result we now have a greater understanding and appreciation for the street art in Chicago.

It was an outstanding experience. The tour was highly insightful, and Brian’s knowledge, thoroughness, and passion for the subject made it truly engaging. I gained a deeper appreciation for Chicago’s vibrant street art scene and thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Highly recommended for anyone interested in art and urban culture.

We covered a lot of ground and saw some fantastic art. I loved exploring a few neighborhoods that I have never visited in the Chicago area. Our guide was soft-spoken but very knowledgeable and flexible with our pace and interests!

this was my 3rd street art tour (also have done new orleans & montreal) and this one included the most insights into US and Chicago history that led to street art, as well as great info and insights into modern works and the current cultural nuances. i whole-heartedly recommend this walking street art tour

Our group of seven lucked out with a private tour with Brian. It was outstanding! Everyone learned a ton about street art, murals, and graffiti. Gorgeous pieces, great detail, Brian clearly loves his job!

We enjoy street art. This gave us an opportunity to see some pieces we might not have seen otherwise. Our guide was great!

Bryan was very knowledgeable. The tour was well paced, and he was considerate of all in the group. We learned a lot and enjoyed the art.

Brian is very knowledgeable and a talented artist, it's a great way to learn about graffiti, street art, and vandal art.

This is our second tour with Offbeat Street Art Tour. Brian was our guide on both tours. The pre-walk portion is a chat about the history of street life & culture. He then delves into the history of the specific neighborhoods &how that ties into the art we were going to see. Yesterday was the Fulton Market tour. I live in West loop & have seen some of the murals, etc but did not know the history &the details on the art itself. Brian is very knowledgeable about styles, materials used, & history of many of the artists. We saw 3 exceptional "pieces" of women muralists. It was interesting to hear how more women are entering this forum of art. The other tour we took w/Brian was the Bucktown tour. It was also an A+ tour, especially love the "Chicago" mural at the end of the tour. Highly recommend Offbeat Street Art Tour.

Briana was very engaging, gave us lots of information about the artists and styles. You could tell she loved the subject. As we are locals, was nice to see things we never would have noticed on our own.

Wow!! Brittany (Tenae?) was wonderful! She started out with a Bang with the Nike mural and the garage doors of musician fame! Then she pointed out many more on our 1.5 mile walk north. Tenae is interesting and passionate about street art (which she also produces). We parked at the North - walked south to meet her - and did not notice nearly the murals that she showed us! Relaxed pace. Stop for water (and donuts) I HIGHLY recommend - and we are local! (Tenae also remembered all of our names through the tour!)

knowledgeable, legit, professional . wear some good walking shoes and check the weather , in case it sprinkles . loved it and would recommend .

Brian was absolutely fab! The start and end points are close to the blue line, so it's easy to get there from the Loop. It was a very hot day, so we did the background information chat in the super Goddess Cafe, and then walked around the awesome street art. Brian was able to answer all kinds of questions from the group and we really did test him! It was also a great way to see some of the suburbs, out of the Loop.

As we walked from one site to the next, our guide invited us to describe our impression of the art. Was interesting to hear perspectives of others in the group.

Briana was a delightful guide who seemed as delighted aboit viewing the street artists as we were viewing them for the first time.

2nd time if trying to send great review of v great walking tour. It was wonderful to get off tourist route and see real neighbourhoods. Briany is a great guide with so much knowledge of street culture and of how the art is created.

"The overall experience was excellent. The guide was kind, respectful, and gentle throughout the visit. I would highly recommend this experience."

Briana led us on a very fun and informative walk through an unexpected array of vibrant street art. She deftly worked in backgrounds of the major artists whose work we were looking at, along with comments about the neighborhoods we went through. Our two hours sped by. Two solid thumbs up on this tour and our tour guide!

What a fun experience! I strongly recommend this walking tour for anyone seeking a better appreciation for street art. I learned so much about the history of urban art, and the inspiration of various artists in creating their murals. I was amazed at beauty people are capable of in creating this art, and the knowledge our guide has about urban art could not be topped. I will never look at street art, and especially graffiti in the same way. It was a treat to explore Bucktown shops and restaurants too!

Brian was a great guide and you could tell he was very passionate when he spoke about the street art. We learned a lot and now have a better understanding of what is behind the murals. We definitely would recommend this tour to friends and family.

Amazing tour, guide was very informative and passionate. The guide was ready to answer all questions and made sure at the end of the tour everyone was sorted with transportation.

Great tour! Brian was really knowledgeable on the local artist & groups. A wonderful and fun walking tour! I would recommend this for people who want to see a different side of Chicago.

The guide was passionate and very knowledgeable. We we’ve given enough background so we could appreciate what we were seeing and where the artists were coming from. The art was great and it was a pleasant walk around a couple of suburban Chicago neighbourhoods

Loved this tour - a great guide who gave us enough background so we could really appreciate what we were seeing and the art was fantastic!

Wonderful glimpse into street life culture in Chicago. Not only did we see some great art and learn about street art culture, we also learned a bit about the history of the neighborhoods that we visited. We had visited the particular areas earlier in our long weekend trip, so i would recommend doing this earlier in your visit so you can go back to enjoy the area and all it has to offer. Our tour guide Jacki was excellent - such passion for the information she was sharing.

Excellent tour guide who really knows the subject. Lovely walk and discussions. Would highly recommend.

Excellent tour. Tour guide was really knowledgeable and accommodating. Highly recommended tour. The highlight of our trip.

Discover an amazing neighborood of Chicago, with incredible pieces of Street Art such as the big Robbin Williams'one.

The tour was very informative on the urban street art scene, its artists, and evolution. It was a wonderful walking tour!!

This tour was wonderful! I recommend it highly. It is not a standard tour of Chicago. We spent time walking in the Bucktown and Logan Square neighborhoods and saw amazing street art. The guide explained the stories of the murals. I am a Chicagoan, and I drive in these neighborhoods regularly, and I learned so much on this tour.

Highly recommend this tour! Brian was a great guide who gave us an excellent overview of this history as well as great stories about the art. An easy walking route with tons of art to see -- definitely a highlight of our trip!

Such a fun and interesting tour! We booked this for a group of 10 (4 locals and 6 visiting from Minnesota ranging from ages 15 - 65). Everyone enjoyed the guided tour to various street art displays, especially as many of them are not widely known about (even for locals). We picked this tour for the group because we wanted something that showed a different side to the Chicago neighborhoods. This tour definitely delivered in the best way! Our tour guide was Matthew. He did a wonderful job - very knowledgeable and engaging.

Honestly, it was a brilliant way to spend an afternoon, our guide was so informative and knowledgeable, we had the best time and cannot recommend it highly enough :)

Matthew was great! We went on a Thurs and my 13 yo daughter and I were the only ones. So it was like a private tour! It was so cool to hear about the facts/history or the different art and artist.

I would highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in a different kind of experience vs the typical touristy ones. Our guide (Jackie) was engaging, informative and walked/talked us through 2 neighborhoods, over a two hour period, at a very comfortable pace, providing history/background not only about the AMAZING street art murals, but about the area as well, and an informal history of street art. My limited knowledge, albeit great curiousity for street art, grew exponentially by the time the tour concluded, as did my appreciation for the art form. We loved this "off the beaten path" experience - a mere 20 mins by car, outside the bustling/busy heart of Chicago.

I love documenting street art and these were some nice pieces. Jacki our tour guide was great and very knowledgeable I give her 5 ***** stars. I recommend this tour CATITUDE

This is an excellent tour. I have lived in Chicago for 30 years and never been on a tour like this. Our guide, Jackie, was a Ph.D. student in art history and was amazing. Plus, you really get to feel the vibe of the Buck Town, Wicker Park neighborhoods.

If you're into art at all, this tour is so worth the money. Mathew was kind and extremely knowledgeable about street art generally, the specific pieces we saw on the tour, and the artists themselves. He answered all of our questions and I learned a ton about street art---and a bit about Chicago as well. Mathew is passionate about this art, and it shows. Highly recommend.

Jackie was the best tour guide! 5 Starr for sure . She was very knowledgeable about each work of art. Took our picture at the end in front of the greetings from Chicago art!

Loved the tour. One family member was a Chicagonative and never noticed the street art before in the city. Very knowledgeable tour guide and now we’re noticing the artists all over the area.

Amazing. Highly recommend this tour. Learned a ton about graffiti art and the behavioral codes surrounding graffiti artists. Learned about the diversity of graffiti and the fact that half of the artists are women. I could go on and on.

Our guide was knowledgeable and very thoughtful. I recommend this tour for anyone interested in street and graffiti art.

We are lifelong residents of Chicago who enjoy our street art. That being said, our tour guide showed us some surprising works that we had never seen. She was informed, articulate, and passionate about the topic as well. Very satifying!

This was a great tour. We saw some amazing art and learned a lot. My entire family-older teen boys, my husband and myself - all enjoyed it. Highly recommend it (as long as the weather is good, it would not have been nearly as enjoyable in bad weather!).