The Business of Chicago - Economic History Walking Tour

Chicago is an global economic powerhouse -- with a $900 billion economy about the size of the GDP of Switzerland. Today and historically, huge amounts of wealth have flowed from the business of Chicago -- creating prosperity for titans of industry, but also for a vast middle class and the union working class. We will walk Chicago's business district and hear the city history as explained by its economy. We will learn how Chicago became the biggest emporium of natural resources in the world, and how it then transformed into one of the world's major industrial manufacturing cities. We will trace connections from legacy industries like meat and grain through to the modern day. Finally we will discuss the economy of Chicago today - what is the business of Chicago today? We discuss Chicago's logistical advantages and challenges into the future.

This is an outdoor walking tour in the Chicago Loop. We will step inside many historic office buildings to help provide insight to history. - We starting at the Chicago Theater, with orientation to the Loop. - We head to the Chicago Riverwalk, where we will learn the stories of the historic skyscrapers along the river. We will learn which modern companies are operating in these buildings. - We will visit Merchandise Mart, America's largest commercial building, and explore Chicago's history of wholesaling. - Next we will explore the spine of the Chicago financial district, including the historic Chicago Board of Trade and Google's new Midwest headquarters. - Finally we will visit the Willis Tower (aka Sears Tower)-- a monument to the Sears and Roebuck corporation. - We will end in the southeast corner of the Loop, near the Willis Tower.