CHICAGO HERITAGE TOURS
Chicago Historian, Published Author, & Acclaimed Tour Guide
Meet Your Chicago Guide
Sally Sexton Kalmbach is a fourth-generation Chicagoan whose family founded a food-based company in the early 1880s. After more than 20 years as a worldwide travel consultant, she brought her skills home to Chicago, blending a love of travel, food, and storytelling with a deep passion for her hometown. Her tours and talks reflect a rich understanding of Chicago’s history and traditions, along with insider knowledge of its landmarks, neighborhoods, and museums. She has taught at institutions like the Newberry Library, serves on the board of the Chicago Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, and has led countless walking tours and lectures for Chicago organizations and clubs, earning a reputation for making history both accessible and fun. She is also the author of *The Jewel of the Gold Coast: Mrs. Potter Palmer’s Chicago* and *Mrs. Thorne’s World of Miniatures*.
In addition to regularly scheduled offerings, private walking tours and presentations can be arranged throughout the year and tailored to your interests. For direct inquiries, email sskalmbach@yahoo.com or call 312.285.7105.
Tour Highlights
Gold Coast Grandeur
Immerse yourself in the history and architecture of Chicago’s magnificent Gold Coast on a walking tour led by a local historian. As you explore this elegant lakeside neighborhood, you’ll hear stories of the influential fair committee members and the architects who shaped both the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and the Gold Coast—figures like Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mrs. Potter Palmer. Along the way, you’ll see landmark homes, view historic images of the Fair, and hear insights drawn from my acclaimed book, *The Jewel of the Gold Coast: Mrs. Potter Palmer’s Chicago*. This tour can be fully customized based on your interests and tour length, with the option to include a visit inside the Charnley-Persky House Museum, designed by Louis Sullivan while Frank Lloyd Wright was working as his draftsman.
Art Institute Highlights
Experience the Art Institute of Chicago like never before on an exclusive tour designed for curious adults and families alike. Led by a Chicago guide and art aficionado, you’ll explore the museum’s remarkable history and architecture while diving into one of the world’s finest art collections. From Monet and Renoir to American Gothic, Nighthawks, Sunday in the Park, and portraits by John Singer Sargent, you’ll trace how Chicago has both shaped and been shaped by five millennia of human creativity. For guests who are especially intrigued, there’s also the opportunity to explore the enchanting Thorne Miniature Rooms with a guide who literally wrote the book on Mrs. James Ward Thorne—adding a richly detailed layer for those who want to go deeper.
Chicago Architecture
Walk through the soul of the city on a Chicago architecture tour that brings the skyline to life. This experience explores the city’s remarkable range of styles—from the Beaux-Arts elegance of the Loop to the bold lines of Modernism and Brutalism—through sweeping exterior views and some of downtown’s most impressive lobbies. You’ll stand in awe beneath Willis Tower and the Chicago Board of Trade, then step inside historic gems like the Monadnock Building, the Rookery, the Marquette Building, and the stunning interiors of the Chicago Cultural Center. Throughout, you’ll see how architecture reflects Chicago’s growth, its economic booms, and its social changes. This tour can be customized to focus on the buildings, interiors, and public art that best match your interests.
Underground Chicago
Uncover the shadowed narratives of our city through two distinct walking tours that reveal what lies just beneath the surface. On the Lincoln Park tour, you’ll learn how this beloved green space began as a sprawling municipal cemetery and hear stories of the massive effort to relocate thousands of graves, along with the forgotten burials and remains still discovered by residents today. On the Graceland Cemetery tour, you’ll wander through a serene landscape shaped by visionary designers while visiting the resting places of Chicago’s most influential figures, turning this quiet oasis into a journey through the city’s social and architectural history. These Underground Chicago tours can be tailored to the time and length of walking that works best for you.
Chicago History Speeches
Chicago's Stories, Brought To Life
Step into the past with lectures that turn history into experience. From the gilded mansions of the Gold Coast to the groundbreaking architecture of the Loop, expert-led talks reveal the hidden stories behind the neighborhoods that shaped Chicago.
Perfect for historical societies, community groups, and private events -- I bring the stories nobody else is telling to the neighborhoods you thought you knew.
Plan Your Experience
Prefer not to use the form? Email sskalmbach@yahoo.com or call 312.285.7105.