Chicago’s Pedway System: A Maze of Not-So-Secret Tunnels

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Chicago Pedway marker
A Chicago Pedway medallion on a wall marking one of the entrances.

The Chicago Pedway system isn’t a secret tunnel system to those who live and work in downtown Chicago. It’s a handy way to get around underground, especially during inclement weather.

But it felt like discovering a secret world when we found it while staying at the Radisson Blu Aqua hotel in Chicago in 2019. A jaunt in search of lunch one day led us to what I called a tunnel but what I learned was really part of the Chicago Pedway system.

Which, calling it a tunnel isn’t far off. Let’s take a closer look at it.

About the Chicago Pedway System

The Chicago Pedway System is a system of underground tunnels and even overhead bridges that links hotels, offices, bus and train stations. According to the Chicago.gov site about the system, all in all, it encompasses about 40 blocks/5 miles and connects about 50 buildings.

The City of Chicago began construction in 1951 when one-block tunnels connected Red and Blue line subways at Washington Street and Jackson Boulevard. It’s definitely expanded a lot since then with both city and private contributions!

Covid’s Impact on Pedway Businesses

With so much foot traffic, is it any wonder there are shops, restaurants, and services in the tunnels too? Kind of like a secret below-ground mall that you wouldn’t know was there unless you lived in the city. Or were a hungry tourist who stumbled upon it like we did.

I’d had a good lunch at Blackwood BBQ in the Pedway under the Illinois Center when we visited in 2019. During our visit this year I wondered if it was still there. Or even open. Because we quickly realized some downtown eateries were still temporarily closed thanks to Covid-related issues.

What about the ones in the Pedway?

A Jaunt Through the Pedway

On a recent trip to  Chicago, the hotel we stayed at was connected to the Pedway. I decided to pay it a visit to find out what it looked like post-Covid.

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What did I find? Some things were still closed, some had re-opened. There was still foot traffic, but a lot lighter than when we’d been there two years before.

Sadly, that Blackwood BBQ location was still closed. (But there were other locations around the city we could’ve gone to.)

Since Take a Hike Day is November 17 (see the Weird Holidays & Observances page), I decided. “Why not share my quick jaunt through the Pedway at the Illinois Center?”

Because not all hikes happen in the wild. Some can be urban adventures too!

Chicago Pedway Photos

Illinois Center Pedway entrance from Hyatt Regency Chicago
The Illinois Center Pedway entrance from inside the Hyatt Regency Chicago. (Where we stayed this trip.)
Tunnel from Hyatt Regency Chicago to Pedway in Illinois Center
The tunnel from the Hyatt Regency Chicago to the Pedway in the Illinois Center.
Chicago Pedway tunnel
Overhead signs like this help point you in the right direction.
Chicago Pedway tunnel 2
An example of the many corridors stretching through the Pedway.
Escalators in the Chicago Pedway at Illinois Center
Escalators in the Chicago Pedway at the Illinois Center.
Hotel and commuter train signage
There are also signs like these to let you know which way to go. Because it can be rather maze-like down there!
Illinois Center street entrance
The street entrance to the Illinois Center and the Pedway system within.
Chicago Architecture Center banner in Illinois Center
You can even access the Chicago Architecture Center from inside the Pedway at the Illinois Center. Right behind this banner is the entrance to the Center.
McDonald's in Illinois Center
This McDonald’s was back open for takeout at least.
Burrito Beach in Illinois Center
A really good example of how Covid is still affecting business in the Pedway. This photo was taken during lunchtime on a Tuesday in 2021. When I visited in 2019, this place had been packed. People still utilize the Pedway, or are getting back to it, but compared to before? Let’s just say social distancing is not the problem it once was.

Chicago Pedway Video

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Have you ever used the Chicago Pedway system?

2 Comments

  1. I have been to Chicago, but I didn’t even realize there was an underground pedestrian network. Some of the photos remind me of airport corridors.

  2. Author

    It reminded me a LOT of the one in DC, which I also got a great big kick out of when we first went there in 2007. I had no idea such types of things existed back then, and then to find another one…why I’m so fascinated by them I don’t know but they’re so much fun. I guess if I lived there it’d just be commonplace, but maybe that’s it. It’s so not like anything in my daily life. lol

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