History of The 606
Neighborhoods
Bizarre Chicago, run by Bucktown-Wicker Park resident Gordon Meyer, offers unique and entertaining neighborhood walking tours. The top-rated and popular small-group tours focus on forgotten history, unexplained mysteries, and ghost stories.
History of The 606
Welcome to Chicago's one of a kind elevated park trail. This former railway runs almost three miles. We begin at Walsh Park, the eastern terminus.
The 606, or as the locals know it, the Bloomingdale (Avenue) Trail, was constructed in 1857 at street level. Before elevation in 1910, it crossed 35 streets, which resulted in a love-hate relationship due to the danger it posed to nearby residents. When the city told the rail company they had to elevate the track, they only gave them five years to accomplish it. It was quite an engineering feat for the time!
Eventually the line was abandoned, and the rail company sold it to the city (for one dollar!) in 2009, and on June 6th, 2015 (6/06) it opened as a city park.
A view of the Bloomingdale Line before renovation into The 606.This tour is brought to you by Gordon Meyer, a neighbor and creator of the Bizarre Bucktown and Bizarre Wicker Park walking tours. Join Gordon for guided tours of the neighborhood's history, mysteries, and ghosts. Tickets and more info at the website below.
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History of The 606
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