We will begin our journey from The Prairie Avenue District (The Spoke & Bird) where George Pullman’s massive family residence once stood and then pedal our way to The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum located across from The Pullman Wheelworks Factory. The Randolph Pullman Porter Museum contains a permanent collection displays exhibits which are pertinent to the study of American Labor History with a specific focus on the African-American contribution to America’s labor history of the Pullman Company, as it relates to the labor history of African American Railroad employees.

Date: Sunday, May 6th, 2018
Time: 8:00am to 5:00pm
Cost: $25 (Includes admission into The A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum)
Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/randolph-porter-museum-big-marsh-acme-plant-cycling-tour-tickets-42819513317?aff=es2#tickets
Departure Location: Spoke & Bird (205 E 18th St, Chicago, IL 60616)
Total Distance Round Trip: 40 Miles
Average Speed: 10-12 MPH with rest stops planned along the way.
Skill level: Moderate ride / No drop
Gear: bike, lock, helmet, warmer clothing, hydration, snacks and a camera

We will then bike through The Historic Neighborhood of Pullman. Pullman was built in 1880 and was the planned model factory town where employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company lived and worked. George M. Pullman’s Town today still contains the Pullman Administration Building and Clock Tower, The Hotel Florence, The Green Stone Church, The Pullman Mural, and home to the newly installed former President Barack Obama and George M. Pullman Murals.
We will then head over to The Big Marsh which is 278 acres of open space sharing its past with Big Steel and the unique natural history of the Calumet region. Big Marsh creates a new legacy of outdoor recreational biking and public space stewardship.

If time permits we will bike past and get up close to the abandoned ACME Coke Plant which was constructed over the years 1905 through 1929. The Acme coke facility mainly consisted of two oven batteries, containing about 50 separate ovens inside each, as well as 15 brick buildings and a wooden quenching tower and is the backdrop of the Big Marsh.