Your phone turns Chicago into a game. I love the low price and the way it spotlights major sights in a tight route, while you solve smartphone clues at your own pace. The main downside: the app setup can feel a bit fiddly, and the final moments can be glitchy if something isn’t accessible.

You start at the Chicago History Museum and finish at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, with a spooky-leaning story threaded through real places around Lincoln Park. It’s also a private activity, so it’s just your group—no waiting on a big tour herd.

If you enjoy puzzles and walking while you read, you’ll likely have fun. If you want a live guide telling stories out loud, this is not that kind of experience.

Key things to know before you go

• Smartphone scavenger hunt format: solve clues on your phone to get the next step
• About 2 hours on foot: short stops built for flexible pacing
• Major Lincoln Park landmarks: monuments and park stops tied to the story
• Admission tickets are mixed: Chicago History Museum and Lincoln Park Zoo aren’t included
• Support is built in: 24/7 customer support plus in-app help/chat

A Phone-Driven Haunted Walk in Chicago for $7.20

This experience is built around one idea: use your phone to turn a self-guided walk into a story-driven challenge. You’re not paying for a guide with a microphone. You’re paying for a game structure that keeps you moving from one point to the next.

At $7.20 per person, the value comes from two things. First, you get a planned route with clue checkpoints. Second, you’re using your own time at each spot instead of being pushed along on someone else’s schedule. For budget-minded travelers, that matters.

The haunted theme is what ties it together. You’ll be answering clues and completing little challenges as you go. That’s what makes it more fun than simply sightseeing with a map. Just remember: your phone is the “guide” here, so a smooth setup helps.

Start at Chicago History Museum, Then Get Your First Clue

You’ll begin at Chicago History Museum, 1601 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614. The start matters because you don’t just arrive and wander—you begin by getting the first clue that sets the story in motion and points you toward the next stop.

This stop is listed as about 10 minutes, and it’s important to know the admission part: the Chicago History Museum ticket is not included. So plan on either paying for entry separately or deciding how you want to handle that if you don’t want to go inside.

What I like about starting here is that it gives you a clear “game launch.” Once you’ve got clue #1, the rest of the walk feels more like a route you’re solving than a route you’re guessing.

Lincoln Monument and Ulysses S. Grant Monument: Quick Stops, Real Momentum

After the museum, the next checkpoints shift into outdoor landmark territory.

At the Standing Lincoln Monument, you get a new clue and then you can stop as long as you like. The listing notes admission is free here. Same idea at the Ulysses S. Grant Monument: you solve the next clue, and you’re free to hang around for as long as you want before you move on.

These are the kinds of stops that work well for a self-led game:

• You can do the clue quickly, then take a minute for photos.
• You can pause without worrying about losing your place with a group.
• You get little breaks between longer walks.

A small consideration: because you’re on your own, you’ll want to keep an eye on what the app is asking. If you get distracted, it’s easy to lose the thread—then you’ll have to backtrack your thinking, not your steps.

Bridge Over South Pond and Hans Christian Andersen Monument: Where the Story Flavor Shows Up

Next up is the Bridge over South Pond. Like the other free landmarks, you receive a clue and can take your time. Then you move to the Hans Christian Andersen Monument, where the clue activity continues at another outdoor stop.

These checkpoints are short and practical, which is exactly what you want in a phone-led experience. You’re not committing to long indoor time blocks at every location. Instead, you’re getting a steady rhythm:

1) arrive

2) read the clue

3) follow directions

4) move to the next location

If you’re hoping for the experience to feel “haunted” in a dramatic, movie-scene way, this is probably more of a low-key spooky storytelling style than a theatrical production. The haunted energy comes through the clue prompts and challenges, not through guide-led performances.

Lincoln Park Zoo: The One Place Where Tickets Can Change Your Plan

The big timing and money moment in the route is the Lincoln Park Zoo stop.

You’ll go to Lincoln Park Zoo for the next clue, and this is one of the two listed stops where admission ticket is not included. The listing gives you flexibility—you can stop as long as you like—but your decision about the zoo entry will affect how long you really spend there.

Here’s how to think about it like a traveler:

• If you plan to visit the zoo anyway, this stop is convenient because it’s already part of a route.
• If you don’t want to pay for admission, you can still use the clue stop as a focal point, but you may end up spending less time than the game’s pacing suggests.

Either way, keep your phone handy. When a clue involves a specific point in a zoo setting, being able to check your screen quickly can save you time (and frustration).

Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool Finish: Where the Story Ends

Your final stop is Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool. This is where both the city exploration game and the walk route end.

Admission is listed as free here. The stop itself is listed as about 10 minutes, but the bigger point is what the finish represents: it’s the final “chapter” where the game wraps up.

One practical warning based on the experience feedback: the end of a phone game is where issues can pop up if a location is temporarily inaccessible or if the app can’t load the final content right when you arrive. The good news is that the experience includes 24/7 customer support, and in-app help/chat has helped people when they hit a snag near the end.

So if you get stuck at the last clue, don’t force it for an hour. Use the app help immediately and contact support if needed.

How the Questo App Works (and Why Setup Matters)

This tour is provided through Questo, and the core mechanic is straightforward: you use your phone to receive clues, answer challenges, and get directions for the next stop. You also get a mobile ticket.

That sounds easy, but the practical experience can hinge on a few small realities:

• Phone battery matters because you’re relying on your screen the whole time.
• Signal matters in outdoor areas where apps may load slowly.
• App setup speed matters because you start your journey right away.

A lot of the value here is that the game structure replaces what a guide would normally do: it tells you where to go next and gives you a reason to look more closely at each site. But that also means there’s no fallback person on the ground if the app is slow.

If you like to travel with a plan, this style is great. If you’re the type who hates technology on vacation, you might find it annoying.

Tickets and Money: What You Pay for vs. What You Don’t

The price is $7.20 per person, which is the base cost of the phone-led game.

Separately, two stops require admission where the listing says ticket is not included:

• Chicago History Museum
• Lincoln Park Zoo

All the other listed landmark stops in the route are marked as free:

• Lincoln Monument
• Ulysses S. Grant Monument
• Bridge over South Pond
• Hans Christian Andersen Monument
• Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool

So the real cost for you depends on your interests. If you’re likely to visit the museum and the zoo anyway, this route can feel like a bargain add-on because it gives you a reason to follow a structured path. If you’re not planning on paying museum/zoo entry, you’ll want to treat the game as a walking scavenger hunt around the edges—and accept that some stops might cost extra if you decide to go in.

Getting Around: A Route Built for Public Transit Days

You’ll be walking a route across the Lincoln Park area, with a starting point at Chicago History Museum and an ending point at Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool.

The listing notes it’s near public transportation, which is a big plus. You can pick this as a way to tour without needing a car or dealing with parking stress.

Also: it’s a private tour/activity, meaning only your group participates. That usually helps with pacing. You won’t be waiting for stragglers from another party.

Still, because you’re self-led, you’ll want to give yourself a little buffer. If you arrive late to a stop, you may lose the flow of the clue chain. The game is designed around moving stop-to-stop, not around arriving and starting from scratch.

Who This Fits Best (and Who It Might Not)

I think this works best for:

• Budget travelers who want structure without a big price tag
• People who enjoy puzzles and reading prompts on the go
• Families or small groups who like exploring at their own speed
• Visitors who want to see several Lincoln Park landmarks in one outing

It might not fit as well if:

• You really want a guided narration and live storytelling
• You dislike using apps while walking
• You’re short on phone battery or don’t want to rely on mobile directions and clue screens
• You don’t want to consider the possibility of separate museum/zoo entry

The Bottom Line: Should You Book This Haunted Chicago Game?

If you want a fun, inexpensive way to see a handful of major Chicago landmarks while solving challenges, I’d say this is worth a look—especially because the price is low and the route is tightly planned.

My recommendation turns on one key question: how comfortable are you with a self-led phone game? If you’re good with that trade-off, you get a flexible, walkable plan from Chicago History Museum to Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool with multiple clue stops along the way. And if you run into a problem near the end, you have 24/7 customer support plus in-app help tools.

If you’re looking for a guided tour experience with a real person leading the way, or you don’t want any phone dependency at all, you’ll probably feel like something is missing. In that case, you may prefer a traditional guided haunted tour instead.

FAQ

How much does the Haunted Chicago Exploration Game cost?

It costs $7.20 per person.

How long does the experience take?

It takes about 2 hours.

Is this a guided tour or self-led?

It’s self-led. You use your phone to play the city exploration game.

Where do I start and where do I finish?

You start at Chicago History Museum, 1601 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614. You finish at Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, 125 W Fullerton Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60614.

What language is the experience offered in?

It’s offered in English.

Are admission tickets included?

No. Admission tickets are not included for Chicago History Museum and Lincoln Park Zoo. The other listed stops are marked as free.

Is there a tour guide included?

No, there is no tour guide included.

Is customer support available?

Yes. The experience includes 24/7 customer support.

Is it private or group-based?

It’s a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate.

Can I bring a service animal?

Yes, service animals are allowed.