A South Side environmental nonprofit, Blacks in Green, will soft-launch its Woodlawn and South Lakefront Tourism Center this week. The center, located at 6431 S. Cottage Grove Ave., will offer walking, bike, and bus tours of local history, eateries, and developments.

Tours and Events

The walking tours will explore Blacks in Green developments and gardens, including the future Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley House Museum and Shrine of the Great Migration. Biking tours will travel 8 miles and explore sustainability and civil rights on the South Side, centered on the Till family’s history and the Great Migration. Culinary tours will visit Bronzeville Winery, a farmer and chef in Woodlawn, and a South Shore al fresco eatery.

The launch weekend coincides with the Obama Presidential Center’s opening weekend, and the tourism center’s grand opening is scheduled for Labor Day, Sept. 7. The center will host regular tours and feature a reading room, office space for visitors and residents, and a Sip and Savor pop-up café alongside an existing short-term rental.

Community Impact

The launch weekend also includes socials with wine, hors d’oeuvres, and storytelling at the tourism center. Tickets to the socials are $80. The tickets serve as a fundraiser for the house museum, garden, and theater at the Till family home, which is set to open in 2028.

Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.