Exploring a Downtown Chicago Religious Buildings
Earlier this summer, I had the joy of being guided around the Chicago Temple by our director Amanda Scotese. Those of you who have joined us for the Loop Interior Architecture Walking Tour have caught just a glimpse of what this marvelous skyscraper affords in history and architectural gems. Now we’re getting ready for our […]
Prairie Avenue Chicago: The City’s First Neighborhood of Mansions
Maybe you’ve heard of the elite Gold Coast neighborhood on the Near North Side, but how about the Historic District of Prairie Avenue? Potter Palmer constructed a million-dollar mansion on the formerly-swampy Lake Shore Drive in 1882, establishing the city’s most affluent neighborhood on the North Side. Still, it wasn’t Chicago’s first affluent neighborhood. Before […]
Experiencing Interior Architecture at CAF’s Open House Chicago
Between tours this past weekend, I tried my best to take advantage of Open House Chicago. The Chicago Architecture Foundation’s now-annual event, which they describe as “a free, city-wide, behind-the-scenes look at many the city’s great places and spaces.” You may know from our Loop Interior Architecture Walking Tour that Chicago Detours loves experiencing architecture from […]
Researching a Chicago Mystery at State & Madison
Recently, we were asked why State Street was not straight, but jogged over at Madison Avenue. It’s a spot we know well, but couldn’t answer off the top of our heads. So, these past two weeks I’ve been researching Chicago. Usually, the Chicago Detours guides make Chicago architecture and history look easy, but let me […]