Hot Dogs on Memorial Day, Oscar Mayer Has a Way…
Countless Oscar Mayer wieners will be grilled this Memorial Day weekend, though there’s no guarantee that they’ll be prepared as a Chicago style hot dog of course. Oscar Mayer – which originated in Chicago – was a pioneering master at advertising and brand identity. Countless millions consume their hot dogs, sausages, bacon and deli meats. Indeed, Oscar […]
The Legacy of Landscape Architect Jens Jensen
Jens Jensen was a phenomenally prolific and skilled landscape architect. Of all the big names that helped develop our great American urban parks, this one feels under-sung to me. His works are some of the most beloved Chicago’s parks. Yet his life and legacy don’t have the same fame as Frederick Law Olmsted or the glamorous […]
How Do We Reckon with Orientalist Architecture in Chicago?
Chicago is famous for its different schools of architecture. The First Chicago School created the skyscraper and gave our city its architectural identity. The Second Chicago School, the Modernists of Mies van der Rohe with their austere steel and glass facades, completely redefined how we think of buildings. Today, contemporary architects like Jeanne Gang blaze […]
Best Tours to Get to Know Chicago for New Chicagoans
We welcome you new Chicagoans to Chi-town. The Second City. The City of Big Shoulders. The City That Works. Urbs in Horto. The Windy City. Any city with that many names contains multitudes of experiences. It’s probably impossible to ever fully know Chicago, but Chicago Detours offers public tours that you can individually sign up for, […]
Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the 1893 World’s Fair
The 125th anniversary of the 1893 World’s Fair is this year! In fact, Chicago welcomed visitors from around the world to the opening ceremony of the World’s Columbian Exposition on this day 125 years ago. We explore some of the fair’s incredible legacy during our 1893 World’s Fair Tour every week. The nerds at Chicago Detours […]