What’s New at Navy Pier?
For our outing this month, the Chicago Detours team decided to head out to see what’s new at Navy Pier. Much like our Segway tour adventure in September, we wanted to change gears for a Chicago experience more frequented by tourists than locals. I’ll admit that my interest was also piqued because 2016 marks the centennial celebrations for Navy […]
Designing a University of Chicago Tour
Special for the University of Chicago, we’ve just developed a new tour of the University of Chicago campus and surrounding neighborhoods. The University of Chicago hired us to offer this tour for “Family Weekend,” when parents, siblings and grandparents of undergraduate students come to Hyde Park to learn more about the student experience. While the […]
What’s a Chicago Segway Tour Like?
Recently, the Chicago Detours team took a night off and went on a Chicago Segway tour. It may seem more touristy than our “Detours” style, but none of us had ever done a Segway tour before. Plus, we spend so much time as tour guides, that being tour guests sounded fun. We toured with our […]
The Magic of Working in the Monadnock Building
The Monadnock Building is a favorite for many Chicagoans, and we are ecstatic to call it the new home for Chicago Detours. A landmark skyscraper built in the 1890s, the Monadnock has been through a lot. We research stories from Chicago history, architecture and culture like this while developing our live virtual tours, in-person private tours, and custom […]
Four Ideas for Corporate Team Building in Chicago
Team building events can be a great time or a chore, depending on what your group decides to do. As someone who has worked for both a massive company and a small local business, I can tell you that getting to know my co-workers outside of the office is always worthwhile. Heading to the closest bar […]
The Story Behind Chicago’s Downtown Office Space
We are currently in the market for Chicago downtown office space because we must leave Chicago Detours’ home for the past 5 years. We’ve been in the historic Bennett Brothers Building at Adams and Wabash. I’ve always like this cool retro ceiling in the lobby. Time for a New Space We have to move because of the changing […]
The History of Four Chicago Lighthouses
When one thinks of architecture in Chicago, lighthouses might not come to mind. But Chicago, long a preeminent American port, has an extended history with these vital, vertical structures. We research stories from Chicago history, architecture and culture like this while developing our live virtual tours, in-person private tours, and custom content for corporate events. You can join […]
The Evolution of the Merchandise Mart
While on the green line last week I rode past the hefty, block-long Merchandise Mart and began to wonder about its history. As I learned from Amanda‘s talk at the Union League Club this past week, the structure of older buildings usually aren’t very flexible and so they struggle to provide functioning spaces like modern […]
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 […]
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 […]
