How Sandburg Village Renewed Old Town
When I’m not nerding out on Chicago history here at Chicago Detours, I have a second job life-guarding at what I think is one of the most surreal places on the north side of Chicago – the private pools of the Carl Sandburg Village. This complex, located in the Old Town neighborhood consists of 9 […]
A Hidden Piece of Mies in Chicago
Many of us are familiar with at least the name of Mies van der Rohe. His iconic modernist buildings in Chicago include IIT’s campus, including the sublime Crown Hall, 860-880 Lake Shore Drive, and the Federal Center. (For a brief, but excellent overview of Mies, see Geoffrey Baer’s summary or join us for a custom private […]
Historic Michigan Avenue: The Chicago Bridgehouse Museum
I’ve been intrigued ever since I learned of the Bridgehouse Museum on Michigan Avenue. It was awesome to discover that you can actually go inside of the Michigan Avenue Bridge. The McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum has exhibits inside and gives a glimpse of the machinery behind this engineering wonder. I had the opportunity […]
Chicago Blues Festival – Special Tour
This Saturday, June 9th, 10:30am we are having a rare offering of our “Jazz, Blues & Beyond” tour by bus, typically only available for private groups. Featured on WGN evening news, the two-and-a-half-hour special interactive event includes a local musician and visits to both iconic and lesser known highlights of Chicago’s rich music history. The […]
Chicago’s Forgotten Underground Freight Tunnels
Beneath the skyscrapers of Chicago there is an unseen world that many Chicagoans are unaware of. Hidden deep below the skyscrapers of Chicago’s Loop are underground freight tunnels. I always assumed them to be a myth, but they are quite important to the history of the city of Chicago. The extent of these tunnels might […]
Chicago’s Freight Tunnels: the Forgotten Underground
Beneath the skyscrapers of Chicago there is an unseen world that many Chicagoans are unaware of. Hidden deep below the skyscrapers of Chicago are underground freight tunnels. I always assumed them to be a myth, but they are quite important to the history of the city of Chicago. The extent of these tunnels is something […]
The Historic South Side Pullman Neighborhood
Pullman – the man, the train car, and the neighborhood – holds a powerful place in Chicago history. George Pullman crafted a live/work community entirely according to his own personal specifications. I first began researching the role ethnicity played in the town and company of Pullman during a History of Immigration and U.S. Ethnic Identity […]
Chicago’s Flag: More than Stars and Stripes
Walking throughout Chicago’s Loop you see the Chicago flag flying high upon flagpoles, hanging from buildings, printed on t-shirts and stamped as arm tattoos on hipsters. The city of Chicago however did not always have a municipal flag. In 1917 the Chicago Flag Commission hosted a contest for the best design for a municipal flag […]
A Tour of the Inside of Tribune Tower
Whenever I come downtown and walk up Michigan Avenue the Tribune Tower is rising above. Walking past the building, I would look into the showcase studio for WGN radio. Then, I’d admire the countless stones placed on the facade from around the world. This past Saturday, I got the very cool opportunity to go inside […]
Exciting Changes for Promoting Chicago Tourism
Whether you work in the hospitality and travel industry or not, the changes going on with the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (aka Choose Chicago) will affect you if you live in Chicago. Last week this organization, which promotes Chicago as a visitor destination, held its annual meeting at the Cadillac Palace Theater. Big changes were […]