South Side Neighborhoods Tour Questions Answered
One of my favorite of our private tours is the Neighborhoods and Cultural Diversity South Side Tour, because I get to take people to explore some of the South Side neighborhoods where I have lived, worked and studied. Even being a history enthusiast and a Chicago native, I still need to research a question from my tour […]
Discover the Traces of Military History in Chicago
For Veterans Day I want to highlight some of the traces of military history in Chicago. Both downtown and throughout the neighborhoods, buildings, place names, museums and memorials bear tribute to the brave women and men who fought for their country. So, in memory of the sacrifices made for the country by our veterans, here […]
Top 10 Architectural Sites for Open House Chicago 2018
It’s the middle of October, which means its time for Open House Chicago! Even though the Chicago Architecture Center is technically our competition we can still unconditionally love this awesome annual architectural event. So here’s a list of some awesome neighborhood locations we recommend visiting during Open House Chicago 2018 to visit Chicago architecture. We […]
Celebrate Barack Obama Day At These Presidential Locations
August 4th, 2018 is the first inaugural Barack Obama Day here in Illinois. This new state holiday celebrates President Obama and his time in office. POTUS 44 rose to prominence and began his political career here in Chicago, of course. As only the fourth Illinoisan to become President, he will always have a special place […]
Jackson Park and the Battle Over Historic Preservation
Jackson Park is currently the focal point of a contentious civic debate. The Obama Presidential Center and a new Tiger Woods-branded golf course are about to remake the historic park. Preservationists, most notably Preservation Chicago, and neighborhood community groups have been pushing back against these plans. I attended Preservation Chicago’s announcement of its annual endangered […]
New Buildings in Chicago in 2018
A brand new year is the perfect time to think of the new buildings in Chicago in 2018. With the huge downtown building boom right now, we have tons of new architecture to look forward to. Recent additions, like 150 N. Riverside, have already become iconic architectural parts of the Chicago skyline. It’ll be fascinating […]
Questions from our World’s Fair Tour on Today’s Anniversary
In the 18 months since it launched, we’ve had tons of guests discover a huge piece of Chicago’s history on our “1893 World’s Fair Tour with Bars.” As anyone who has joined us knows, our guides always encourage questions from guests. Accordingly, we’ve been doing some fun research on the questions from our World’s Fair […]
The Chicago Maroons Were the First “Monsters of the Midway”
Football season is kicking off. For countless Chicagoans, that means another season of cheering for the “Monsters of the Midway” aka their beloved Chicago Bears. What many may not realize is that the “Monsters of the Midway” nickname did not originally refer to the Bears. It was the moniker for a different football team: the […]
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 […]
Historic Chicago Synagogue Architecture at KAM Isaiah Israel
KAM Isaiah Israel is the oldest Jewish congregation in Chicago. Some may know it for as the building with the striking octagonal architecture and dome, located next door to Obama’s house in the Kenwood-Hyde Park neighborhood. The synagogue traces its roots back to the 1841 arrival of the first Jewish settlers in Chicago. My wife works at KAM Isaiah Israel, so […]
