A Self-Guided Chicago Women’s History Tour
We’ve asked people to identify a Chicago woman of history beyond Jane Addams, Jane Byrne, Oprah, or Michelle Obama. Sadly, they get stumped. Here we spotlight places of women’s history that you may not have visited or heard of. Or that you wouldn’t necessarily know as a place of women’s history at all! Marshall Field’s […]
Five Bars for a Pedway Pub Crawl
A Pedway pub crawl strikes us as the perfect way to bring some cheer to those mysterious underground passages. We’ve been touring the Pedway for years and, in that time, noted its many drinking establishments. The idea of creating a bar crawl down there occurred to us while researching for an update to the Pedway […]
Best Chicago Books for Smart Holiday Gifts
The best Chicago books always make great holiday gifts. Happily, the Detours staff are voracious readers of Chicago books on history, architecture and culture, so we have recommendations for the best new Chicago books on those very topics. These selections, which delve into the city’s past and present, are just the thing for those who […]
Chicago Politics: The Machine, The Daleys, and What It Means for 2019
“Chicago politics” evokes images with the shadiest of connotations. Smoke-filled rooms. Stolen elections. Flagrant corruption. Mayors as powerful as pharaohs. Much of this is true. A lot of it is myth and legend. To truly understand the City That Works, you need a working knowledge of the history of Chicago politics, especially the machines and […]
Chicago’s Most Haunted Historic Buildings
It’s the spookiest time of the year, so we’re checking out Chicago’s most haunted historic buildings. Located in and around downtown, these venues have a history of things going bump in the night. They’re also grand and glamorous examples of our city’s rich architectural and social history. Who cares about that on Halloween? We wanna […]
What’s it Like Working for the Walnut Room at Christmas?
One of the great Chicago traditions is a visit to the Walnut Room at Christmas. The former Marshall Field’s Department Store, now Macy’s, is famous for its holiday traditions, like the store window displays and, of course, dining at the Walnut Room. Set on the 7th floor of Macy’s flagship store on State Street, the historic department store […]
Ghosts of Black Fridays Past on Chicago’s State Street
Black Friday in Chicago always brings hordes of deal-seekers to the downtown State Street shopping district. The term Black Friday arose in the 1980s, but State Street, that “great street,” has been a shopping mecca since the days of the great department stores. What about the stores of holidays past, the ones that are no longer […]
Five Winter Things to Do in The Loop
We put together a list of five winter things to do in the Loop for you, since Chicago has a cold weather reputation. Winter weather can be a burden in disguise. Watching snow falling is always magical, of course. Gridlocked traffic and frigid temperatures are decidedly less delightful. Every activity we list here is indoors, fun, […]
The History of Chicago’s Community Gardens
This week marks the last scare of frost for the Chicago farmers. Soon you will see community gardens blooming city-wide as urbanites work to keep Chicago true to its motto Urbs in Horto, or City in a Garden. Gardens, especially community gardens, hold a place in Chicago’s history. Today, community gardens blanket Chicago’s neighborhoods, often […]
The Department Store Window: An Architectural Marvel
A walk down State Street in downtown Chicago must inevitably the windows of this famed department store district. The Carson Pirie Scott Building, which we visit on the 1893 World’s Fair Tour, and Marshall Field’s – now Macy’s – which we visit on the Loop Interior Architecture Walking Tour, are a few of the many […]