The Amazing Architecture of the Auditorium Theater
Recently I wrote an article for the Detours blog listing the most overlooked beautiful buildings in Chicago. A few days later we received an email from an employee of the Auditorium Theater. She asked why their historic venue had not been included. I replied, in all honesty, that I didn’t think the Auditorium Theater was […]
Celebrating the Illinois Bicentennial: Chicago in 1818
The Illinois Bicentennial is coming up on December 3rd. We became the 21st state to enter the Union on that date in 1818. So take that, Alabama, you 23rd-place dogs! <shakes fist at some random Crimson Tide fans> Ahem. My apologies. Don’t know what came over me. Illinois Bicentennial celebrations stretch across the state from Winthrop Harbor […]
German Chicago – Which City did Twain Call “The Chicago of Europe?”
Mark Twain was both a beloved American author and a dedicatedly curious world traveler. In 1892, during one of his overseas voyages, Twain wrote a very intriguing column for the Chicago Daily Tribune. It’s titled “the Chicago of Europe” and often republished as the “German Chicago.” Twain found Berlin to be the spitting image of Chicago in […]
Five Ways to Appreciate Chicago’s Historic Buildings
Chicago’s historic buildings are a three-dimensional manifestation of our city’s history and culture. If these buildings could talk, they would have endless stories to tell about the city and the many people that have passed through. Read here to learn how to better understand the architecture around you, and imagine, if Chicago’s buildings were among the […]
Five of Chicago’s Oldest ‘L’ Stations
The ‘L’ dates back to 1892, when the first elevated train rumbled down public alleys between Congress and 39th Street. Much of the system that Chicagoans know today was built shortly thereafter. While the ‘L’ has gone through many changes since then, some of its original stations are still in operation. Learning that the oldest […]
Learn About the Public Spaces of Chicago Women’s History
During the 1800s Chicago women participated in few social activities outside of the home. Most activities required women to be escorted at all times as they were not to be left alone in public. On our Loop Interior Architecture Walking Tour, we go into the former Marshall Field’s department store and discuss how the store […]