The Best Free Rooftop Views of Chicago
We want to highlight the best free rooftop views of Chicago. After all, paying for cover and drinks at the swanky rooftop bars isn’t exactly cheap. You can still get that sweet skyline view on the cheap, though! Heading into famous and overlooked buildings and finding a hidden vista is one of the great downtown […]
Overlooked Historic Architecture on the Mag Mile
World-famous skyscrapers bookend the Magnificent Mile and the Water Tower is a legendary presence, but today I want to highlight some of the lesser-known historic architecture on the Mag Mile. They don’t call us “Chicago Detours” for nothing! Of course the architectural boat tours talk about the Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower, and your hop-on […]
Explore Printers Row Architecture During Lit Fest
Printers Row, a section of the South Loop with historic architecture related to the printing industry, will become the most dangerous part of Chicago this weekend for book lovers. The neighborhood is hosting the 34th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest. Here I have made a brief guide of some of the Printers Row architecture highlights you can […]
How Do We Reckon with Orientalist Architecture in Chicago?
Chicago is famous for its different schools of architecture. The First Chicago School created the skyscraper and gave our city its architectural identity. The Second Chicago School, the Modernists of Mies van der Rohe with their austere steel and glass facades, completely redefined how we think of buildings. Today, contemporary architects like Jeanne Gang blaze […]
Presidential Architecture and History at the Blackstone Hotel
The Blackstone Hotel, known as the “Hotel of Presidents” has long been one of the most prestigious spots in Chicago. Located on Michigan Avenue in the South Loop, where we often lead custom private tours, the grand hotel has hosted a dozen U.S. Presidents and countless celebrities, such as Marilyn Monroe, since its construction in […]
Chicago History Books for Your Holiday Gift List
It’s hard for me to imagine a better holiday gift than good Chicago history books. They hold the promise of gripping narratives, undiscovered facts, and greater perspective and understanding. It’s like manna from heaven for big ol’ history and architecture nerds, like yours truly. But which Chicago history books are worth gifting? To help you […]
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 […]
Underground Chicago: Exploring The Hidden Layers of the City
The term ‘Chicago architecture’ usually evokes images of soaring skyscrapers, but the architecture of underground Chicago is fascinating and essential in its own right. Virtually unknown layers of tunnels, passages, sewers, pipes, and other infrastructure crisscross below the city. We research stories from Chicago history, architecture and culture like this while developing our live virtual tours, in-person […]
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 […]
Why the Chicago Architectural Boat Tour is So Popular
Earlier this summer, TripAdvisor named the Chicago architectural boat tour the single most popular tour in America. That got me to wondering, what is it that makes it so popular? Sometimes our walking tour guides are hired out to lead a Chicago River boat tour, often on a private yacht charter via Anita Dee Yacht Charters. […]