Best Chicago Architecture Tours Pt. 1: Breadth
Without question, a visit to Chicago would not be complete without a tour of the best Chicago architecture, soooo…which one? The choice of breadth or depth will be your first choice to make. By “breadth” we mean trying to see lots of places and buildings, versus getting an in-depth background on fewer ones. In other words, the […]
Through the Side Door: Women and Drinking in Early Chicago
On July 1, 1872, the Chicago Tribune published a story titled “A Man Chains His Wife in a Heavy Weight, and Burns Her Mouth With a Poker to Prevent her Drinking.” Woah, right? Discovering that led to me becoming intrigued by the topic of women and drinking in Chicago’s early history. Eliza Martin’s husband punished her for […]
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 […]
The Chicago Picasso: Beginnings of Public Art in Chicago
It hard to walk past Daley Plaza and not catch a glimpse of Chicago Picasso. The colossal three dimension sculpture towers 50 feet into the sky above plaza. Some say it is a woman, a horse, or even a baboon. To locals of Chicago however, this sculpture is just the Picasso. (By the way, you […]
Answers About the Pedway
We get a lot of questions about the Chicago Pedway system our private tours of downtown. So here are some more in-depth responses. We research stories from Chicago history, architecture and culture like this while developing our live virtual tours, in-person private tours, and custom content for corporate events. You can join us to experience Chicago’s stories in-person […]
The Prairie Style of Lincoln Park Zoo Architecture
Dwight H. Perkins, prairie school architect, has a number of relevant buildings located throughout Chicago, yet has traveled under the historical-radar. His most famous buildings are located in the Lincoln Park Zoo and offer an opportunity to learn more about the oldest public zoo in North America.
A True Detour: Miller Beach
Chicagoans associate Indiana with Gary, and its steel mills, unemployment, and factory landscape. Few are aware of the nearby community of Miller Beach, surrounded by the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. (Little fact: Only four parks have the designation of “National Lakeshore” and all of them are on the Great Lakes.) Carl Sandburg buried his toes […]