Learn the story behind Chicago’s vibrant crucible of artists, dreamers, and doers.
Fine Arts Building: a Vertical Arts Colony and Madhouse of CreativityRead More
Dig into Chicago’s past with these in-depth stories of the Windy City.
Grant Park: the Making of Chicago’s Front Yard
Find out why it took over a century and several lawsuits to create this Chicago centerpiece.
LondonHouse Chicago: It Starts Here
Experience luxury and history in this 1923 landmark building.
Hotel Julian Chicago: From Demolition-danger to Luxurious Lodgings
How an abandoned building designed by one of Chicago’s preeminent architects found new life.
Hotel Julian Chicago: From Demolition-danger to Luxurious LodgingsRead More
Fortitude and Grit: the Story of Chicago’s Oldest House
The Clarke House Museum tells a remarkable story.
Fortitude and Grit: the Story of Chicago’s Oldest HouseRead More
Explore Chicago’s Past at Chicago History Museum
The Chicago History Museum showcases the city’s complicated history and is itself a piece of history. Chicago has a lively past, with tragedy, innovation, and a cast of characters that could fill (and have) several novels. The museum began when Chicago didn’t have much history itself. It was founded in 1856 as the Chicago Historical …
Exploring the Past on the Magnificent Mile
Take a step back to yesteryear with these pieces of Chicago’s history.
Start where it all began at Pioneer Court.
The Chicago Theatre: Chicago’s Comeback Kid
If there’s one theater that says Chicago, it is, quite literally, The Chicago Theatre.
The Curses and Legends of Billy Goat Tavern
Few restaurants or bars are as famous, or as infamous, as Chicago’s Billy Goat Tavern. It’s a tourist destination and a haven for local reporters.
Chicago Cultural Center: The People’s Palace
The Chicago Cultural Center is a downtown landmark and one of Chicago’s brightest gems. Known as The People’s Palace, it was the nation’s first free municipal cultural venue, and today its programming in the arts makes it one of the most popular attractions in the city. A Brief History of the Chicago Cultural Center The building was …
Buckingham Fountain: A Sister’s Love & A City’s Front Door
Buckingham Fountain, the centerpiece of Grant Park, is one of the most spectacular landmarks in Chicago and one of the largest fountains in the world.
Buckingham Fountain: A Sister’s Love & A City’s Front DoorRead More
John “Bathhouse” Coughlin: Masseur, Alderman and … Poet?
Chicago’s history is full of colorful characters.
John “Bathhouse” Coughlin: Masseur, Alderman and … Poet?Read More