Tag: Living Landmarks

  • Hotel Julian Chicago: From Demolition-danger to Luxurious Lodgings

    Hotel Julian Chicago: From Demolition-danger to Luxurious Lodgings

    How an abandoned building designed by one of Chicago’s preeminent architects found new life.

  • Fortitude and Grit: the Story of Chicago’s Oldest House

    Fortitude and Grit: the Story of Chicago’s Oldest House

    The Clarke House Museum tells a remarkable story.

  • Explore Chicago’s Past at Chicago History Museum

    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…

  • The Chicago Theatre: Chicago’s Comeback Kid

    The Chicago Theatre: Chicago’s Comeback Kid

    If there’s one theater that says Chicago, it is, quite literally, The Chicago Theatre.

  • Buckingham Fountain: A Sister’s Love & A City’s Front Door

    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.

  • Chicago Cultural Center: The People’s Palace

    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…

  • Radisson Blu Chicago

    Radisson Blu Chicago

    Located between the Chicago River and Millennium Park, the Radisson Blu Chicago occupies the first several floors of the renowned Aqua building. It’s an architectural masterpiece and a study in luxury, complete with fantastic dining and dazzling amenities. When the Rezidor Hotel Group decided to bring their Radisson Blu concept to the United States the…

  • Museum of Contemporary Art

    Museum of Contemporary Art

    Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) is one of the largest museums of its kind in the world. Located just steps from Michigan Avenue, it celebrates art from the 1940s through present day. It’s also the site of several events and performances throughout the year. The museum was first established in 1967 a few blocks…

  • The Merchandise Mart

    Located at the junction of the three branches of the Chicago River, the Merchandise Mart is an impressive structure. Commissioned by Marshall Field, for a time it was the largest building in the world. Now the massive edifice is home to multiple types of businesses, with an emphasis on design firms.  When the Merchandise Mart…

  • Hilton Chicago

    Hilton Chicago

    The Hilton Chicago overlooks Grant Park in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood. Located on Michigan Avenue, the grand hotel is one of the city’s largest. In addition to being a favorite among conventioneers, it holds the distinction of hosting every United States President since it opened in 1927 until President Barack Obama. The building that houses…

  • Michigan Avenue Bridge

    The Michigan Avenue Bridge was built in 1920 to connect the north and south sides of Chicago with a grand boulevard. The bridge was part of Daniel Burnham’s Plan Of Chicago, an ambitious vision that encouraged modernization of the civic infrastructure. A New Type Of Bridge The Michigan Avenue Bridge is a double-deck trunnion bascule…

  • Tribune Tower

    With its flying buttresses and neo-Gothic architecture, the Tribune Tower is one of Chicago’s most distinctive skyscrapers. It was born out of a design competition and has become a destination in its own right, and the source of a little controversy. The Design Competition In 1922 the Chicago Tribune needed new offices so they held…