
Architecture & history, Blog, Special events
How to celebrate Juneteenth in Chicago
Chicago wouldn’t be the world-class city it is today without a long line of influential African Americans, from Jean Baptiste Point du Sable and Ida…
Chicago wouldn’t be the world-class city it is today without a long line of influential African Americans, from Jean Baptiste Point du Sable and Ida…
The city of Chicago has been shaped by a long line of bold, pioneering women, from Jane Addams to Ida B. Wells, and Women’s History…
Black History Month brings an annual spotlight to Black achievements, creativity, and history that too often get overlooked. In Chicago, our extensive African American cultural…
Have you ever walked by a building and thought “I wonder what that looks like inside?” Maybe it’s the old-school brewery in your neighborhood or…
Architecture can be so much more than the decoration to our cities. It can be a symbol of history, growth, and hope, or even inequality.…
Step into Chicago’s storied history of the country’s first planned industrial community. The city’s first and only national park site will be honoring the Grand…
Welcome to our new series of self-guided Chicago Greeter tours, presented by Bank of America. Each walking tour is created by a knowledgeable local to…
Welcome to our new series of self-guided Chicago Greeter tours, presented by Bank of America. Each walking tour is created by a knowledgeable local to…
A retrospective of the work of renowned Indian architect and urban planner Balkrishna Doshi makes its North American debut in the exhibit Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture…
If you haven’t made it to the Cultural Center for the centerpiece exhibit of the Chicago Architecture Biennial you still have time — but not…
While in Chicago, experience Wright’s architectural vision of unity, simplicity, and beauty, which launched a truly American architecture style at the beginning of the 20th…
There’s no better place to learn about the city’s dynamic history and amazing architecture than at the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC). Though established in 1966,…
History lines the streets in Chicago’s landmark Bronzeville neighborhood. Dubbed the city’s “Black Metropolis,” this south side community served as the headquarters for African American…
In 1880, George Pullman set out to build a utopian community in Chicago. The neighborhood we know today as Pullman was the first industrial planned community…
You don’t have to visit a museum to experience Chicago history. There are details and stories of our city history hidden throughout Chicago – you…
There’s so much to see on the streets of Chicago. But most people never see what’s lurking just below the surface. The city hides layers…
Chicago is heir to a bevy of spine-tingling ghost stories, from the Congress Hotel, reportedly one of the most haunted hotels in the country, to the site of the Valentine’s Day Massacre.
Chicago is a city of firsts — and nowhere is this better seen than in its architecture. The site of the now demolished Home Insurance Building (1884-1885), credited as the world's first skyscraper (at a diminutive 10 stories by today's standards), you could write a book on the significance of the Chicago cityscape — which is why so many have.
One of the best ways to get to know a city is by walking around and learning about it on foot. That being said, it…
“How can I possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this?” We’ve all been there, even if we’re not Ferris Bueller. You…
Art Deco is an architectural style that’s all about streamlined surfaces, linear and geometric shapes, symmetry — and a dose of glamour. The Art Deco era came…
When we venture downtown, with the snow of winter or the humidity of summer, the Chicago Pedway System comes in handy. This mostly underground system…
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