My first visit to Chicago I went to see the Wrigley Building. After that I found more non tourist…read moretype places to visit during trips to Chicago. It is certainly a historic landmark. You must go at least once. I'm in for anything with the Wrigley name!

Built in the 1920's for Wrigley the gum magnet in downtown Chicago. It's known for its Spanish…read moreColonial Revival style, featuring 2 towers & a distinctive white terra cotta facade. It was the first air conditioned building in the city. In the 1957 science fiction film Beginning of the End, giant grasshoppers attack downtown, are shown climbing up the side of the Wrigley Building.

Spectacular architecture and stunningly maintained.... Very little known about it by the locals …read more I have lived in Chicago for 26 years and always wondered what this beautiful building was but finally went on not so busy Friday afternoon literally 30 mid before closing . Would love to bring the family back.

Stunning! A bit of history I didn't even realize we had here in Chicago. Free to visit (there's a…read moredonation box at the front) and the staff was very sweet. Someone was giving brief tours with more information, but you're able to walk around and explore on your own.

Definitely worth it when visiting Chicago . They have a glass skydeck if your not afraid of heights…read morewonderful city to visit. Best way to get there is by uber or public transportation as parking is limited

I would suggest doing this when you first get to Chicago instead of scheduling it on the last day…read more It really shows all of the skyscrapers that Chicago has to offer. I think scheduling this before you get to Chicago would be good. Parking near here is a pain and we got a rent a car right before we left because we were driving to Indianapolis after to go see a relative. The experience is great but once you are on the plexiglass they time you because so many people are waiting to do this experience.

Cool building and love the view. Was there on a beautiful day. Lobby has a Starbucks. Central…read morelocation with lots of walking options.

Clearly the most stately, tall building in Chicago, covered in granite from head to toe, it'll be…read morethe 4th tallest, right after Vista (Jeanne Gang) - which is practically next door. You may have seen the plans to build an external glass elevator (SW corner of the building) which will lead to a top level visiting area - for tourists and Yelpers alike. Looking North you have views of John Hancock, Trump Tower. Looking south and East - you have stunning views of Millennium Park, the curvature of the planet (view from the 80th floor), the lake, the Bean, etc. The parking garage below is so convenient but please allow time for security, which is good. Great restaurants and places to eat within this building - Starbucks, Market Thyme, AuBon Pain, Sopprafina and Jimmy Johns. The flags of our 50 states adorn the front area and there's a beautiful fountain out front. The lobby area is modern, yet inviting. It's also connected to the Pedway, so you can get to ORD (via the Blue-line) or other places in the loop, without ever having to be exposed to the elements.

I found this gem of on a tourist research under Obama. The Center and kissing rock came up. I love…read morethis kind of romance.

Cutest commemoration ever. Sometimes people loiter around it. But I love it. It broke off it's…read morefoundation at one point but it's been fixed. Easy to miss. Try not to. It's right in front of shopping plaza.

An atypical remnant of the Gilded Age, the Glessner House is a jewel in Chicago's crown. Allegra,…read moreour tour guide, did a wonderful job of weaving history, art, architecture and humor into her presentation. It is a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

fantastic tour and house!!! I learned a lot. great Chicago history and gilded age. highly recommend…read morethis tour. best to book in advance. smaller group.

Chi-town bridge! This bridge links Chinatown to the Mexican…read morePilsen neighborhood. Technically, this bridge is a Scherzer rolling lift bascule bridge, designed by Scherzer himself. It's not especially a pretty bridge. The whole thing needs a paint job and is all pretty rusty. It's pretty amazing that this thing moves! It's so large, that is hard to fathom. I went cruising across this bridge looking for a Taco n' Tequla festival in Pilsen. There were several 'urban campers' set up along this bridge. I wouldn't exactly call this a five star bridge.

"We build too many walls and not enough bridges." ~ Sir Issac Newton…read more Chicago! The City of Broad Shoulders is home to many a landmark from the once world's tallest building, Sears Tower, to the new Frank Gehry Bandshell! As a displaced native, I have been fortunate to have lived in a number of differing bridge cities, but I always return to my native homeland of Chicago to recharge my Soul, and with each returning visit I discover and uncover more of Chicago. It's become such an ever-changing city in the Post-Industrial era of our society, but fortunately there are still many archeological and architectural remains to link the past to the present and this brings me to The Cermak Road Bridge. To quote the landmark sign posted at the bridge, "These four massive industrial buildings clustered around the City's last-remaining double-leaf Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge form the finest intact, early 20th-Century riverfront precinct in Chicago. Originally housing wholesale grocers, window shade manufacturers and other enterprises, the buildings represent an almost vanished aspect of the City's historic industrial character." You may recognize this Bridge as a character in numerous movies filmed around Chicago, or from many an Artist's still photograph, as it is such an iconic landmark of the great City of Chicago. Luckily for me the South Loop, Pilsen, and Chinatown are my latest haunts when I come to visit, and this great bridge ties them all together beautifully. Come here to the Cermak Road Bridge and feel the quiet history of Chicago that is lesser known than most landmarks in a City that is so iconic that it is in its entirety a great historic landmark to be cherished and renowned throughout time. I Heart Chicago!

After I learned the hard way that the South Side Community Art Center and the Bronzeville Visitor…read moreInformation Center were BOTH closed on a frosty January Sunday, my botched attempt to observe the spirit of Martin Luther King Day by learning about African-American history culminated with a misguided visit to Douglas Tomb. From a few blocks away I looked up in awe at the 9' bronze statue atop a towering 46' monument. It wasn't until I entered the park gate that I realized my latest mistake: not only did this guy spell his last name with one 's', but he was also white. I.e., not Frederick Douglass. [smacks self on forehead] The man who holds a high perch on the eastern fringe of the Bronzeville neighborhood goes by the name Stephen A. Douglas. Douglas was a prominent white local landowner in the area long before Bronzeville became known as the mecca of African-American history. A lifelong politician, he played a significant role in establishing America's western territories and railroads before losing the presidential election to Abe Lincoln in 1860. Douglas' belief in popular sovereignty, i.e. the notion that new territories should be allowed to individually decide on slavery by popular vote, ultimately led to his political downfall. Here at the monument, one can stand over the sarcophagus containing Douglas' dead body and carry on the longstanding scholarly debate about whether Douglas was *personally* opposed to slavery; some argue his name and monument should be removed, while others are dedicated to preserving his legacy. Even on Yelp, if you search for either the community area Douglas or the neighborhood Bronzeville, you'll see the two names superimposed on top of each other. We all know that nice guys don't get statuized, though, and with Douglas' gaze fixed at more than 50' above ground it's impossible to look him in the eye to properly judge the nuances of his character. Only one fact was and remains as true as this monument is high: the guy was prominent.

I have visited Douglas Park many times because I'm a historian of Douglas and a board member of the…read moreStephen A. Douglas Association. It's a beautiful park, very peaceful, and for several years now it has been home to the Bronzeville Historical Society, which is headquartered there. You can learn a great deal about African-American history in Chicago by talking with the charismatic founder and CEO of the society, Sherry Williams, or by settling into the upstairs library and picking out a good book. Sherry is also very knowledgeable about Douglas, his family's slaves, and the underground railroad. As an additional bonus, the park is only a short walk from the lakeshore because it is the terminus of a pedestrian bridge that runs over the railroad tracks and the highway (the bridge is currently in the process of being replaced by a spectacular suspension bridge for both bikers and pedestrians). Moreover, since October 2014, the park features a feature-length film on Douglas that can be seen at the site if the Bronzeville Historical Society is open. I produced and directed the film, which is titled "Stephen A. Douglas and the Fate of American Democracy," and which interweaves the story of Douglas' life and that of the nation from the Revolution to the Civil War. The film was made with the cooperation of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, and received a 2015 Award of Superior Achievement from the Illinois State Historical Society. It features voice acting from leading Douglas and Lincoln reenactors, clips from five historians, and several hundred images drawn from several dozen archival collections, including the Stephen A. Douglas Papers at the University of Chicago. There is no charge to enter the park, to watch the film, or to visit the Bronzeville Historical Society. All are welcome! If possible, however, come when Sherry is on site. She's a truly engaging human being. The phone number of the society is 312-428-8033. Graham Peck