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

This tour is located at the house Ernest Hemingway was born in and lived until he was 6 years old…read more The house he moved to afterwards and lived in until he graduated high school is only like a 5 minute walk away, but someone currently lives there so it is not open to the public. This Victorian style house was remodeled to look almost exactly the way it did when Ernest Hemingway lived here. In the 50s it was turned into apartments and the porch was removed. I admire the amazing work they did on the house to get it to look almost exactly how it did before. Idk if I've ever read anything by Ernest Hemingway, but I know how iconic his books and stories are. I never knew he was from Oak Park! I love historical tours, even if I don't exactly know much/care about the person the tour is based around. Even to me, the tour was extremely interesting and the tour guide was amazing and knew a lot! It was $20 and lasted about an hour. We purchased our tickets in person when we got there. The Victorian era is fascinating, and much of the tour talks about life during that time. It also talks about who Ernest Hemingway grew up with and perhaps what inspired a lot of his work. Of course it mostly discusses his childhood because this is where he lived as a young child and how his parents and grandparents raised him. The tour goes through the entire house and upstairs, and there are so many interesting artifacts to see and look at.

The tour was thorough and informative: $20 for adults and $18 for students for a fifty minute tour…read moreof the house where Ernest Hemingway spent the first six years of his life. The house itself is beautiful, and is fitted with objects/decorations from the late Victorian period. Some of the items are in fact originals from the Hall/Hemingway family, and there are a number of original paintings by Hemingway's mother, Grace. The docent was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She gave an extensive account of Hemingway's immediate and extended family, which provided an insight into how a well-off family of that era lived. I had read only a couple of Hemingway's works at the time, but the tour was interesting enough that I was able to enjoy it without being a major fan. The building is about a twelve minute walk from the Green Line Oak Park CTA Station, and is close to many restaurants, cafés and shops. There is a lovely park between the station and the home, where one can sit and enjoy the weather + occasional live music. Overall, I highly recommend the tour if you are a Chicago resident or otherwise a Hemingway fan from out of town. It's a quick, cute tour and lovely area.

Love the views from the Adams Street Bridge to see the river and so many landmarks and Chicago…read moreskyscrapers. Not worth a special visit, but a great bridge to cross when walking in Chicago.

I used to enjoy this place, sitting outside in the park near the lake. Not sure what happened this…read moreyear. Its like they fired their cook and hired someone who doesn't know anything about food. The only vegetarian item on the menu is a humus and vegetable platter with pita chips . When my food came, they were out of pita chips. The humus was a small container maybe 2 inches wide, like something you'd put ketchup in. The vegetables were grated carrots and exactly 3 sliced cherry tomatoes. Was i supposed to scoop out the humus with a cherry tomato or a piece of grated carrot? Did the person who prepared this even think about what they were putting on the plate? I paid $11 for this monstrosity and left and went elsewhere to get something to eat.

A peaceful area where many can relax, play tennis, softball, flag football, soccer or get bike…read morefixed. There is a huge parking lot, so need to worry about parking. As for me myself I run, and ride pass this place when headed toward downtown Chicago, but my only visit to this place was for Chicago Marathon training with Clock Tower Runners, which training group that meets at the tower to do training runs. Clock Tower Runners is the ONLY "free" running group in Chicago, that will prepare you for Chicago Marathon during the summer, and fall months. All paces are welcome, and they meet mostly on Saturday's at 06:30. Anyway,there is a café called "Clock Tower Café" where you can lunch and dinner if you choose to. One thing I love about this area, is that there are always activities going on, and if you would like to take the children to a park; there is one right next to the huge field at Waveland. Enjoy!

Drove by on a Thursday afternoon. I thought it was a private home but it appears that there are…read moretours every last Saturday of the month. This is fantastic! There is only street parking so it will probably be hard to park. Best to uber or lyft if coming. The outside area seems to be well maintained. Goigle their website to plan ahead and see more info.

No tour was available. Looks well maintained. Not worth the trip unless you are in the immediate…read morevicinity.

This site is part of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. It's a Native American burial…read moreground, which was altogether unexpected. Alexander Robinson helped establish relations between the Native peoples and white settlers here prior to the founding of Chicago. Robinson was leader of the Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa. Though this land was deeded to the Robinson family in perpetuity, their memory has all but disappeared. The other tombstones that once were here are no longer, and all that remains is a large stone for Alexander, and a small bulletin board that explains some of the family history. There are no services here, but there are a couple of benches near the marker. There is no parking lot at this site. However, there is a small wayside just in front of it where up to three cars can pull over, along East River Road. I've seen deer in this area almost any time I've drive along here, including today when I visited.

The Clark Street Bridge, completed in 1929, is actually the eighth bridge to span the Chicago River…read moreat this location, highlighting the long history of this crossing The Clark Street Bridge is a significant part of Chicago's history and infrastructure, spanning the Chicago River in downtown Chicago and connecting the Near North Side with the Loop via Clark Street. The Clark Street Bridge is a bascule bridge, specifically a double-leaf Chicago-type trunnion bascule bridge. This "Chicago Style" is characterized by its leaves being suspended on axles (trunnions) with massive concrete counterweights located below the bridge, often in a riverbank pit. This design allows the bridge to open and close efficiently for river traffic. The Clark Street Bridge has also made its way into popular culture, notably in Carl Sandburg's poem "Clark Street Bridge." The Clark Street Bridge... - Opened: July 10, 1929 - Clear Span: 215 feet - Trunnion-to-Trunnion Span: 245 feet - Leaf Weight: 1,400 tons - Height above water:  20 feet - Construction Cost (1929): $1.4 million Bridge Tender Houses: Ornate Beaux-Arts styled bridge houses are located on the northwest and southeast corners, similar to those on the N. La Salle Street bridge.

It was a great experience to see the Clark Street bridge from underneath while taking a river boat…read morearchitectural Cruise. Admiring the structure itself with its counter weights and bridge tenner towers. The counter weights are huge concrete blocks that help the bridge raise for boat traffic.Then it was cool driving over the bridge on the way home.

The Wabash Avenue Bridge was built in 1930. I really love walking over all of the bridges in…read moreChicago along the river. This bascule bridge In 1930, it was awarded it the "Most Beautiful" bridge.