Giddings Plaza is the center of Lincoln Square. It's an easy meeting place, and often functions as…read morea stage or entertainment hub for one of the festivals that take place in Lincoln Square. During the holiday season, Lincoln Square's Christmas tree is here and the tree lighting ceremony takes place in the plaza. I like that there are several benches around the perimeter so folks can actually gather here.

Summer concert!!!!! In 2018, it's on Thursdays, June 7-August 30, 6:30-9pm. There are sooooo many…read morepeople, it's dog and family friendly, oh, and of course that includes strollers! Here's what you need to do- ditch the stroller and bring a blanket. Go to the Farmer's Market on Lincoln & Leland first, less than a block away, order a pan of pizza, get some beer and wine, come back to the plaza (or have your family save your space), sit on your blanket and enjoy some pizza while listening to some live music. The music changes weekly and is a variety of live bands. There was a huge crowds of people- ages from infant months to 70s(?). There were many toddlers with working parents, whom seemed to come after getting off from work. If you're around, go visit!

I heard of the wooden alley many years ago and have driven by but never really stopped to look…read more The wooden alley is a remnant of a bygone era for sure. Located in Near North near the Cardinal's Residence, this alley runs west to east and is made entirely of wooden blocks. Wood blocks started being used for construction in this manner in the mid-19th century, which made lots of fuel for the Great Fire, of course. This style of paving obviously fell out of favor as new technology emerged. The neighborhood likes to cultivate an air of the 19th / early 20th century with gas lamps and this adds to the aura. This alley was constructed in 1909, restored over the years, and is one of only two remaining in the city of Chicago. It's been on the National Register of Historic Places for 20 years. If you're in the area you can stop here to see something unusual and quirky for this day and age.

This is probably something thousands of people pass by every day and have no idea something like…read morethis is here. We found this on Atlas Obscura and followed directions from there. It is just south of Lincoln Park. Stepping onto the wood itself, it feels much softer than the asphalt of your typical street or the material your standard sidewalk is made out of. There is a historical marker near State Parkway detailing the history behind the wooden alley.

The Kluczynski building is part of a larger federal complex. It shares a plaza with the downtown…read morepost office, and across the street is the Dirksen federal courthouse, with the three forming the Federal Plaza. It is architecturally significant because it is a building designed by Mies van de Rohe, along with the other buildings. One thing that is somewhat distinct, and pleases the part of me that likes things symmetrical and neat, is that the seams of the building line up with the stones used in the plaza surrounding each building. My understanding is that this was done to establish a cohesion between the three buildings, even though they're separated by Dearborn Street. I absorbed some Mies history during the 11 years I worked for the university at which he remains the most famous person associated with it (even over 50 years after his death). The Kluczynski building is classical Mies architecture. The first floor is recessed from the rest of the building, and is fully wrapped in glass. There's no offices really on this floor, as is the case in so many of his other buildings, where the first floor is almost always a common space. Black steel and glass that rises 45 stories into the air is typically Miesian. In addition to being a Mies building, the Flamingo by Alexander Calder--one of Chicago's most recognizable pieces of public art--is located in the plaza between the Kluczynski building and the post office. This building houses offices for several different federal organizations: Labor, the Passport Agency, the federal credit union, the offices for the senators for Illinois, OPM, etc. You'll absolutely need ID when entering this building so come prepared.

It's a 4 star if you are into this type of thing...it's not really my thing, which is why it's a 3…read more This is Chicago's oldest house, according to the literature. Pros: The guides are extremely knowledgeable. Our guide was a history major & she knew every little thing about the house & and its history. She also grew up in the neighborhood. One guide was a biology teacher & when we were outside, she told us all about cicadas, more than the generic info you read about in the news. It's really pretty & the interior was filled with old wedding dresses & it's history. Interesting fact I observed... wedding dresses don't seem to go out of style. The wedding dresses were numbered & correspond to a phamlet detailing its history. It's a recommendation of $5-$10, affordable & you do your part on old building restoration. Cons: It's a very small house.

Check out some old Chicago history. If looking for the oldest place in the city then come here for…read morea look. The Noble-Seymour-Crippen House is the oldest structure. Even though it wasn't a part of the city for a long time, it is now and it's older than anything else. Pretty much this is used for banquets and stuff mostly even though it's also a museum but you can make an appointment to visit. Before coming here it should be known this isn't like a museum that a lot of people know about. It's used mostly for events. Things like weddings and that. It has pretty limited hours if just coming to look around. This is open only Saturdays. It's the oldest known structure in the city. The oldest part was built in 1833, and the addition was built in 1868 or so. Among the artifacts are a collection of things found in the ground collected in an archeological dig. There's objects like buttons, guns, toys, and more. Other exhibits show the history of Norwood Park and what it was like. This place is also the home of the Norwood Park Historical Society and is where they have meetings. Good place to check out if you can make the limited hours. It's a must if wanting to learn more about the local history and what it was like back then. This is also pretty popular for those looking to have some big event like a wedding or whatever.

Often volunteer for a lot of different events, both work related and other. When I received an…read moreemail to sign up for the Pullman Railroad Days, I did not hesitate. The forecast said rain and it was cloudy for all of forty-two minutes . When the sun appeared it was blazing. I had to wrap my jacket around my waist. My job was both a greeter at the gate and a ticket checker for the walking tours. If there were more than eight in a group, I was able to tag along. Seeing the old Pullman cars at the 111th Street platform was a special treat. Being able to walk through, tour, sit in the seats and hear a bit of the history behind the creation was priceless. True luxury and comfort for overnight traveling. By the way, we are allowed to charter a car through Amtrak. Call for pricing. Hotel Florence was beautiful, so many original structures still in place. Each step of the walking tour was a rich piece of history. We even spoke with one of the home owners sitting on their porch. Even the information center was like a museum. Beautiful memoirs of the past strategically placed through out. I will definitely do it again next year. I had so much fun.

Great site as a history buff while visiting Chicago the history of the Pullman porter that allowed…read moreblack men and women travel cross country as domestic

The Marquette Building is a beautiful example of the Chicago School of architecture. The early…read moresteel framed sixteen story skyscraper was built in 1895. The steel frame is what allowed long "Chicago windows" due to less pressure of the masonry. It was designed by Holabird and Roche. The skyscraper was named for Father Jacques Marquette, the first European settler who explored Chicago in 1674-1675. Mosaics, sculptures and bronzes honor this expedition in the Marquette's entry and lobby. The bronzes and sculptures show the trip and important historic figures that were met along the journey. The railing around the atrium features beautiful Tiffany designed mosaics. Louis Comfort Tiffany was commissioned to create a mosaic frieze to detail the story of Marquette's life, the exploration of Chicago and the Native Americans that he met. Art panels are made of lustered Tiffany glass, mother-of-Pearl and semi-precious stones. It is stunning! The building is free and open to explore. Ask the security guard for a brochure or if you are lucky, he may even share some history about the building. There is also a small exhibit behind the lobby that discusses Chicago skyscrapers and architecture.

Chicago September 2019…read more Walked into the Marquette Building in downtown Chicago to view the beautiful artwork in the lobby. No admission fee. Just walk in and enjoy the view. The lobby is not too big but filled with stain glass art work that is eye catching. One can view the art from the first or second floor. Many Yelpers have already posted photos with great historical commentary. I'll just add a #metoo. No where to park around here unless you want to spend $30.00 ... I just jump on the CTA and pay $2.50 one way (or $5.00 round trip). Many of the buildings in downtown Chicago have fantastic art work in their lobbies. Most are free to explore. Welcome to Chicago !

Certainly there's many historic sites in Chicago. Fort Dearborn was located here and was an…read moreimportant site in the War Of 1812. It had a very strategic location along the river. Has a monument next to the Michigan Avenue bridge. The fort no longer exists, but there's information to read about it though. A long history of this fort. It was first built in 1803 and named after General and Secretary Of War Henry Dearborn, who was in command for Thomas Jefferson. This fort was destroyed in the War Of 1812, but was rebuilt after a few years. Basically nothing happened here after. The fort was decommissioned in 1837 and the troops left. Parts were lost in 1855 because of widening the river, and a couple years later there was a fire. There was later another one, The Great Chicago Fire Of 1871, which destroyed the rest of this. On the south end of the Michigan Avenue bridge are a couple murals. This is the former location of the fort, and you can read a few plaques. For those interested, they can find out more about it. If wanting to look at actual pieces of the fort, a few boards are in the Chicago History Museum. There was a replica made in 1899, in 1839 the Chicago City Council added another star to the city flag to represent the fort, and in 1971 the site was made a landmark where it can be read about at Michigan and Wacker.

Very cool and iconic monument on a very cool and iconic bridge. Right on Michigan and a great view…read moreonto the river.

This is quite an extensive park! We met a group of friends here for one of their periodic bat…read morewalks, which I think was a program of the Friends of Kilbourn Park. They do have a good sized field house here, with programming for a variety of age ranges, so it's worth checking out the CPD activities schedule. There's lots of green space, but also baseball fields, tennis courts, and a nice sized playground. The playground, too, serves a nice range of ages. But what I liked most about this park was the greenhouse and outdoor natural play area. There are places for kids to sit for various activities that take place here, an outdoor kitchen, and a large greenhouse. It's called a "teaching greenhouse", and is unique amongst Chicago parks (at least as of 2026). There's a program called garden buddies aimed at toddlers and I wish I lived closer to be able to have my child participate in it! There's also a plant sale each year. If all that weren't enough, an orchard--the first in a major metropolitan city in the US!--was planted in 2008. Apples, pears, and more--including the paw paw, an unusual, native Illinois fruit--grow on these trees. Currants, berries, and more have also been planted here. I'm excited to keep an eye on their events.

The Greenhouse is open to the public and they do have a staff in duty if there's any questions…read moreabout the garden. They have a selection of plans and flowers. Next to it they have this beautiful park for the kids to play in the playground. Also they have tennis courts and you can improvise and play pickleball as well. Definitely a great value of time to keep this garden beautiful.