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.

Robert Morris was born in England and became an American businessman. He was one of the men who…read moresigned the Declaration of Independence. Hyam Salomon was born in Poland and moved to New York where he became a businessman and joined the Anti-British Sons of Liberty. So why does this memorial show George Washington in his Revolutionary War uniform shaking hands with Morris and Salomon? Well, those two men were considered to be the major financiers of the Revolutionary War. It was dedicated on the 150th Anniversary of the Ratification of the American Bill of Rights on December 15, 1941. A plaque on the base is inscribed with these words: Symbol of American Tolerance and Unity and of the Cooperation of People of All Races and Creeds in the Upbuilding of the United States. This monument designed by Lorado Taft and completed/by Leonard Crunelle was presented to the city of Chicago by the Patriotic Foundation of Chicago The main inscription reads: Robert Morris . George Washington . Haym Salomon "The government of the United States which gives to bigotry no sanction - to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support" President George Washington 1790. Unfortunately the plaque and inscription are in poor shape and are difficult to read. The back of the monument has a very cool bronze image of Lady Liberty embracing a huge crowd of people that are obviously of different origins.

I really enjoy this sculpture! Lovely location inside Jackson Park, this piece is massive and…read moreimpressive. It's a dozen lotus flower petals and each one is 12 feet tall. I'm a fan of Yoko Ono's art and this is one of my favorites. She gifted this to Chicago and it's her first permanent public artwork in the Americas. It's a symbol of peace.

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 !

This used to be my favorite store in the late '60's and early '70's. While working downtown, and…read moregoing to college downtown, i used to eat my lunch almost every day. They had the absolute best cream of mushroom soup. Tons of mushrooms in a delightful cream sauce. And those desserts!!! I can still taste that wonderful cake slice with a thick layer of butter cream frosting. And people were all dressed up so nicely to go shopping in those days. I remember how well trained staff were. So polite and knowledgeable about what they were selling. And just the feeling of shopping in such a magnificent building. And such an enormous building. Such great memories.

Another free treasure. This historical building used to be Marshal fields and now is the Macys on…read moreState street. It's a beautiful building ... took some inside pics from different angle and perspectives. It's famous for the mosaic ceiling which is a work of art that pics can't capture ... but i tried. It's beautiful. The dome ceiling was designed by renowned glass artist Louis Comfort Tiffany (it's the largest Tiffany mosaic in existence) and crafted by a group of 50 artisans who worked atop scaffolds for over 18 months to complete the project. This work of art shimmering vaulted ceiling that covers 6,000 square feet and comprises 1.6 million pieces of iridescent glass. If you like it and are looking for more free art treasure check out the ceiling in the chicago cultural center for another gorgeous Tiffany ceiling. Love that Chicago offers so much to see and do free or for little cost. I also like looking and and looking down at the different floors. afraid of heights but it was still worth a glimpse over the railings. Also check out the restaurant .. very elegant .. i think it's the walnut room.

The Cook County Building is located on the corner of Clark and Washington. Interestingly, it is…read moreco-located with the Chicago City Hall: The west side of the building is the City Hall building, whilst the east side houses County offices. It's a beautiful building, and this iteration (it's been rebuilt several times over the course of Chicago's history) is the third that has been shared with the city hall. It's a Holibard & Roache-designed structure, the storied firm that designed several of the city's treasures. My visit here was to the city side to pick up residential parking permits. I was really glad that I wasn't here for the vital statistics office of county clerk's office, because that line was out the door and down the hall. When I went to pick up copies of my daughter's birth certificate, I went to the Skokie Courthouse and was in and out within ten minutes, so if you're able to get there for some of the vital stats docs, I'd suggest doing so.

Far less of a zoo here than other places! Excellent…read morelocation. If you need to replace or renew your state ID or drivers license (without any test except your eyes), the place to go is in the basement accessed via escalators in the south side of the lobby.

Recently visited the cemetery since I was in the air. Originally, this was the only area nearby…read morewith public restrooms since Downers Grove doesn't really have public restrooms but I took the chance to walk around the cemetery to see and experience all the history this place had to offer. Even though many of the Tombstones are old. They do try to rehab a lot of the ones on the property. You can find many well-known families to the area that lived here and get a glimpse into the past. Overall, this place is great for historians and history Buffs alike

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.