Five Forgotten Bits of Presidential History in Chicago
I came up with a list of five forgotten historical facts relating to presidential history in Chicago in honor of Presidents’ Day. Our city’s size and importance means we have a surprisingly robust history of Presidential activity. Of course, everyone know about the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots and President Obama’s victory speech in Grant Park. Instead […]
From Glamor to Gloom at the Pittsfield
In the 100 years of its history, the Pittsfield Building is a big art deco skyscraper that has gone through an incredible transformation. Despite being located adjacent to the bustling Millennium Park, this 37-story skyscraper was once practically empty. From the outside, the Pittsfield appears to be your typical 1920s building, constructed in a throne […]
A New Year of New Buildings in Chicago
The dawn of a new year has us thinking about the new architecture that will change Chicago’s skyline. Construction on major buildings slowed to a crawl after the Great Recession, but the tide has turned. Several new high-rises are popping up quickly, and showing us that the way we live and work in the city is changing. […]
Three Architecture and History Events in Chicago This Week
In this week’s list of events in Chicago architecture and history, we highlight a behind-the-scenes tour of an architecture firm, a pub crawl of Chicago’s entertainment history, and a Mardi Gras-style party celebrating the year of our city’s birth. 1. Chicago’s 177th Birthday Celebration – Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St. CELEBRATION – Tuesday, […]
Logan Square Landscapes: Art and Tour
Our first Detour of 2014 will be “Saturated Landscape,” a special afternoon event of an art exhibition and tour in Logan Square on Saturday, February 15. In addition to our recurring public walking tours, these one-off Detour special events usually partner with awesome experts and organizations to design unique experiences that share Chicago architecture, history and […]
Da Bears Pt 1: History of the Chicago Bears Football Team
Here we are chin deep in the Chicago Bears football season. While “da Bears” may illicit thoughts of beer, polish sausage, and guys with mustaches, at Chicago Detours we think of history and architecture. So I looked into the history of the Chicago Bears and took a break from my regular tour guiding to go on a tour of […]
Chicago Native American History for Thanksgiving
Our national holiday, Thanksgiving, reminds me of the Native American history in Chicago. Native Americans, of course, were the first settlers in this region. In school we don’t learn much about Native American history beyond Thanksgiving. But in Chicago there is much more to Native American influence on the city, beginning with its name. What’s in a Name? […]
Visit the Chicago Neighborhood of Pilsen
Downtown Chicago is known for its business, shopping, and extraordinary architecture. But downtown holds little in the way of truly individualistic expression and a sense of community. For that, you may have to think outside the Loop and the Mag Mile. For that, you can travel a short ways southwest, to the Pilsen neighborhood of […]
The Evolution of the Merchandise Mart
While on the green line last week I rode past the hefty, block-long Merchandise Mart and began to wonder about its history. As I learned from Amanda‘s talk at the Union League Club this past week, the structure of older buildings usually aren’t very flexible and so they struggle to provide functioning spaces like modern […]
Why Does UIC Have So Much Brutalist Architecture?
In Part 1 of this two-part blog post, I introduced the development of the University of Illinois at Chicago, now let’s explore the campus’s famous Brutalist architecture. This was an experimental architectural style for a college campus, especially because it’s a style that many people don’t understand. We do our best to explain and contextualize […]