In The Chi-Loop: Historical Chicago

Earlier in the Spring, Jill and I took a trip to the Glessner House Museum and the Clarke House Museum. The Glessner House is located in the Prairie Avenue District of Chicago, which is on the site of Fort Dearborn and eventually became Chicago's most fashionable residential district after the Great Chicago Fire. Tours of both museums are free Wednesday and run back to back. It's not a very typical and touristy tour to take, but it was an interesting way to place ourselves in 19th century Chicago.

Unfortunately, we were unable to take photographs inside, so you'll just have to take this tour yourself! But, please do enjoy the photos of the exterior architecture of these two homes. Jill and I would highly recommend it for a tour off the beaten path.

Prairie Avenue District

Some of the historic houses on the avenue.

That day was beautiful.

The Glessner House is a National Historic Landmark and was designed by the famous American architect, Henry Hobson Richardson. The imposing house was completed in 1887 and was a radical transformation from the traditional Victorian architecture and changed how homes were designed and built. The tour is not just of the architecture of the house, but of the family, art, and social history of that time. With almost all of the original furniture, decor, and family mementos in the house, it is quite a tour of how the Glessner family lived their lives in Chicago.

Glessner House

Side of the house.

The entrance to the Glessner House.

Turn your head to the right, and you'll notice that it looks like a 'G'.

The door to the servants's entrance (inside the 'G').

Details of the architecture.

The Clarke House is a Greek Revival house built in 1836 for Henry B. Clarke and is actually the oldest house in Chicago! The inside shows a recreation how a middle class family would have lived in the city years before the Civil War. Families could actually see campfires of Native Americans in the distance. The house has survived fires, belonged to a church and moved twice. Yes, moved. The second time around actually had the house in the air for two weeks!

The Clarke House Museum

Clarke House

A mini-Clarke House!

Yes, we went in there.

To continue learning about the history Chicago, we went to the Chicago History Museum on a separate occasion. Now that you have an upcoming Wednesday booked, plan a trip to this museum on a Monday for a free admission! The museum has a whole lot of everything from the past, present, and future of Chicago.

Lincoln outside the museum.

Chicago History Museum

Considering Chicago has the highest gas prices in the US...

Fort Dearborn

Water Tower

The City of Chicago's flag.
The four stars symbolize the Fort Dearborn, Great Chicago Fire,
World's Columbian Exposition,and Century of Progress Exposition.

Jill and the white swan (given to us from NY).

Does it turn into the black swan?

Chicago's "official" hot dog.

Jill on the train.

With her new friend.

She didn't like me as much.

Abraham Lincoln Installation

The bed where President Lincoln died!

*Not an actual photo of the fire. :]

Jill and I proceeded to the kid section of the museum when we were done with our tour, and had a bit too much fun there! There was a green screen to superimpose you in various videos of the city (silly videos below) and a postcard maker! (I am obsessed with postcards.) I might come back another Monday just to do it again!