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Chicago Cultural Center- Chicago, IL
The Chicago Cultural Center, once the city’s Central Public Library, may just be the most impressive building in Chicago. Which is a bold statement, as Chicago is nothing short of an architectural wonderland. Completed in 1897, the quality of construction and attention to detail is beyond breathtaking. A beautifully preserved piece of the past, it continues to inspire all who visit today. The Chicago Public Library system itself was founded after the city lost its entire circulating book collection in the Great Fire of 1871. Sympathetic to their plight, books poured into the city from around the world. British authors and statesmen alone sent over 8,000 volumes, including signed books…
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Palmer House Hilton- Chicago, IL
I love historic hotels with grand lobbies. Ornate architecture, soaring ceilings, and massive murals make for stunning spaces you just don’t want to leave. All of these things apply to the lobby at Palmer House Hilton; it is a feast for the eyes, filled with treasures waiting to be discovered. A Beaux Arts beauty, with Art Deco details, it is absolutely not to be missed. The current hotel, considered by some the longest continually operating hotel in America, is actually the third to bear the Palmer House name. The first, an extravagant wedding gift from Potter Palmer to his wife Bertha Honore, was constructed in 1871. It was open for…
