1. Monroe Harbor

    1. Monroe Harbor

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    Chicago, IL

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    Monroe Harbor

    4.8 (5 reviews)

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    Chicago Water Tower - View of the Chicago Water Tower on Friday, October 31, 2025.

    Chicago Water Tower

    4.1(91 reviews)
    0.9 miNear North Side
    $

    Forget anything else about the architecture or this structure and just focus on the historical…read moresignificance and that alone makes it worth a look. It's old enough to predate the Great Fire, making it one of the few structures to survive. The Chicago Water Tower is still here, kind of looking out of place among the skyscrapers and whatever. Along with the tower is the pump house. Sometimes there will be art galleries and you can get inside. As for the actual structure, it's also a piece of art. It certainly was built sturdy to make it this long. The tower is in the middle of the intersection of Chicago and Michigan, close to many other tourist attractions and the overpriced shopping. A small park also surrounds it. The pump house is across the street, which can't be forgotten about if looking at this historic structure so go take a look at it too. Also there's a popular mall next to here. They have souvenirs and that kind of stuff you can buy there. Going to just check out the outside of it is enough of a reason to look around here. It's also open at certain times for art galleries, or it used to be that is. This is close enough for certain people to walk to from Navy Pier, and just up the street from the shopping and whatever.

    The water tower looks like a castle near all of the upscale shops on the magnificent mile. Happily…read moreI was able to go inside and see all of the pumps, it was fascinating. By the 1860s, Chicago's water supply was inadequate for its growing population. Near-shore lake water was too polluted to be used because of runoff from the Chicago River. In 1867, Chesbrough, an engineer designed a water supply tunnel system running nearly 2 miles offshore pumped back to shore through this pumping station. Boyington designed both the pumping works building & Water Tower that houses the standpipe. Both buildings were built in the Gothic Revival style with distinctive yellow Joliet limestone. The buildings look like something out of a fairy tale. The Chicago Water Tower was the most iconic structure that remained standing after the Great Fire of 1871. It was a rallying point for the city. It stood as a symbol for a city determined to rise from its own ashes. Sadly at 9 o'clock on a Friday morning homeless filled most of the benches panhandling with all of their belongings.

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    Chicago Water Tower
    Chicago Water Tower - Pumping station at dusk, across the street from the Tower. It also survived the Great Fire.

    Pumping station at dusk, across the street from the Tower. It also survived the Great Fire.

    Chicago Water Tower - Pumping station at dusk, across the street from the Tower

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    Pumping station at dusk, across the street from the Tower

    Monroe Harbor - publicservicesgovt - Updated July 2026

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