After I learned the hard way that the South Side Community Art Center and the Bronzeville Visitor…read moreInformation Center were BOTH closed on a frosty January Sunday, my botched attempt to observe the spirit of Martin Luther King Day by learning about African-American history culminated with a misguided visit to Douglas Tomb. From a few blocks away I looked up in awe at the 9' bronze statue atop a towering 46' monument. It wasn't until I entered the park gate that I realized my latest mistake: not only did this guy spell his last name with one 's', but he was also white. I.e., not Frederick Douglass. [smacks self on forehead] The man who holds a high perch on the eastern fringe of the Bronzeville neighborhood goes by the name Stephen A. Douglas. Douglas was a prominent white local landowner in the area long before Bronzeville became known as the mecca of African-American history. A lifelong politician, he played a significant role in establishing America's western territories and railroads before losing the presidential election to Abe Lincoln in 1860. Douglas' belief in popular sovereignty, i.e. the notion that new territories should be allowed to individually decide on slavery by popular vote, ultimately led to his political downfall. Here at the monument, one can stand over the sarcophagus containing Douglas' dead body and carry on the longstanding scholarly debate about whether Douglas was *personally* opposed to slavery; some argue his name and monument should be removed, while others are dedicated to preserving his legacy. Even on Yelp, if you search for either the community area Douglas or the neighborhood Bronzeville, you'll see the two names superimposed on top of each other. We all know that nice guys don't get statuized, though, and with Douglas' gaze fixed at more than 50' above ground it's impossible to look him in the eye to properly judge the nuances of his character. Only one fact was and remains as true as this monument is high: the guy was prominent.

I have visited Douglas Park many times because I'm a historian of Douglas and a board member of the…read moreStephen A. Douglas Association. It's a beautiful park, very peaceful, and for several years now it has been home to the Bronzeville Historical Society, which is headquartered there. You can learn a great deal about African-American history in Chicago by talking with the charismatic founder and CEO of the society, Sherry Williams, or by settling into the upstairs library and picking out a good book. Sherry is also very knowledgeable about Douglas, his family's slaves, and the underground railroad. As an additional bonus, the park is only a short walk from the lakeshore because it is the terminus of a pedestrian bridge that runs over the railroad tracks and the highway (the bridge is currently in the process of being replaced by a spectacular suspension bridge for both bikers and pedestrians). Moreover, since October 2014, the park features a feature-length film on Douglas that can be seen at the site if the Bronzeville Historical Society is open. I produced and directed the film, which is titled "Stephen A. Douglas and the Fate of American Democracy," and which interweaves the story of Douglas' life and that of the nation from the Revolution to the Civil War. The film was made with the cooperation of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, and received a 2015 Award of Superior Achievement from the Illinois State Historical Society. It features voice acting from leading Douglas and Lincoln reenactors, clips from five historians, and several hundred images drawn from several dozen archival collections, including the Stephen A. Douglas Papers at the University of Chicago. There is no charge to enter the park, to watch the film, or to visit the Bronzeville Historical Society. All are welcome! If possible, however, come when Sherry is on site. She's a truly engaging human being. The phone number of the society is 312-428-8033. Graham Peck

My first visit to Chicago I went to see the Wrigley Building. After that I found more non tourist…read moretype places to visit during trips to Chicago. It is certainly a historic landmark. You must go at least once. I'm in for anything with the Wrigley name!

Built in the 1920's for Wrigley the gum magnet in downtown Chicago. It's known for its Spanish…read moreColonial Revival style, featuring 2 towers & a distinctive white terra cotta facade. It was the first air conditioned building in the city. In the 1957 science fiction film Beginning of the End, giant grasshoppers attack downtown, are shown climbing up the side of the Wrigley Building.

Drove by on a Thursday afternoon. I thought it was a private home but it appears that there are…read moretours every last Saturday of the month. This is fantastic! There is only street parking so it will probably be hard to park. Best to uber or lyft if coming. The outside area seems to be well maintained. Goigle their website to plan ahead and see more info.

No tour was available. Looks well maintained. Not worth the trip unless you are in the immediate…read morevicinity.

This was something my wife really wanted to do when we went to Chicago a couple weeks ago during…read moreSpring Break, and I am glad she did because I absolutely loved it. We got the home/studio tour and our guide, Marie, was phenomenal. We also paid extra for the self-guided tour of the neighborhood which comes with a map of about 10 homes or so and a device you carry to play pre-recorded information about each home. I think we paid about $40/person and I consider that a fair price.

I'm not the biggest Frank Lloyd Wright fan in terms of his style, but I can admit he was ahead of…read morehis time. It was interesting to learn about him and the creative choices he made for his house and studio. I think his style definitely had an influence on the Chicagoland area, so the history is fascinating. The tour guide was great!! We were in the area doing the Ernest Hemingway house tour, and decided why not make a day out of it and do this tour too. It was very close and we were able to walk here from Hemingway's house. This tour is also an hour long guided walking tour through his house and studio, which is attached ($20 for adults). We purchased tickets there inside the gift shop located behind the house. There were two women working behind the counter, and idk if it was just my bf and I, but one of them scoffed when my bf tried to pay cash instead of just calmly letting us know it's card only. I also don't know why it takes two people to sign customers up for a tour--just kind of an odd experience lol. Anyway, there was no space for the next tour so we had to wait an hour, which was fine. We walked around the neighborhood and looked at the various other Frank Lloyd Wright style homes.

Route 66 - Chicago…read more I'm a Route 66 enthusiast. America's most iconic road trip spans over 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica. I really wanted to see this sign after having been to "The Heart of Historic Route 66" in Kingman AZ and making stops at nearby attractions along Route 66 including Chloride, Seligman, Hackberry General Store, Giganticus Headicus, Sitgreaves Pass, and Oatman AZ. In Tulsa OK we stopped by the 'East meets West' statue. We had a little walk looking for the sign after hopping off Stop #3 at the Millennium Park. The road sign sits just outside a Starbucks shop on either side of E Adams Street. There is also a marker facing Michigan Avenue with a short history (in English facing the road, Spanish translation facing the sidewalk). Hope they clean it up... it's got full of stickers and graffiti LoL Route 66 (aka "The Mother Road") is packed with history, quirky roadside attractions and covers the states of Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California. Review #3826

While on a mobsters and haunted mysteries walking tour with my son on a cold, rainy, Sunday…read moreafternoon, we stopped here. Per the tour guide, this was the starting location of Route 66 that went all the way to Santa Monica. There's a ghost story behind this as well that was interesting. Apparently, there are multiple signs throughout the city as well. I didn't notice them but then again, I wasn't looking for them either.

This tour is located at the house Ernest Hemingway was born in and lived until he was 6 years old…read more The house he moved to afterwards and lived in until he graduated high school is only like a 5 minute walk away, but someone currently lives there so it is not open to the public. This Victorian style house was remodeled to look almost exactly the way it did when Ernest Hemingway lived here. In the 50s it was turned into apartments and the porch was removed. I admire the amazing work they did on the house to get it to look almost exactly how it did before. Idk if I've ever read anything by Ernest Hemingway, but I know how iconic his books and stories are. I never knew he was from Oak Park! I love historical tours, even if I don't exactly know much/care about the person the tour is based around. Even to me, the tour was extremely interesting and the tour guide was amazing and knew a lot! It was $20 and lasted about an hour. We purchased our tickets in person when we got there. The Victorian era is fascinating, and much of the tour talks about life during that time. It also talks about who Ernest Hemingway grew up with and perhaps what inspired a lot of his work. Of course it mostly discusses his childhood because this is where he lived as a young child and how his parents and grandparents raised him. The tour goes through the entire house and upstairs, and there are so many interesting artifacts to see and look at.

The tour was thorough and informative: $20 for adults and $18 for students for a fifty minute tour…read moreof the house where Ernest Hemingway spent the first six years of his life. The house itself is beautiful, and is fitted with objects/decorations from the late Victorian period. Some of the items are in fact originals from the Hall/Hemingway family, and there are a number of original paintings by Hemingway's mother, Grace. The docent was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She gave an extensive account of Hemingway's immediate and extended family, which provided an insight into how a well-off family of that era lived. I had read only a couple of Hemingway's works at the time, but the tour was interesting enough that I was able to enjoy it without being a major fan. The building is about a twelve minute walk from the Green Line Oak Park CTA Station, and is close to many restaurants, cafés and shops. There is a lovely park between the station and the home, where one can sit and enjoy the weather + occasional live music. Overall, I highly recommend the tour if you are a Chicago resident or otherwise a Hemingway fan from out of town. It's a quick, cute tour and lovely area.

Surprisingly large, easy to overlook gorgeous sculptured fountain - would def stop by if you're in…read morethe area, would definitely visit this area if you're from out of town - the UChicago campus is gorgeous

I never heard or seen this structure until I somehow found it during a drive through the…read moreneighborhood. My mom and I decided to park and look at it for a few minutes because we were trying to figure out what it was. We drove away after I thought the cloaked one was headless, but I realized that I was mistaken later. I regret not taking pictures of it. It was Interesting to see the structure from our car though.

Centerpiece of the Logan Square green space is this column. It certainly is an impressive work out…read moreart and an important part of area history. The Illinois Centennial Memorial Column is the meaning of this large structure. A lot of interesting facts about it. You can find out more online. Basic story about it is this was placed here to celebrate the State of Illinois' 100th anniversary. It was built in 1918 and designed by Henry Bacon, the architect of the Lincoln Memorial. This is the main attraction of Logan Square. It's known as a Doric column. On the base are reliefs of Ceres, Daniel Boone, and Hiawatha. At the top is an eagle. This is a reference of the state flag, which has an eagle on it. Alongside the column is a flagpole. There's a concrete plaque dedicated to soldiers who died in WWI, WWII, and the Korean War. Also the column is based on the proportions and scale of the Parthenon's colonnade. This explains the use of the figures of Greek mythology. Also there's a few seating structures around it. This makes it a good place for a rest and stuff. Have to get a closer look to appreciate the craftsmanship and history. It's certainly a very impressive structure. There's lots of history to read up on about this so you can go check out more about the architect who made this and other things.

If you have ever visited Logan Square neighborhood, a key site that stands out in the inner portion…read moreof the neighborhood is the Illinois Centennial Monument because of its height and intriguing design. Built in 1918, the monument was honored 100 years of Illinois statehood, designed by Henry Bacon, famed architect of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Evelyn Beatrice Longman sculpted the eagle, along with the bas reliefs of the base, which the eagle measures ten feet in height. I tend to utilize this monument as my key landmark while running or cycling in the Logan Square neighborhood. Since I have been a fitness enthusiast for well over a decade, I have always made historic landmarks like the Illinois Centennial Monument my key point during workouts because it adds extra enthusiasm to the adventure. From my perspective select parts like this of Logan Square are perfect for a cyclist because it is scenic, and Logan Boulevard is not too shabby of a road for road or triathlon bikes, plus it has a good stretch to it from the monument towards Bucktown & Wicker Park neighborhood. Most people tend to just walk through the area of the Illinois Centennial Monument, but it looks to be the perfect place where you can relax and read a book. The monument itself has no individual parking of its own, but if you ever wish to view it up close, there are several businesses surrounding in the area that are open for you to park, as well as neighborhood parking. Thomas G