Aha! Pump it! Pump it real good! This is an actual pumping…read morestation! There's huge pipes up in here that transport lots of water up from Lake Michigan to all the thirsty Chicago people. This building is real old- it predates the great fire by two years. This is when they knew how to build things to last. This water tower pumping stationis kinda hollow inside, but full of water works infrastructure. There's a tour you can take. There's also an art gallery that's free and worth checking out, even if just for a few minutes.

This was awesome! You just walk in and find the pumping station operating behind glass enclosure…read more It takes you back in time for a quick minute. My dad was a union plumber in NYC, so of course I can appreciate this awesome structure available to the public. Visiting Chicago has been a great experience!!!

The Marquette Building is a beautiful example of the Chicago School of architecture. The early…read moresteel framed sixteen story skyscraper was built in 1895. The steel frame is what allowed long "Chicago windows" due to less pressure of the masonry. It was designed by Holabird and Roche. The skyscraper was named for Father Jacques Marquette, the first European settler who explored Chicago in 1674-1675. Mosaics, sculptures and bronzes honor this expedition in the Marquette's entry and lobby. The bronzes and sculptures show the trip and important historic figures that were met along the journey. The railing around the atrium features beautiful Tiffany designed mosaics. Louis Comfort Tiffany was commissioned to create a mosaic frieze to detail the story of Marquette's life, the exploration of Chicago and the Native Americans that he met. Art panels are made of lustered Tiffany glass, mother-of-Pearl and semi-precious stones. It is stunning! The building is free and open to explore. Ask the security guard for a brochure or if you are lucky, he may even share some history about the building. There is also a small exhibit behind the lobby that discusses Chicago skyscrapers and architecture.

Chicago September 2019…read more Walked into the Marquette Building in downtown Chicago to view the beautiful artwork in the lobby. No admission fee. Just walk in and enjoy the view. The lobby is not too big but filled with stain glass art work that is eye catching. One can view the art from the first or second floor. Many Yelpers have already posted photos with great historical commentary. I'll just add a #metoo. No where to park around here unless you want to spend $30.00 ... I just jump on the CTA and pay $2.50 one way (or $5.00 round trip). Many of the buildings in downtown Chicago have fantastic art work in their lobbies. Most are free to explore. Welcome to Chicago !

The Chicago waterfront buildings shaped like corn cobs are the Marina City Towers, a distinctive…read moremixed-use complex located on the Chicago River at 300 North State Street. Designed by architect Bertrand Goldberg, the twin, petal-shaped towers were completed in the mid-1960s and are a landmark of Modernist architecture, originally built to revitalize downtown living. The House of Blues & Legal Seafood are in the lobby of these towers.

You will find this small memorial on the RIverwalk. This memorial pays tribute to the State's…read moreVietnam veterans from all 5 branches of the service. Them memorial was dedicated in 2005 and features amphitheater stadium seating, a fountain basin and stone wall inscribed with the names of those the Illinois residents that died during the Vietnam War. You will find emblems of the five branches of service and a dedication plaque. The stone wall was from the former Vietnam Memorial that located on Wacker Drive that this memorial replaced. The memorial received a much needed face lift in March 2024. I am a sucker for, and appreciate military memorials and showing of appreciation for service. The seating provides a nice place to sit and reflect while listening to the soothing and calming flow of the fountain. It is a simple memorial, but still powerful. I will admit that the walls and memorial area could use a good power washing, put is still in good repair. This memorial is a nice addition to the RIverwalk and is definitely worth a visit if you are on the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk may be a bit hectic, but this area has a calming/peaceful effect.

As the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran, I was pleasantly surprised to find this treasure in the midst…read moreof Chicago's downtown area. It's well done and wonderful reminder of the service and sacrifice of so many.

This is a small pocket plaza located in the heart of downtown Chicago, sandwiched between the…read moreWrigley and Realtor buildings. It was dedicated in 1963 by the then Mexican Consulate General, in honor of the member countries of the Organization of American States. It is a small plaza that is very picturesque, especially at night at is home to a few sculptures. In the Spring and Summer, the plaza is adorned with beautiful flowers and folliage. It is well maintained. Obviously, they cant have the plants in the harsh Chicago winters though. You will find the Wings of Mexico here. It is a temporary exhibit that consist of a pair of gold wings that visitor can pose in front of and take pictures. There is also a life-sized sculpture of Mexico's first president of indigenous origin (26th overall), Benito Juarez in the plaza. I did not see any seating in the plaza, so I guess they do not want it to be a spot to hang out and loiter, but to just enjoy. There are flags around the plaza's perimeter, representative of the each respective country that is part of the Organization of American States. Parking to get here is very difficult, as is most parking in the Windy City. I like this place and what it represents, but this plaza is not a destination spot and most of its visitors will be passerbys such as myself. I would say, I spent about 20 minutes here and moved on.

This place was nice to just sit, relax, enjoy the view, and take a quick break from walking around…read morethe city.

The views speak for themselves at this iconic building at North/Milwaukee and Damen. A hotel and…read morehostel concept are being born out of this 1929 space and I cannot wait to check it out when it opens. In the meantime, the scaffolding is down, the facade is looking fresh and a diamond in the rough is finally getting the diamond status that it's needed for years. Next review - bar and hotel opening here before long!

The Kluczynski building is part of a larger federal complex. It shares a plaza with the downtown…read morepost office, and across the street is the Dirksen federal courthouse, with the three forming the Federal Plaza. It is architecturally significant because it is a building designed by Mies van de Rohe, along with the other buildings. One thing that is somewhat distinct, and pleases the part of me that likes things symmetrical and neat, is that the seams of the building line up with the stones used in the plaza surrounding each building. My understanding is that this was done to establish a cohesion between the three buildings, even though they're separated by Dearborn Street. I absorbed some Mies history during the 11 years I worked for the university at which he remains the most famous person associated with it (even over 50 years after his death). The Kluczynski building is classical Mies architecture. The first floor is recessed from the rest of the building, and is fully wrapped in glass. There's no offices really on this floor, as is the case in so many of his other buildings, where the first floor is almost always a common space. Black steel and glass that rises 45 stories into the air is typically Miesian. In addition to being a Mies building, the Flamingo by Alexander Calder--one of Chicago's most recognizable pieces of public art--is located in the plaza between the Kluczynski building and the post office. This building houses offices for several different federal organizations: Labor, the Passport Agency, the federal credit union, the offices for the senators for Illinois, OPM, etc. You'll absolutely need ID when entering this building so come prepared.

Between the Riverwalk and the Navy pier is this attractive fountain. It was dedicated 1989. There…read morewere many shady spots to sit & admire the fountain with plugs to charge up ur technology.