Chicago’s First Skyscrapers
Chicago is home to some of the world’s earliest skyscrapers. Get an up-close look at these 19th Century marvels, learn about innovations used to build them and discover how they transformed Chicago into a center of skyscraper design and engineering.
Premier tour*
This walking tour includes 7 of the 9 skyscrapers of the submitted UNESCO World Heritage “Early Chicago Skyscrapers” application. Highlights include Burnham and Root’s Rookery (1888), a transitional building with a Moorish and Romanesque exterior and a stunning interior atrium re-designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; Adler and Sullivan’s Auditorium Building (1889), a masterpiece of acoustical and structural engineering; and Holabird and Roche’s Marquette Building (1895), an outstanding example of the metal frame expression with traditional details and decorations.
Notes:
- Many tours sell out. To guarantee your space advance reservations are strongly recommended.
- Ticket price includes entrance to the Chicago Architecture Center within 7 days of your tour. View the CAC's hours.
- This tour meets at 410 S. Michigan Ave., outside the Fine Arts Building.
*Premier tours are free for Deco members and above. Learn about our membership levels.
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