- Walking
- Premier
Chicago's First Skyscrapers
Get an up-close look at these 19th century marvels—including three stunning interior lobbies. Learn about the design innovations used to create this revolutionary new building type that transformed cities forever.
Meet
410 S. Michigan Ave., outside the Fine Arts Building
Today, 9 of these historic early skyscrapers are proposed UNESCO World Heritage sites—and 7 of them are on this tour. As Chicago rebuilt after the Great Chicago Fire, pioneering tall office buildings began to rise up in the 1880's and 90's, designed by renowned architects Adler and Sullivan; Burnham and Root/ Holabird & Roche—and the father of the steel-frame skyscraper, William Le Baron Jenney.
Highlights of the tour include Burnham & Root's Rookery (1888), a Moorish castle on the exterior with a stunning interior atrium redesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright; Adler & Sullivan's Auditorium Building (1889), whose groundbreaking design includes an interior filled with Louis Sullivan's signature ornament; and Holabird & Roche's Marquette Building (1895), with a lobby filled with art including a rare Tiffany mosaic frieze.
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Buildings on This Tour
Free Center Entry with Your Ticket
Ticket price includes entrance to the Chicago Architecture Center within 7 days of your walking or bus tour.