Prairie Avenue Walking Tours
Upcoming Tours:
- Sunday July 15, 2012
- Sunday August 19, 2012
- Sunday September 16, 2012
(all tours begin at 2:00pm)
Also available by appointment for groups of 10 or more.
Starting Point: Glessner House Museum
Call 312.326.1480 to reserve a place, since group size is limited.
$15.00 per person,
$12.00 for museum members
Explore the fascinating history of Chicago’s Prairie Avenue on this two-hour walking tour through the neighborhood, led by Bill Tyre, Executive Director and Curator of the Glessner House Museum and author of Chicago’s Historic Prairie Avenue. The tour will cover almost 200 years of history, from the Battle of Fort Dearborn through the recent rebirth of the area as Chicago’s hottest residential neighborhood. Visitors will see historic photos of homes that have been lost and walk past the eleven houses that remain in the area. Interior tours of the last surviving house on Calumet Avenue, now functioning as the Wheeler Mansion boutique hotel, and the incredible Arts & Crafts sanctuary of Second Presbyterian Church, featuring nine Tiffany windows, will be included.
Private Tour:
The Architecture and Decoration of the Oriental Institute Building
Saturday April 21, 2012 at 10:00am
$25 per person
Prepaid reservations required to 312.326.1480
Group size limited to 25
The Oriental Institute, located at 1155 E. 58th Street on the University of Chicago campus, is know for its extraordinary collection of art and artifacts from Egypt, Mesopotamia and other ancient cultures. But the building itself, designed by H. O. Murray in 1930, is an architectural treasure in and of itself, richly decorated with motifs from these ancient cultures, selected and overseen by a “Symbolism Committee” during construction. This very special tour will be led by Emily Teeter, Ph.D., an Egyptologist and Research Associate at the Oriental Institute, who has published a variety of articles about the history of the Institute and its building. All proceeds from this tour support the House & Collections Committee Fund.
A Walk Through Time
Annual Interior Tour of the Mansions of Historic Prairie Avenue
Sunday June 10, 2012 from 1:00 to 4:00pm
$50 per person / $45 for museum members
Prepaid reservations recommended to 312.326.1480
This very special tour, the annual benefit for Glessner House Museum, presents attendees with the rare opportunity to visit the interiors of several historic homes along and near Prairie Avenue. Visitors will be treated to a breath-taking array of beautifully carved wood moldings, leaded glass windows, and fireplaces in elaborate tile, mosaic, and marble. The Glessner and Clarke House Museums are also included on the tour as well as historic Second Presbyterian Church, with its important arts and crafts interior and collection of windows, including nine by Tiffany and two by Edward Burne-Jones. Following the tour, attendees are invited to return to the coach house of Glessner House Museum for a reception and silent auction, featuring theatre tickets, Chicago memorabilia, collectibles, and other items of interest.
Vintage Car Exhibit and tours of historic “Motor Row”
Sunday June 24, 2012 from 10:00am to 4:00pm
1800 block of Prairie Avenue
Free of charge
This very special invitational car show will feature twenty automobiles from the period of 1906 through 1936. The Glessners purchased their first automobile, a Pierce Arrow, in 1906 and owned a variety of cars until John Glessner’s death in 1936. In addition to the car show, both the Glessner and Clarke house museums will be offering free tours throughout the day, and there will also be guided walking tours of the nearby Motor Row Historic District along Michigan Avenue. A special one-time event for anyone with an interest in classic automobiles! Event will be held rain or shine.
Glessner House Museum 