Inspired Chicago - Find fun things to do in Chicago!

Field, Pullman, Kimball, Armour . . . Some of Chicago’s wealthiest families lived in the Prairie Avenue neighborhood in the nineteenth century. Jenney, Burnham & Root, Cobb & Frost, Thomas & Rapp . . . Some of Chicago’s most talented architects designed many of the homes in the Prairie Avenue neighborhood. Pick up a free copy of Prairie Avenue Museums & Gardens Walking Tour Guide at the Glessner House Museum Visitor’s Center, 1800 South Prairie Avenue, or print it from their website. The guide includes a map and information for 27 significant sites in the Prairie Avenue neighborhood.  In addition, the guide provides a summary of the neighborhood’s history, broken down into four periods:  Beginnings (1812-1871), Glory Days (1872-1904), Decline (1905-1965), and Rebirth (1966-present).  Please note that the Harriet F. Rees House (22 on the map) is being moved from 2110 South Prairie Avenue to 2017 South Prairie Avenue to make room for the new DePaul University

Where can you find 175 angels (at least), nine Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows, and three historic and landmark designations? At Chicago’s Second Presbyterian Church located at 1936 South Michigan Avenue.  James Renwick, Jr. originally designed the building, which was dedicated in 1874.  After a fire destroyed much of the interior in 1900, Howard Van Doren Shaw, a church member and architect, rebuilt the church interior in the Arts and Crafts style. Second Presbyterian Church was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, a Chicago Landmark in 1977, and a National Historic Landmark in 2013.  To view the gorgeous glass and celestial beings, stop by the church for a tour.  Friends of Historic Second Church offers a public Art and Architecture Tour Wednesdays and Saturdays, between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., and Sundays at 12 noon.  Their July 2014 flyer does not state a price, but welcomes donations.  Their website indicates Saturday tours are $5, but it