How to plan an architecture-themed trip to Chicago

There’s more to Chicago's architecture than the iconic skyscrapers that dominate the city’s skyline. Do yourself a favor and venture beyond the downtown neighborhood for a glimpse at some of the country’s architectural gems. See how Frank Lloyd Wright lived and designed his iconic homes. Check out residential apartment towers and a single-family home designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. See one of the last remaining buildings from the 1893 World’s Fair, or wander through Humboldt Park, an urban oasis of lagoons and winding walkways.

Whether it’s landscape design, mid-century residential architecture, or a giant bubble library you’re looking for, you can find it in Chicago—all you have to do is get out of downtown.

You’ll find this historic landmark on the campus of the University of Chicago in the Hyde Park neighborhood on the city’s South Side. Robie House is considered one of the best examples of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School architectural style. The single-family home was built between 1909 and 1910 and features one expansive light-filled living space, a simple and revolutionary approach at the time. Each piece of the home—down to the furniture, rugs, and ornamentation—was designed to come together to tell a complete story.

This property in a suburb west of Chicago was Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and eventually grew to include his design studio. The architect’s six children were raised in this home, which underwent several renovations over the years and was considered cutting-edge for its early adoption of electricity and telephone service. A highlight is the curved roof of the playroom, with its brick fireplace and expansive skylight. You’ll want to spend some time exploring the surrounding neighborhood before you go—it’s home to more than two dozen properties designed by Wright. To take in more of the work in this neighborhood, join a tour with the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, which offers walking and bike options. You can also sign up for a tour of Wright’s Oak Park gems with the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

This home was designed by Louis Sullivan and his then-apprentice Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1890s. The Charnley-Persky House, which includes an ornate balcony that punctuates an otherwise simple exterior, is considered a pivotal work of modern architecture. Through their design, Sullivan and Wright rejected the Victorian details that were dominant at the time in favor of abstract floral and geometric forms that would become hallmarks of modern architecture. The interior of the home features elaborate wood trim, a three-story light well, and statement fireplaces.

The Museum of Science and Industry is one of two remaining structures from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and was part of the White City created for the event. Designers took their inspiration from Greek and Roman architecture, incorporating elements like Ionic columns, a central dome, and draped female figures to add historical depth to a relatively young city looking to make a splashy debut on the world’s stage. Nowadays, this building is home to the Museum of Science and Industry, one of the largest science museums in the world.

In 1928, this sunset pink residential tower was a place of choice for the city’s wealthiest residents to swap their sprawling mansions for an opulent high-rise near the beach. The interior of the building includes a stunning indoor pool, a charming garden, and an opulent two-story foyer with a sparkling chandelier. This is a private residential building, but it is open for tours during Open House Chicago, an annual festival that opens the normally closed doors of architectural icons across the city each October.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe described the aesthetic of these residential towers as “skin and bones.” He used steel and concrete to build this mysterious pair of 26-story apartment towers on Lake Shore Drive, setting them at right angles to maximize their Lake Michigan views. From the outside it’s not easy to discern whether these are residential or commercial spaces. Mies van der Rohe was known for his “less is more” approach to architecture and these apartment towers are a clear example of this philosophy. The buildings helped Chicago cement its position as a leader in mid-century modern architecture. To take in these buildings from the outside, head to the intersection of Lake Shore Drive and East Delaware Place.

This historic cemetery on the city’s North Side is the final resting place of architect Louis Sullivan, the aforementioned driving force behind the Chicago School of Architecture and the birth of the modern skyscraper. Sullivan is one of many well-known Chicago architects buried at Graceland Cemetery. Keep an eye out for the gravestones of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; Daniel Burnham, chief of construction for the 1893 Columbian Exposition; Fazlur Khan, the structural engineer whose work includes the Willis Tower and 875 N. Michigan Avenue; and Marion Mahony Griffin, the first licensed female architect in the U.S.

The 207-acre Humboldt Park is part of a boulevard system created by landscape architect William Le Baron Jenney to connect Chicago neighborhoods in the late 1800s. It was marshland when the team began to transform it into an urban oasis of lagoons, winding walkways, and open meadows. Nowadays, the park is home to the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, Chicago’s only inland beach, and a prairie-style boat house with three soaring arches and picturesque lagoon views.

The Farnsworth House was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as a one-room weekend retreat in rural Plano, IL, about 60 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. Built between 1945 and 1951, the house looks like a floating glass box. Windows stand in for walls, seamlessly blending the outdoors with the indoors. The house is set on a 60-acre property on a wooded river bank and is considered one of the clearest expressions of Mies van der Rohe’s International style.

This giant glass bubble on the campus of the University of Chicago is more than just an architectural gem—it’s a state-of-the-art research facility where robotic cranes can retrieve books in mere minutes. The library, a much more recent addition to the city’s architecture scene designed by German-American architect Helmut Jahn, includes a 180-seat reading room under its glass dome and a sophisticated underground automated storage and retrieval system. The library can accommodate up to 3.5 million books in its subterranean space. Above ground, its dome is designed to filter heat, light, and UV rays.