Monadnock Building
Monadnock Building
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The two-building block represents old-style masonry and new-fangled steel framing.
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown / The Loop
Often visitors' first stop in Chicago, The Loop is a good starting point to sample the city's energy and flavor. This central business district boasts Michelin-rated restaurants, upscale hotels, premier shopping, and enough arresting architecture to keep your camera busy for hours. You won’t find too many photo galleries of downtown Chicago without a shot of Millennium Park and Cloud Gate (“The Bean”), one of the most iconic landmarks in the city. A stunning skyline coupled with cultural attractions like the Art Institute of Chicago present a Downtown where work and play peacefully coexist.
How to get there
- Jackson • 2 min walk
- Harold Washington Library – State/Van Buren • 3 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
24 reviews
Excellent
13
Very good
11
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
ScottyG777
Saint Paul, MN525 contributions
Apr 2012 • Business
This is one of the most famous buildings of my architecture education. The Monadnock Building was the world's largest office building when it was finished in 1893. It's a masonry masterpiece and is supported by the material (brick) it's made of, not a hidden steel structure like most other buildings are today. The walls on the street level are about six feet thick to support the upper stories. It's been restored and there are some cool shops and a couple of restaurants inside. I highly recommend a visit and at least a walk through this historic architectural gem.
Written 10 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ChicagoTexas
Chicago, IL180 contributions
June 2013
I discovered the beauty of this structure when I visited the Florodora dress and shoe shops on the south end of the building (ladies, peruse the stores, they're pricey but feature local designers and beautiful merchandise). When you walk through the interior you can appreciate the architecture as well as the turn of the century vibe the shops inspire. You'll find a hatmaker, shoe repair, flower shop, coffee shop, restaurant, old fashioned barber shop and the Florodora boutiques inside. Don't miss the enormous and beautifully embellished mail box as you enter from the north end on Jackson. Read up on the building's history and look at it from Dearborn St. You'll find the north and south ends were built at different times. Get a taste of what 1940s Chicago was. The type of businesses here probably havent changed much since.
Written 7 June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grover R
Pensacola, FL22,266 contributions
June 2022
In today's skyline, this building is difficult to find and when judged on 2022, it appears uninspiring. However, so much of Chicago is combination of architectural history and engineering feats and this building has both. While it is one building, it is two completely different structures with different processes built at different times and combined together. When it was finished it was the largest building in area in the world and its financial success spurred the Chicago skyline you see to day.
The north half is fairly plain but immensely thick walls. It was designed by Burnham & Root, architects of the Beaux Arts "White City" Exposition and the Rookery. to be the biggest building in the world to take advantage of demand within the Loop. However, it was designed by conventional engineering using the exterior walls to hold the weight. It was and still is the tallest load-bearing brick building ever built, but this massive need for support caused significant cost overruns. Yet the demand was still there.
For the south half, the architects of Holabird and Roche are hired to find a cheaper way to build and they propose a completely new technology that offers two significant improvements. The use a steel frame to carry the weight of the building which allows for the first difference you can strikingly see today. Since the exterior does not have to bear the weight, it can be adorned with lightweight detail that makes the south half appear to have so much better craftmanship. Second, the frame allows for a significant decrease in both construction materials and labor which enables the owners to reap financial success. This success spurs the rapid growth in skyscrapers you see today in the Chicago skyline.
Again you can totally miss this building and even if you see it, it's strange mismatch makes it look insignificant. However, if you know the story, this may be one of the most important buildings in American History if not the world. If you can take the time to find this and see it.
The north half is fairly plain but immensely thick walls. It was designed by Burnham & Root, architects of the Beaux Arts "White City" Exposition and the Rookery. to be the biggest building in the world to take advantage of demand within the Loop. However, it was designed by conventional engineering using the exterior walls to hold the weight. It was and still is the tallest load-bearing brick building ever built, but this massive need for support caused significant cost overruns. Yet the demand was still there.
For the south half, the architects of Holabird and Roche are hired to find a cheaper way to build and they propose a completely new technology that offers two significant improvements. The use a steel frame to carry the weight of the building which allows for the first difference you can strikingly see today. Since the exterior does not have to bear the weight, it can be adorned with lightweight detail that makes the south half appear to have so much better craftmanship. Second, the frame allows for a significant decrease in both construction materials and labor which enables the owners to reap financial success. This success spurs the rapid growth in skyscrapers you see today in the Chicago skyline.
Again you can totally miss this building and even if you see it, it's strange mismatch makes it look insignificant. However, if you know the story, this may be one of the most important buildings in American History if not the world. If you can take the time to find this and see it.
Written 24 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MooreReviews
Baltimore, MD392 contributions
Oct 2019
We heard about this building on a tour. Loved to hear the history of. Tallest fully brick sky scraper, and so heavy they have to reinforced the foundation every year to prevent it from sinking. Fascinating architecture in this city.
Written 1 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
One_of_the_BOFs
Cheltenham, UK7,017 contributions
Sept 2017 • Friends
My drinking buddy and I stopped off here on our way to breakfast at the start of our day's brewery tour. I'd heard about it on our architectural tour the previous day, so it was great to see it live as it were. Apart from the historical significance of the building which has been very well restored, the rather quirky shops on the ground floor are also worth seeing.
Written 24 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane K
Venice, FL4,579 contributions
Sept 2016 • Couples
The building is open to the public and you can walk through - and also go up stairs. It is the tallest load-bearing brick building ever constructed (north section built in 1891 and the south in 1893). The shops inside are also interesting - especially the custom made hat shop. We went on a 45 minute tour of the building as part of the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Great structure and wonderfully restored.
Written 10 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Toroniee T
Ottawa, Ontario596 contributions
July 2016 • Friends
This building is one of the must-see with my architect friends. Just like many other tall buildings in Chicago, you have to step back at least a block away to get a good photo.
Written 6 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Illinoisnow
Illinois291 contributions
July 2016
This is another of Chicago's famous, historic buildings. Be sure to walk through, end to end and see the shops. It is like stepping back in time! So glad this building has been saved.
Written 28 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mlgocon
Taytay, Philippines308 contributions
June 2016
My mother worked in this building back in the 50's so we went to revisit it with her. Specialty shops on the ground floor take you back nearly a century with a hat store that makes custom made hats and a shoe shine store that repairs shoes. The jewelry store has been around for over 50 years as well. The Intellegentsia coffee shop is in the same place as the cafe where my mother used to buy breakfast. We rode the elevator up to the 8th floor where she worked on the switchboard. The beautiful staircases are still the same and if you take a peek behind the women's bathroom, you'll find another set of hidden stairs where the men's restroom used to be. The mail shoots on each floor and mail boxes on the ground floor haven't changed as well as the tiling on the floors. Well worth a visit.
Written 14 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bonnie T
Chicago, IL1,875 contributions
July 2015 • Solo
This building is worth at least a quick visit to the lobby off State Street (open to the public) to see the amazing mosaic artwork inside that tells an historical story, although you'll have to research what it is. Just walk in and look up.
Written 23 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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