Begin your tour at the Chicago Cultural Center. Completed in 1897 by architects Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge, this building was originally built as the city’s central library, as well as a monument to the Civil War’s Grand Army of the Republic. The limestone building uses a Greek/Roman motif, which became very popular for public buildings after the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge also used a similar style when designing the Art Institute of Chicago.

The library was moved to the newly constructed Harold Washington Library (located at 400 South State Street) in 1991, and this building now serves as home for the Office of Cultural Affairs, and regularly has FREE special exhibits and programs in its galleries. Be sure to step inside to see the magnificently restored 38-foot-diameter Tiffany stained-glass dome -- located on the top floor of the south side of the building -- with some 30,000 pieces of glass. On the north side of the building -- also on the top floor -- is an equally impressive 40-foot-diameter dome with approximately 50,000 pieces of glass in an intricate Renaissance pattern. This dome was designed by Healy & Millet.

Admission is FREE to the Chicago Cultural Center.

For more information on the Chicago Cultural Center, tap the blue buttons on this page.

SIDE TRIP! A fun and educational side trip from our Loop / Architecture Tour is the Museum of Illusions Chicago. Located near the south entrance to the Cultural Center -- about 1/2 block west at 25 E. Washington Street -- this one-of-a-kind edutainment destination lets you immerse yourself in the wonderful world of illusions. Experience more than 80 visual and educational exhibits featuring holograms, stereograms, optical illusions, and immersive rooms. At the Museum of Illusions, nothing is quite as it seems!

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