Mansions Tour

Literally thousands of Chicago residences have landmark protection. Most of them are located in one of the City's officially designated historic districts. A smaller number of these buildings, however, could rightly be termed "mansions," due to their impressive size and ornate architectural design. Usually built as opulent homes for wealthy individuals, many of these structures now accommodate very different uses. These include house museums (Glessner, Jane Adams Hull House, and Robie), non-profit headquarters (Lathrop and Madlener), and private businesses (Dewes, Nickerson, and Wheeler-Kohn). In a few instances, this tour also includes entire districts, such as Astor Street, Kenwood, North Kenwood, Oakland, and Seven Houses on Lake Shore Drive.