We packed a lot in on our short visit and we had to start with Obama. We knew we couldn't get into the center because tickets have been sold out for months. But we could see it from the outside and get a t-shirt.
The Obama's Chicago home was only a few miles away. No one was home.
The city's oldest existing home can be found at 1827 S. Indiana Avenue. It's been moved twice but was built in 1836 so it holds the record.
The Green Door Tavern (678 N. Orleans) stakes its claim as the city's oldest tavern. There are some competitors for the title but this structure was built in 1872 and it opened as a bar in 1921 during prohibition so it hangs its hat on those dates.
Lou Malnati's flagship location at 1120 N. State Street closed on June 30 due to the landlord's refusal to renew its lease. Convexity Properties bought the property in 2025 and intends to redevelop the site. Lou Malnati is looking for a new location but say goodbye to this spot.
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We drove around and through the Pullman National Historical Park but the buildings weren't open. It's noted for being one of the first planned industrial communities in the United States.
The Union Stockyards Gate was designated a National Historical Landmark in 1981 and is the only surviving piece of the Chicago stockyards. The gate is made of limestone and was designed by Burnham and Root around 1875. The bull featured in the gate was the stockyard superintendent's favorite bull, Sherman.
Just west of the gate is a memorial to the 21 firemen who died fighting the stockyard fire of 1910.
Last year we found this terra cotta arch in the Chicago History Museum. Apparently it hung at the stockyards until the fire of 1934.
There is additional stockyard information affixed to the gate but nothing but the gate remains to be seen.
We drove up to Wilmette to see the Baha'i Temple and it is magnificent. It's one of eight continental temples (there are 14 temples in total) and the only one in North America. Designed by Louis Bourgeois, it took over 50 years to build, finally completed in 1953.
If you can't climb the steps, you are out of luck. We asked three different staff members about an elevator and received three different answers, the final one being that's it's inaccessible and needs a prior arrangement to use. I don't know how they get away with that.
Lastly, we visited the grave of Emmett Till in Alsip, the 14 year old boy whose brutal murder galvanized the Civil Rights Movement. RIP Emmett 💔
Two other stops from this trip have their own posts so check them out.
and Mr. Beef
Until next time, Chicago!
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