London Guarantee Building, Chicago

Say hi to the London Guarantee & Accident Building鈥擟hicago鈥檚 take on 鈥淗ow fancy can an insurance office allow itself to get?鈥� Since 1923, this Beaux-Arts beauty has been holding court on the city's skyline with all the drama and flair of a Gilded Age debutante. Designed by Alfred S. Alschuler for a British insurance firm that clearly didn鈥檛 believe in subtlety, this building is a love letter to classical architecture and Chicago鈥檚 ambition to dazzle the world, especially in the wake of the 1893 World鈥檚 Fair.

What makes it Beaux-Arts, you ask? Think Corinthian columns, Roman statues, and stonework so detailed it practically winks at you. In essence, this building is a temple to symmetry, opulence, and architectural ego. Every inch of its fa莽ade says, 鈥淵es, we are this grand, thank you very much.鈥�

And then there鈥檚 the crown jewel: that glorious cupola. Sitting atop the 22-story tower like a marble tiara, it features a colonnade and domed cap that scream 鈥淟ook at me!鈥� to anyone within a mile radius. It鈥檚 not just decorative鈥攊t鈥檚 competitive, throwing some elegant side-eye at the Wrigley Building across the street.

All in all, the London Guarantee Building doesn鈥檛 just occupy space鈥攊t owns it. One part classical romance, one part high-rise bravado, it鈥檚 a true Chicago original.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Chicago. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: London Guarantee Building
Sight Location: Chicago, USA (See walking tours in Chicago)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Loop District Architecture Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Chicago, Illinois

Create Your Own Walk in Chicago

Creating your own self-guided walk in Chicago is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Millennium and Grant Parks Walking Tour

The city of Chicago is renowned for its outdoor green spaces. One such 鈥渇orever free and open鈥� space, is called Grant Park and was established in 1844. In fact, upon foundation, it was called Lake Park, but was renamed in 1901 after the American Civil War General and United States President, Ulysses S. Grant.

Popularly referred to as 鈥淐hicago's front lawn,鈥� this lakefront park is... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles

Loop District Architecture Walking Tour

The Chicago Loop District鈥攅ssentially the city鈥檚 historic downtown鈥攈as long been a stage for architectural innovation and an open-air museum of American architecture.

The construction boom started after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which destroyed much of the central business district, gave architects a blank canvas to rebuild the city from the ground up. What followed was a surge of... view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.7 Km or 2.9 Miles

University of Chicago Walking Tour

Founded in 1890, the University of Chicago is among the world鈥檚 most prestigious educational institutions. As of 2020, the University鈥檚 students, faculty and staff have included 100 Nobel laureates, giving it the fourth-most affiliated Nobel laureates of any university.

Set in the heart of Chicago鈥檚 famous eclectic neighborhood, Hyde Park, the campus is worth a visit as it offers a... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles

Chicago Old Town Walking Tour

Settled in 1850 by German immigrants, Chicago鈥檚 Old Town neighborhood is a popular destination for locals and visitors who cater to the entertainment venues, restaurants, pubs, coffee shops and boutiques 鈥� all of which have turned an area once referred to as the 鈥淐abbage Patch鈥� into an attraction that rivals Navy Pier, Wrigley Field and the Magnificent Mile.

Start your Old Town walking... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles

Chicago Chinatown Walking Tour

Tucked away just south of the Loop, the Chinatown of Chicago was established in 1912 and is considered one of the best examples of American Chinatown. While it may be one of Chicago鈥檚 smallest neighborhoods geographically, it is big on character, colors, sights, sounds, and flavors. Here, you鈥檒l find a wide range of unique boutiques, specialty shops, religious sights, authentic Chinese... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles

Chicago Navy Pier Walking Tour

Additional to scenic views of the lake, the boats, and the city skyline, the Navy Pier offers a variety of attractions on the waterfront 鈥� for kids as well as adults 鈥� that draw nearly ten million people annually, making this Chicago's most visited spot. Yes, some may see it as a 鈥渢ourist trap鈥�, but it is worth the time and money to spend some time here, so take this self-guided walk... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles

View all walking tours in Chicago, Illinois

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