Marquette Building, Chicago

Imagine slipping a sleek, tailored cover over an iron skeleton鈥攖hat鈥檚 the Marquette Building, constructed in 1895. Underneath its crisp, geometric skin hides a tough steel frame, one of the early hallmarks of Chicago鈥檚 vertical ambitions. The base is rugged stone. The crown is an ornate cornice that looks like it belongs on a royal pastry. But most of the fa莽ade sticks to business: form follows function, with clean lines that echo the structure鈥檚 bones. Inside, every office hugs the building鈥檚 arms, ensuring that each room gets a slice of sunlight, either from the street or the central light well. Think efficiency with a touch of elegance...

The building takes its name from Jacques Marquette, the Jesuit priest and explorer whose 1674鈥�75 journal gave Europe its first written peek at what we now call Chicago. Owen F. Aldis鈥攑art real estate developer, part amateur historian, full-on fanboy鈥攖ranslated the journal in 1891 and made it the heart and soul of the building. That鈥檚 why you鈥檒l spot reliefs on the exterior showing scenes from Marquette鈥檚 adventures, as if the building鈥檚 wearing a historic graphic novel on its face.

Inside the lobby, you may feel like you鈥檙e in a jewel box: bronze fixtures gleam under a Tiffany glass mosaic that narrates Marquette鈥檚 journey with serious flair. Over the elevators are bronze reliefs of French explorers and Native Americans mid-expedition. And if you wander just a bit farther, you鈥檒l find a mini-exhibit on the building鈥檚 history and recent restoration鈥攂rought to you by the MacArthur Foundation, which, fittingly, is one of the tenants here.

All of this came from the minds of Holabird & Roche, two architects who started out as draftsmen for the guy who basically invented skyscrapers, William Le Baron Jenney. Indeed, these guys didn鈥檛 just raise buildings鈥攖hey raised the bar...

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Marquette 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

The Magnificent Mile Walking Tour

The stretch of Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Lake Shore Drive, otherwise known as the Magnificent Mile, is regarded as one of the world鈥檚 great avenues 鈥� or Chicago鈥檚 version of Fifth Avenue. Take this self-guided walk to explore its whole stretch and surrounding area, featuring a wide selection of amazing stores/malls, world-known museums, restaurants and spectacular... view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles

Chicago Navy Pier Walking Tour

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

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

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