Free Tours of Historic Clarke House and Glessner House
Having heard several references to Glessner House and the Prairie Avenue neighborhood during other tours, I recently decided it was time to visit the house and check out the neighborhood.
Glessner House, 1800 South Prairie Avenue, was built in 1886 on the southwest corner of South Prairie Avenue and East 18th Street. Architect Henry Hobson Richardson designed the home for John and Frances Glessner.
Clarke House, currently located at 1827 South Indiana Avenue, in the Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens, was built in 1836 for the Henry Brown Clarke family. Clarke House is the oldest surviving Chicago home.
The Glessner House Museum offers guided tours of Glessner House and Clarke House Wednesday through Sunday (Clarke House tours start at 12 noon and 2 p.m. and Glessner House tours start at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.). Both tours start at the Glessner House Museum Visitor's Center at 1800 South Prairie Avenue. The tours are free on Wednesdays.
The tours are limited in size and filled on a first-come, first-served, walk-in basis. Reservations are not accepted over the phone. As soon as the Glessner House Museum Visitor's Center opens (11:30 a.m.), a list is started for the tours. The tours fill quickly. To go on the 12 noon and 1 p.m. tours, arrive when the center opens, sign up, and take a walk around the neighborhood until the tour begins.
Allan Vagner, a knowledgeable and enthusiastic docent, led the tours. He described the architecture, history, and completed and ongoing restoration of the homes. It was interesting to learn about the families that resided in the homes and what the neighborhood and people were like during the respective time periods of these homes.
One thing I found particularly wonderful is that many of the items in Glessner House belonged to the Glessner family. The Glessner family took many photographs, which has allowed the rooms to be set up accordingly.
If you are interested in architecture, art, the Prairie Avenue neighborhood, history in general, or Chicago history in particular, you will definitely want to tour these two beautiful homes!
Can't decide if you want to walk, drive, or take the bus to the tour? If it's convenient, consider biking the Lakefront Trail.
For current tour details and a more detailed history of the homes and their former residents, visit the Glessner House and Clarke House websites. Glessner House Museum can also be reached by phone at 312.326.1480.
In the future, I’ll be covering a self-guided walking tour of the historic Prairie Avenue neighborhood (with pictures!). Come back and check it out!
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