Retro River North Walking Tour

When you visit St. James Cathedral, you can pray in the same space as Abraham Lincoln, who worshipped at St. James shortly after being elected President in 1860. After the Civil War, tremendous growth led the church to enlarge and redecorate on an even grander scale. A few weeks after the splendidly redesigned church was formally rededicated in 1871, the Great Chicago Fire erupted, leaving nothing but the stone walls, and the bell tower, whose bells gave warning to the neighborhood of the fire.

The Richard H. Driehaus Museum is housed within the historic Samuel M. Nickerson House, built in 1883 for this wealthy Chicago banker. The mansion was designed for Samuel M. Nickerson by one of Chicago's earliest prominent architects, Edward J. Burling of the architectural firm Burling & Whitehouse. Construction took four years and cost $450,000; it was reportedly the most expensive and elaborate private residence in Chicago at the time of its completion in 1883. The interiors are spectacular with marble, onyx, carved exotic and domestic woods, glazed tiles, and stained glass. On display are original furnishings from the Nickerson era along with American and European decorative arts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including art nouveau furnishings and a number of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Photos of the interior will be accessible during the tour.

The six-story, 32,000-square-foot Murphy Auditorium was built between 1923 and 1926 by the American College of Surgeons. It was designed by noted Chicago architects Benjamin Marshall and Charles E. Fox of Marshall and Fox who also designed the Edgewater Beach Apartment building, often called the Pink Palace. It was added to the Driehaus Museum’s footprint in 2022. The building features a pair of cast bronze doors produced by Tiffany Studios at the front entrance. And not only is it one of the most spectacular structures in all of Chicago but it has two of the most incredible doorways in the city too! Photos of the interior will be accessible during the tour.

Commissioned in 1894 by philanthropist and arts patron Judge Lambert Tree and his wife Anna Field Tree who was the daughter of Marshall Field, the Tree Studios were designed as an artists’ residence and have been home to over 500 artists. You’ve likely heard of the famous Ivy Room which is here inside Tree Studios and makes for a spectacular venue for events and especially weddings. Some of the great artists which have called the Tree Studios home include sculptors Albin Polasek and John Storrs; illustrator J. Allen St. John; muralist John Warner Norton, painters Ruth Van Sickle Ford, John Singer Sargent, and Pauline Palmer; and actors Peter Falk and Burgess Meredith.

In 1997, P.O.S.H. opened its doors in Chicago, with a desire to offer something unique to the consumer that had grown weary of “sameness”. The small shop was met with a warm reception as the search for pieces that haven’t been mass-produced for coast–to–coast consumption was shared by many. The owners search high and low for authentic items that stock its shelves — an eclectic assortment of vintage Hotel and Estate Silver, Restaurant China, and Dinnerware and an ever–changing mix of European Flea Market Finds. We will step inside and you will be instantly transported to a Parisian-type flea market atmosphere. In the back of the shop and you can catch a glimpse into the courtyard of the Tree Studios.

Redhead Piano Bar has one of the coolest and most fun vintage neon signs in the city I think! Tucked away on bustling Ontario Street, The Redhead Piano Bar has been a neighborhood mainstay and a favorite among locals and tourists alike since 1993. Offering nightly live piano music, The Redhead is the perfect late-night spot for upbeat performances, engaging conversation, and meeting new people. It’s a cocktail piano bar dressed in yesteryear memorabilia which draws in the well-heeled for crooners & cocktails.

Hard Rock Cafe Chicago is marked by the giant iconic guitar that illuminates the parking lot. For more than 30 years the cafe has been a one-of-a-kind dining, entertainment, and shopping destination known worldwide for embracing funky styles and blending them with legendary food, beverages, live music, and music history. Hard Rock International is the world’s largest curator of music memorabilia, and the cafe walls are lined with priceless pieces from musical legends like Billy Joel, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince.

About 30 years ago, House of Blues was founded with a simple but powerful mantra far ahead of its time in the U.S: Unity in Diversity. The pursuit of peace, love, community, and acceptance has guided the organization’s cultural development and continues to gain new meaning and applications over the passing of time. House of Blues is committed to using its venues, voice, and platform to advocate passionately for human expression, racial equality, and spiritual harmony.