Last year, we shared with you some of our favorite historic homes in Chicagoland. Today, we're back with another look at some of the most significant historic houses in several Chicagoland neighborhoods.
Richard H. Driehaus Museum - 40 E Erie St, Chicago, IL 60611
Housed in the beautifully restored Nickerson Mansion, the Richard H. Driehaus Museum offers a glimpse back into Chicago's storied Gilded Age. The art, architecture and design of the late 19th and early 20th centuries are on full view in this splendid River North mansion, which has historically been referred to as Chicago's "Marble Palace." Guided tours explore the architecture of the building itself as well as its vast collection of period furnishings, paintings and decor. The Driehaus Museum also hosts an ever-changing array of traveling exhibits in its gallery space.
Ernest Hemingway Birthplace - 339 N Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302
One of America's most celebrated authors was born just outside of Chicago in the charming suburb of Oak Park. The beautiful Queen Anne-style home where Ernest Hemingway was born and spent the first years of his life is open to the public as the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace. Guided individual and group tours take place Thursday through Sunday on the hour, with the last tour taking place at 4 pm. Visitors can explore most of the house, which is still adorned in period-appropriate decor, including the second-floor bedroom where Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899.
Naper Settlement - 523 S Webster St, Naperville, IL 60540
Established in 1831, the community of Naperville is known as one of the most historic neighborhoods in Chicagoland. A collection of 30 buildings and structures in Naperville have collectively been designated the Naper Settlement, a 12-acre outdoor history museum dedicated to life in the Chicago area during the 19th century. The buildings of the Naper Settlement, which include the 1883 Pine Craig Mansion, are open to the public and include guided tours and hands-on activities led by educators in period costumes. 
Albert F. Madlener House - 4 W Burton Pl, Chicago, IL 60610
The Gold Coast is known today as one of Chicago's most luxurious neighborhoods. That was also the case in the late 1800s when this lakeside area of the city grew in the wake of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Numerous historic homes still stand in the neighborhood, but the Albert F. Madlener House is one of the most unique. Designed by architect Richard E. Schmidt for the wealthy Chicago brewer Albert Fridolin Madlener, the home combines elements of the Chicago and Prairie schools of design and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970. 
Frederick C. Robie House - 5757 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
Famed architect Frank Lloyd spent a good portion of his life in Chicago, and architecture buffs will find dozens of homes in and around the city that were designed by Wright. The Frederick C. Robie House in Hyde Park is one of them. The house was built in 1910 when Wright was at the peak of his Prairie Style phase, and the Robie House is one of the most dramatic of the era. With a wide-open floor plan, overhanging eaves and a cantilevered roof supported by a 110-foot steel channel, the house feels like a true extension of the landscape.
Contact us today to learn more about life in the local area. If you're looking for your Chicagoland dream home, our real estate agents are here to help every step of the way.
