Last updated: 3/3/2010
Chicago, Illinois
Address
1800 S Prairie AvenueChicago, IL 60616
phone: 312-326-1480
fax: 312-326-1397
e-mail: glessnerhouse@sbcglobal.net
web: www.glessnerhouse.org

Hours

Wednesday through Sunday; tours at 1:00 and 3:00pm
Groups are limited to 12 visitors per tour and are on a first-come, first-serve, walk-in basis. However, custom tours for groups of 10 or more are available with at least 4 weeks advanced reservations. Please contact 312.326.1480 for more information or to make a custom tour reservation. Free days (Wednesdays) do not apply to groups of ten or more.

Admissions

$10 adults;
$9 seniors/students;
$6 children (5-12);
children under 5 free

Staff

William Tyre
phone: 312-326-1480
Lynne Mickle Smaczny
phone:
Description

A National Historic Landmark, Glessner House was designed by noted American architect Henry Hobson Richardson and completed in 1887. It remains an internationally-known architectural treasure in Chicago. A radical departure from traditional Victorian architecture, the structure served as an inspiration to the young Frank Lloyd Wright and helped reform domestic architecture.

Glessner House Museum offers guided tours, lectures, and other special programs to interpret the themes of art, architecture, and social history which are inherent in Glessner House, the museum's collections, and the stories of its residents and neighbors during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Glessner House Museum boasts a veritable garden of earthly delights for the appreciation and study of decorative arts. From the Isaac Scott cabinetry, to the Morris & Co. textiles, and the eclectic array of ceramics, the museum offers visitors a singular experience in which nearly all of the furnishings and appointments are original to the family. Visitors to this historic home thrill at the hundreds of glorious art objects that grace the period rooms.

Mission

Glessner House Museum engages diverse audiences in exploring urban life and design through the preservation and interpretation of the architecture of Henry Hobson Richardson and the historic home of John and Frances Glessner.

Artifact Collections

The house contains an important collection of original English and American arts and crafts objects, as well as a major collection of steel engravings, and furniture by Isaac Scott, A. H. Davenport, Herter Brothers, and Charles Coolidge.

Research Collections

Large research collection focusing mostly on the Glessner family and the Prairie Avenue neighborhood.

Educational Programs

Glessner House Museum helps illuminate the present by bringing the past to life with a wealth of subjects to study, present, dramatize, and celebrate—from the glamour of the Gilded Age, to the vast cultural changes surrounding World War I, to the excitement of the Jazz Age and Prohibition. Lectures, programs and events attract diverse audiences for education and entertainment.

Library
Access: General Public, Students, Scholars, Members
Appointment required: Yes
Publications

Newsletter "The Glessner Journal" issued quarterly
Services
Gift Shop
ADA

Parking near Glessner House is limited. There is on-street parking on 18th Street and Indiana Avenue. Parking is not allowed on Prairie Avenue.

Parking
Exhibitions
Museum Events
DISCLAIMER
This information, including business hours, addresses and contact information is provided for general reference purposes only. No representation is made or warranty is given as to its content or the reliability thereof. User assumes all risk of use. Stories USA, Inc. and its content suppliers assume no responsibility for any loss or delay resulting from such use. Please call ahead to verify the dates, the location and directions.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Museum Trustee Association Spring Forum 2024

April 10 - 14, 2024

Atlanta, Georgia

Texas Association of Museums 2024 Lubock Annual Conference

April 14 - 17, 2024

Lubbock, Texas

2024 Colorado-Wyoming ANNUAL MEETING

May 1 - 4, 2024

Worland, Wyoming

West Virginia Association of Museums 2024 Conference

June 6 - 8, 2024

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

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